Chapter Three
"We're almost there." A voice said.
I looked up to see Anna staring back at me with a concern expression but I ignored it to continue my work.
I continued to look at some of words that I ws typing on the screen, as the component of my speech, to help one community with their bumpy and terrible roads that were causing too many accidents and casualties.
I continued until I saw a picture being put over my picture screen.
I looked up and saw Anna looking at me with the same concern expression but this time she had a smile on her face.
"So do you even know the girl that your brother is about to get married to?" Anna said.
I moved Anna's hand to continue my work but she shoved the picture back in front of me and I sighed.
"I'm busy trying to finish this speech and you keep on having me mess up, what is it?" I said while scrunching up my face in irritation.
"I'm saying that your brother is about to do his engagement ceremony and you barely know one thing about your soon to be sister-in-law...aren't you interested?" she said.
I shook my head and continue to work but this time to answer her question.
"Knowing my parents...especially my father he made sure to select a girl who was nice, obedient, caring, and docile enough that wouldn't bend at their words." I said.
They had no choice after I brought someone who almost destroyed their name...someone who almost had them cast their head in shame...
Once the thought got planted into my head I started remembering something that I didn't want to remember.
"I love you." I said.
I stared at her as she had her head in my lap, her light brown tresses of her hair spilled out on my legs and towards the bed as her brown eyes stared at me with mischief and desire.
I smiled back at her and dipped my hand through her hair and in response she closed her eyes and smiled at me.
She then squirmed and wiggled around to lean on top of the bed and she smiled at me and I looked at her in confusion.
"Why didn't you say it back?" I said with a hitch in my throat.
She caught on the band of her nightgown and slowly untied it until it dipped down on the bed sheets and she flipped her head causing her hair was the only thing protecting her breasts from open view.
She inched closer to me and I looked at her with both confusion and desire as she placed her hand on my chin.
"What's the need for it when I make it more than obvious every night?" She said while placing herself in my lap, tossing her head back, her arms wrapped around me, while she was staring at me with a smirk in her face.
"Stop...stop...we can't...we are suppose...we are suppose to meet my family...my family..." I started but she started kissing my cheeks, my chin, and forehead, slowly tracing her lips down my nose, and only making teasing nicks across my lips.
"Forget them...no need...they already hate me as it is...there is no point." She said.
"But...but...but..." I tried but she stopped kissing and pulled away from me.
"Forget them...forget your family. They are not interested in us...remember what happened last time during your father's birthday...it's best if you don't show up at all." She said while staring at me.
"No I cannot...they are my family...
"But I'm your family too...I'm your wide...now..." she said and she drew her arms around my shoulder and I stared at her in amusement, admiration, and love.
"Also...I thought you said that you love me more than anyone else in the world, so are you willing to prove it to me?" she said while leaning back towards my neck...
I slammed my hand on the computer causing Anna to turn back around from her seat in the front.
"I never loved you. You existed for me as a means for a better end. That is all you were to me." She said with a cool expression.
I cursed.
That stupid sham of a marriage, that stupid sham of affection that she had, the whole while she just wanted my nam...
"Is there anything wrong sir?" a voice said.
I looked up to see Anna staring at me with a serious expression and was darting her eyes around to look for any unseen danger.
I took a deep breath and exhaled it to regain my senses and to face Anna again with a calm demeanor while I placed my laptop on the seat that was next to me and I rubbed my hand over my face.
"I'm fine...just frustrated with this speech." I said with as much ease as I could.
She peered at me, not believing a word, yet instead she handed me the picture from earlier and she tossed around back towards her normal position in her seat.
"You should at least meet her first before you assume anything." Anna said.
I stared at the girl that was staring at me with a small smile and I folded the picture before I looked out the window.
"Let's hope for his sake that smile of yours are not filled with a hidden agenda." I whispered to myself before I tossed the picture on the seat next to me.
*********************
"Oooh... she is really beautiful." A woman said.
"She seems to be from a really good family..." another woman oohed.
"At least they learned from last time..." another voice whispered and I noticed Kunal heard them because he stiffened and cut them with a death glare that had them silent in their tracks.
He was looking entirely handsome in a black and grey kurta; a perfect fir that molded and showcased off his muscles and part of his chest.
I blushed a little for staring and I placed my hand on his carefully, without spurring too much attention or ridicule from anyone.
"Leave it alone." I whispered.
Kunal let out a deep breath but the tension never left his shoulders.
"I can't...but thanks..." He said giving me a soft smile before he carefully removed my hand from his as people began to approach us.
I placed my hand in my lap and casted my eyes downward as I realized it was Kunal's parents or my soon to be in-laws coming our way.
I greeted them and they smiled but I saw maa searching the room for something but didn't find what she was looking for and sighed in disappointment before she casted her attention back to Kunal and I.
"You guys are looking very beautiful and handsome...if only everyone could be here to witness this." She said with a soft smile.
"Madam, lets not ruin this evening." A deep voice said with an edge.
I looked up and noticed the voice belonged to papa and was taken aback as he rarely spoke or addressed much of the people around.
Aside from the few words he would give to maa, he would nod or just shake his head.
Although I knew that Kunal loved his parents, whenever he talked about his father it was always seemed as if he was cold, distant, and coined his sons only in accomplishment and their success.
Nothing spoke of warmth or even openness that I was used to with my father.
Plus the way he would just stare you down at times, it came off as intimidating and even scary that I would at all times avoid chances being left alone with him.
"I'm not ruining anything...there are still guests that haven't come yet." Maa said while trying to maintain her smile.
"Guests...or do you mean your son who seems to have forgotten that he has a family." He said as a statement before he walked away.
"Excuse us." Maa said before she cupped my cheek and walked away to run after papa.
I let out a deep breath that I didn't that I was holding onto while I tried to calm my heart that was beating rapidly.
"Are...are...are you sure your brother is going to come here? I mean he is already in the media enough...I don't think your parents, more specifically, your father would like it if he came here?" I said whispering to Kunal.
"Anand will come...there hasn't been one promise that bhai has every made that he has never fulfilled. My brother is a really good person Shraddha...and I want you to meet him...you guys will get along." Kunal said while grabbing my hand, this time folding his hands against mine.
I blushed and looked at him and saw heat in his eyes that had my heart speed up even more.
"I...I...I don't think he will like me as much...if he is anything like your father." I said while whispering breathlessly.
He chuckled and he released contact when more people approached us and I was disappointed at the lost of contact.
"Then you should be happy he isn't anything like our father." He said while winking at me and I smiled.
*****************
(Four days later...)
I sighed and I walked out of the elevator not shocked when people's voices stopped and soon murmuring started before people started to crowd around me.
Instead I greeted them and tried to offer them a smile.
"...Now if you would do that more on more campaign events and photo-ops you wouldn't be nicknamed the "Stiff Iron Board" or the "Giant Statue" or the "Miss Priss Pants."
Anna's voice came into my head and I tried to smile even more by offering a greeting causing some of the women in turn to stare at me in shock and then starting to shyly smile back at me while some going a step further.
I looked away, trying hard not to grimace, and saw the man, my lawyer, Mr. Dhawan, that I was looking for, dressed up in a gray suit, with black hair, and glasses.
When I met up with him he offered me his hand with a bright smile on his face, with too much of an eager look in his eyes.
I looked at his hands and looked back up at him signaling that I wasn't going to shake his hands, causing him to awkwardly to cough and rub his hands against his pants.
"Goodmorning Mr. Shergill, sorry about that...this way please." He said extending his hands towards his office in question.
I walked inside and sat in one of the loveseats that were behind a coffee table that sported a small flower vase.
His office in question reeked the most expensive items and furniture that he could find but was more than obvious he didn't know how to tastefully combined them.
I folded my hands together hopefully in getting rid of my ex-wife once and for all and having her stop causing problems in my life that I was finally able to repair.
A few days ago, I received a court subpoena from my lovely ex-wife.
I thought I finally buried the hatchet on her, but after her ex-pose on our marriage life hitting the papers 2-3 weeks ago almost destroying my public image, and now this...it was ridiculous.
"Can I offer you anything Mr. Shergill tea or coffee? Anything to eat?" Mr. Dhawan asked eagerly.
I held myself from rolling my eyes.
He was just like the others that wanted to join the bandwagon of supporters that were nonexistent when I began my campaign trail.
"Nothing as of now. I would like to cut to things. I want to get rid of my ex-wife once and for all." I said.
He looked at me in horror and I raised my hand to cut off his questions.
"I meant in a legal realm. I cut her a nice good deal from our divorce in exchange for peace but it seems she is not willing to do even that." I said and I tossed the subpoena letter on the coffee table.
"This is..."
"It's the subpoena that she sent me." I said with bitterness.
He quickly opened the note, pushing his glasses further onto the bridge of his nose, and scanning the documents in lightening speed.
After he was done reading the note he looked at me in confusion and curiousity.
"Excuse me for asking sir but...but this is an order for custody." He said.
I nodded folding my hands into my lap.
"But this is for custody...how can this possibly have any affect on you?" he questioned in confusion.
I paused at that question.
Of course he wouldn't know the full details, I made sure the whole divorce proceedings and anything surrounding my child would never be released to the press.
Anyone connected was immediately signed under contract, paid in full, and dismissed to avoid being blackmail or having it pop up into the papers.
My shame was enough, but there was no way I was going to make it even more so over the fact that my ex-wife practically used me and abandoned out daughter.
I thought carefully in framing m response without revealing nothing.
"I cannot and will not go into details. All I need to know is can you fix this..."
Before I could finish there was a tap on the door, shocking Mr. Dhawan from the papers he was looking at and causing me to raise an eyebrow in annoyance.
He looked at me and I nodded.
"Sorry Mr.Shergill. Come in!" he directed towards the door in annoyance.
The door opened up and a woman walked in holding a coffee cup.
She was wearing black heels, with a long skirt that fitted each and every curve of her hips and behind; with a white dress shirt that couldn't shield te fact that she was well endowed in the chest department as well.
Her hair was tied into a thick bun and it allowed to frame her eyes that were a dark brown; along with a pretty nose and pretty plump lips.
I looked away trying hard not to pay attention but for some reason my eyes connected back to her.
"Goodmorning Mr.Dhawan, goodmorning sir." She said nodding towards both of us.
"Here is your coffee." She said while handling it towards him.
He practically snatched the cup from her hand and one wrong move could have had it tip over.
I watched as she scrunched up her expression but it quickly disappeared.
"That is fine. You can leave now." He said dismissing her and continuing on to read the letter that I gave him.
The woman in question nodded, not betraying anything in her expression, and was about to turn away until Mr. Dhawan called her.
"Kritika, make some coffee for Mr. Shergill." He said.
"I told you I'm not interested...".
"Please sir I inisist, plus this might take a while so please?" he said motioning towards the woman in question he looked at me with a blank expression.
I looked at her and she looked back at me, unflinching, and I looked back at Mr. Dhawan.
"I like mine with cream and two spoonful of sugar." I said.
She nodded and walked out of the office and for some reason my eyes followed after her movement.
*****************
I marched towards the coffee maker grumbling as I filled the container with coffee beans.
"At least he could have taken the cup out of my hands as if I was a freaking human being." I said while closing the lid and waiting for the coffee to slowly drip to the glass container below.
I washed a cup, saucer, and spoon and I tapped my hand across the countertop, greeting some of my co-workers that passed by, and slowly pacing myself back and forth.
The guy in question was familiar somehow.
He was wearing a black suit with a white dress shirt along with a black tie. He had light brown hair that was carefully gelled upward, creating a hard and cold air over him.
He had long legs, suggesting he might be really tall, dark eyes that seemed almost as if they were black and could draw any woman into them, a strong nose that seemed to be crooked, with nice lips.
I shook my head and using my hand to slap my head.
Get out of your thoughts Kittu.
What are you thinking about...why are you thinking about that?
There is no need to think about any person like that...my main goal is to make money for papa's treatment so he can get better and pay off our debts so those collectors could finally leave us alone.
I sighed.
Once there was enough coffee in the container, I poured the coffee into the cup.
I set another saucer for some cream, sugar, and milk and placed it all on a wooden tray and headed back towards my boss's office.
"But that is weird...I promised I have seen him somewhere before." I said while murmuring to myself.
I shrugged and knocked on the door before entering.
"Excuse me..." I said and entered the office with my boss gone and only the client was there.
The door closed behind me and I stood behind it not sure if I should move forward or wait for my boss to come back.
Instead I decided to serve him his coffee so I carefully walked towards him and saw that he was already staring at me.
I gripped my hands closer to the tray, feeling my heart slowly picking up its rhythm, and I tried to concentrate on not making a mistake.
I bent down carefully to place the saucer and cup of coffee carefully in front of him, dragging the handle of the cup to the side.
I then set the cream, milk, and sugar saucers in front of him.
I picked up the cream and was about to pour it into the cup until he suddenly touched my hand causing warmth and heat to spread from the area of contact.
I quickly looked at him and he was staring at me and for some reason I felt as if I was being dissected under his perusal.
I felt his other hand on mine and I quickly looked at him.
"Remove your hand." He said without ever changing his expression.
I stared at his hands over mine.
"Your hands are over mine, how am I suppose to do so?" I said while staring at him.
He looked at his hands and for some reason confusion crossed his expression before he removed his hands from mine, making me lose the nice warmth and slow tingling sensation that was starting to spread.
I removed my hands from the items and lifted myself up.
He began pouring the condiments inside himself and he used his spoon to mix it all up before he took the cup and put it towards his lips all the while staring at me with a blank expression.
"Why are you still here?" he asked.
I looked at him and something in his expression made me look away.
"I thought you might need something else." I said.
I heard him chuckle and I looked towards him when I saw his lips twisted into a cruel smirk that was filled with bitterness.
He looked towards me.
"Now what would that something else be?" he said, this time staring at me with the same heat in his expression.
I felt it, he was intimidating me and instead of backing down I rose to meet his challenge.
I gave him a smile and he lifted his eyebrow in question.
"Although I must admit that I'm flattered, it's nothing like what you have in mind. As it seems that you don't need any help, so I will be more than glad to leave you and get back to my work. Have a great day sir." I said while giving him a quick bow and turning around and headed towards the door before I walked out the office.
*****************
"Anand...it's been so long...I miss you!" Anna said.
I looked at her as she was about to run towards me and instead I twisted around to avoid her and she instead ran into a nearby plant.
I snickered and she came back to yell at me.
"How could you? I could have pricked myself on something? What if there was a bee there or something? How do you know if I'm not allergic to pollen?" she yelled after we got in the car.
I just shook my head and smiled causing a memory to pop into my head.
"Although I must admit that I'm flattered, it's nothing like what you have in mind..."
I lost my smile and was disgusted at myself for remembering the woman in question.
She was nothing like my ex-wife but she had the same lure, almost stronger. Although at first I thought their personalities might be different...but her confidence...it mirrored hers so much.
"Anna." I said.
She stopped complaining and she regained a serious composure after noticing the look at my face.
"He was no help?" she asked.
I sighed.
"I couldn't get into details about the custody situation. We need to find someone else, someone who will keep quiet and actually have a plan in keeping her away from my daughter, myself, and from my family." I said with more resolution.
She nodded.
"Calm down, your daughter is okay, I just checked in. But I think you should rethink your decision about not going back home." Anna said.
I shook my head.
"It would be too much of a reminder for my father that I'm a failure as a son." I said with a bitter laugh.
Anna said nothing and instead just nodded and turned back around in her seat, causing me to drift off in my thoughts once again.
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