Note: Sorry for how long it took to update this but I'm busy these days. Hope everyone enjoys and sorry for the delay in updating my other stories. Thank you😳😛
Chapter Six
(Two days later...)
I stared back at the girl as she extended a hand outward towards me.
She had a bright smile, her hair was pinned into a small plait resting on her shoulders while she was dressed in a regular shirt and jeans and was still trying to motion her hands towards me.
"Hello, it's nice to formally meet you, I'm Shraddha." She said while her smile spread fully on her lips.
I stared at her hand and from the corner of my eye I saw Kunal trying to encouragingly have me meet her hand in question.
I sighed and I took her hand in mine and was surprised as her gripped tighten on mine and she looked at me with determination and curiosity.
"I didn't get to actually speak to you during our engagement ceremony and you haven't come to the rest of the ceremonies but today is going to be a different day." She said and with that she let my hands go and she walked ahead to talk to the waitress who directed us towards a table.
I was busy with some work at my office when Anna instructed that Kunal was there and wanted to have lunch.
Little was known to me yet, Anna definitely knew that bhai was tagging along his now-fianc and soon-to-be-wife into the mix.
I shook my head.
I'm going to get you back for that Anna...
At that I smiled inside and looked at Kunal and he had a guilty smile.
"There was nothing I could do...she was insistent." He pleaded and I rolled my eyes.
"That doesn't sound like you? All I could hear was how you practically had girls wrapped around your finger." I said with a soft smile.
He cringed.
"I never said something like that." He said and I shook my head.
"If I remember there is a 16 year old version of you who would contest on that statement." I said and he looked at me, this time without much denial that he had originally.
"I don't...don't think so...plus Shraddha is not like most girls that...that...that I dated in the past." He said softly and I noticed his gaze drifted off and I didn't have to guess that it landed on her.
I smiled and ruffled his hair and he looked at me in annoyance.
"I'm not a puppy...plus you're messing up my hair." He said and he quickly pulled out a comb from his pocket and began fixating on his hair and I laughed.
He was going to comment until Shraddha popped back up and she looked at me and I felt my smile dissipate from my face and she blushed.
"I'm sorry...I just saw you as always being so stiff and uptight. Even Kunal said that you can be a tad too serious...but when you laugh...you seem more human." She said with a smile.
"Shraddha..." Kunal suddenly said and I looked at him with my brow lifted and he looked like a cat that was splashed with water.
I ignored him and nodded towards her.
"Thank...thank you."
She smiled.
"Oh our table is ready...we should be going." She said and she latched her hand onto Kunal and I followed as she practically dragged Kunal who was staring at me apologetically and I shook my head as I followed in suit.
As we settled down at our table the waitress handed us a menu and Kunal ordered quickly before his phone started to go off.
He looked down to check and he slowly got up from the table.
"Excuse me for a moment it's an important call." He said to Shraddha.
She nodded and waved him off before he looked at me and I nodded in response and he clicked the call before he walked away and answered.
I continue to look at my menu before I ordered something and Shraddha did the same and for a moment we were both silent; the awkwardness felt so thick that it could be sliced.
We continued until she spoke up.
"I wanted to ask...but I'm afraid this might be too forward..." she started.
I looked up from my phone and eyed her and arched an eyebrow and she continued.
"I was just wondering if you and Kunal were really brothers?" she asked slowly.
She caught me off guard with that statement and I knew whatever expression that I had on my face caused her to immediately speak up.
"I mean, I'm sorry you don't have to answer that..." She said while shaking her hand quickly in front of me and I smiled for a moment before I resumed a straight-laced face.
"Kunal's my brother..." I paused.
That wasn't necessarily true...
As soon as that voice slipped into my head a memory began to boil over.
I was only thirteen years old when my father introduced me to the woman that he wanted to marry.
It was barely less than a year before my mother passed away from a prolonged battle from breast cancer that he was already marrying a woman that already had a son herself who was only three years younger than I was.
Kunal was just as skeptical in joining our family...his mother suffered at the hands of abuse throughout the time she was married to her husband and although he never went too much into it, it was obvious that he must have seen his mother getting abused at the hands of his father.
As she realized that I wouldn't go on...she smiled and placed her hands under her chin.
"Aren't you going to continue?" She said in amusement.
I arched my brow at her.
"I know. Kunal told me you guys are not related." She said and I eyed her with confusion but I continued on with my next statement.
"Being blood related has nothing to do with calling someone our family." I said in annoyance and she waved me off and smiled even more.
"No, no its not that...I just was just messing with you and..." She said while slowly losing her smile.
"It's just that I was trying to start a conversation earlier and it was really awkward and I asked the obvious...actually Kunal told me about it...actually..." she paused for a while after stuttering between her statements that I felt a small smile grow on my lips.
"Actually?" I asked.
"Actually whenever he talked about his family, your name always came up first. He talked about how his brother is always so stern, so angry, mean looking at times that it looks like he got a stick up his a**, and even at times seem so cold.' He said there was a time when you guys first met he was scared s***less. But then..." She paused.
I frowned at that.
"It's what Kunal said...not me..." she said shaking her hands once more in front of me.
I lifted my brow and she continued.
"But then a smile lit his face when he said it took you guys a while to warm up but he said you are the warmest person and most caring person that he knows...especially for people that he is trying and willing to protect.' She said while giving me a smile.
I stared at her, not sure how to respond and shocked a little that Kunal would reveal so much to this girl without really knowing her.
He was friendly and outgoing to a fault but he was someone that was private.
Even more so than myself...
"This isn't your first time meeting Kunal is it?" I asked bluntly.
She blinked and opened her mouth and was about to respond until the waitress came and was carrying a tray filled with the drinks that we ordered.
"Hello, here is a glass of red wine for you sir, root beer for you ma'am, and this is the beer for your other party." She said as she carefully placed all the drinks on the table.
"Your food will be ready in the next 5-10 minutes." She said before bowing and walking off and Shraddha clasped her hands around her wine glass and took a sip of it before placing it back on the table.
She took a loose strand of her hair before curling it around her hair.
"To answer your question...your right...I knew Kunal when we were in high school...we were friends not that great but we talked every now and then." She said with a smile.
I cocked my head to the side confused.
"I don't remember seeing you..." I said adamantly.
She smiled softly, her eyes shifting downwards before she met my gaze.
"We were friends but I was only there for a few months or so...my family moved to the U.S for the rest of my high school and college years." Before her gaze drifted off and looked at her wineglass.
"What did you major in for college?" I asked...trying to figure out as to why Kunal never told me he knew his bride-to-be beforehand.
But was it really that important...
"Architecture...had dreams when I was younger to make a bridge out of chocolate, lollipops, gummy worms, gummy bears, and ice cream...you can see how that was dashed when I grew up." She said and I gave a small smile before she continued.
"Sorry for droning on and on...I'm probably annoying you." She said while laughing a little and I smile before responding.
"Not really..." I said.
"What did you major in college?" she asked and I smiled.
"Business Administration and Marketing...nothing that was that hard as it was easily given that I was going to land work one way or another." I said in revulsion as a memory began to surface.
Instead of addressing the memory I let it squash and die as it was.
"Nothing with politics...given the issues that you talk about...I would suspect some type of background..." she murmured.
"Issues?" I looked at her surprised.
She chuckled.
"I may have read something in the paper..." She said while smiling.
I nodded and continued with my train of thought.
"There was really no need to...my father has been in politics throughout my life and I have seen enough of it to know how things work...it's not what you know...it's who you know." I said with a hard edge.
"That is right...Kunal said something about that...I could never actually speak to uncle ji about that or rather I should be calling him papa ji...he seemed so intimidating that I could only greet him and smile at him every time I see him." She said.
At that I smiled.
"I don't understand...maa is SO nice and opened...but when when papa ji comes around its...so awkward and scary." She said.
"I'm not going to deny that my father is not intimidating...I can't lie to you...but our father is someone who's a stickler for rules and maintaining his reputation. The same applies to everyone in his family should abide by the same if not..." I trailed on.
"If not..." She continued.
I lost my smile.
If not you will be casted aside and he will discard any relation that he has towards you.
No matter how much my mother tried to invite me for important functions and holidays, the air and atmosphere either became entirely uncomfortable or we end up in bitter fights.
Even when I brought Sohni over, "she was just a stark reminder of the public shame and humiliation he endured when newspapers throughout the country announced that the long-time running Gorvenor son's ran off and eloped with a mystery woman from nowhere'."
It was one thing if the hatred and bitterness was directed towards me but when my daughter was around...
I sighed and looked upwards towards Shraddha who gave an anxious expression.
"Don't worry about the ifs'...you will be okay..." I said with a soft smile.
Her anxiousness was still evident but a small smile slowly came on her face.
"It should be..." she said.
She then breathed out a deep sigh and flash me a bright smile.
"It was nice talking to you..." She said with a flash.
I nodded towards her.
"It seems that my parents chose a great partner." I said with a soft smile.
She blinked and I saw a blush creep slowly on her face and she leaned her head downward.
"I wouldn't praise me too much...I am actually the lucky one...it seems that Kunal didn't change in the years that I have known him or he would have refused to want to go ahead with this marriage." She said with a sad smile.
At that I raised my brow and she flashed me a smile and before I could respond Kunal's voice made way back to our table.
"You guys are getting along well?" he said with a smile while looking at me before he leaned down and pressed a kiss on Shraddha's forehead.
"Did you think I would bite her?" I said while eyeing him.
He chuckled and sat next to Shraddha he chuckled.
"Don't worry...he was less bite and more..."
"Bark?" I finished for her with a brow raised.
She eyed me and smiled.
"Ugh...the cheese...there is so much cheesiness that I can feel the cheddar coming from it." Kunal mumbled.
"I have seen worse." She said with a knowing smile while we both ignored Kunal's comment.
At that I felt a surprise laugh erupt from my throat.
It must have caught her by surprise as her next statement slowly had me lose the smile that was playing on my lips.
"You are something when you smile...but when you laugh...your whole face brightens incredibly." She said in a daze.
I shifted uncomfortably under her compliment and Kunal grabbed Shraddha's hand and stared at me and I rolled my eyes.
"Hey, hey, hey I just thought you two were supposed to know one another even better not for you to flirt with my fianc." He said while tugging on her hand and eyeing me.
I ignored him and she did the same as we continued our conversation.
"You should laugh more...it will help people from stop calling you Priss Pants, Rock Stone of Ages, or the Emotionless Wonder of the World'." She said.
At that I blinked and she smiled.
"I told you earlier...I might have read a couple of speeches every now and then...well the same go with the reviews..." She said with a smile.
***************************
"Kritika, can you help me with the files for the Kapur's case?"
I looked up from the sandwich that was lodged in my mouth while my hands that were previously flying across the keyboard to finish the last part of what I was working on to look up at one of my co-workers Laila.
I tended to find it was best to not get too close to people but Laila started working around the time I started working and she was one of the few people that I could talk to concerning work related issues.
"Why?" I said and looked away from her and continued typing at hand.
"Come on...I'm having difficulty with it and I don't know it like you do." She said.
I stopped once more and looked up at her.
I sighed and placed my sandwich down on the foil and took the folder she handed me.
"You owe me." I said with a smile and she sighed and she nodded.
"I promise. Lunch tomorrow?" she questioned and I nodded.
"Thanks Kritika." She said with a smile and she walked away and I continued to work through my lunch break, finishing my work along with Laila's and handed it off to her before it turned three o'clock.
I was checking my watch, feeling almost ecstatic that the workday was almost to an end.
At that thought I thought back as to what happened yesterday, coming downstairs and that breakfast was already ready and prepped by Mira.
"She left." She said as she placed a plate over towards me.
"When?" I asked.
She smiled and passed me a cup of coffee already mixed with milk and sugar and she answered my question.
"Around early morning...I didn't meet her on my way out but I saw the tin trails of empty bottles on the kitchen floor. Had to clean it up since some of the bottles were broken." She said in annoyance.
"Anyway I will join you later, going upstairs to give papa a shower and then give him some breakfast." She said before she left the kitchen.
"Kritika!" a voice practically yelled out my name.
I jumped out of my thoughts and looked up to see my boss, Mr. Dhawan staring at me with annoyance through his thick rimmed glasses.
"Are you deaf?" he said.
I got up from my seat and met the piercing gaze of the man who at times I loathe and sometimes sympathize.
The loathing and hatred came easy with the overtime, excessive work, the pointed and directed targets at me, and annoying nature...but the sympathy I also felt fore him as well was hard to place.
No it wasn't...
My inner thoughts teased.
The sympathy was easily placed.
He sometimes worked with some high profile clients sometimes unreasonable, cocky, arrogant, and presumptuous at times that they treated him like the scum that they have to scrape and wipe away from their shoe.
The position, the power, the money...everything was on their side.
They knew it.
And they could treat him any way they see fit.
That was how things ran in this world.
Money and power can buy you everything and without it, the one's with it could treat you anyway they see fit.
It was a lesson I learned well, very well when I was younger.
Something that I learned through my father as he slowly was fighting and trying with all his might to save a company and family that was slipping away from his hands.
A company that he started from the ground up to see it quickly flat lining and becoming bankrupt and friends that he acclaimed in the business world were now too much of high rollers to spend a dime.
Not even one cent to help my father who countlessly helped or rather spoon feed them into saving their livelihood.
Worse yet he had a life partner that was falling under the pressure and turned to other vices to satisfy herself.
I shook myself out of my thoughts.
It's all in the past...things will somehow get better...
But the lie could only be utter from the corners of my mind, knowing if I said it out loud I would chastise myself for hopeful and wishful thinking.
My boss called my name again and I heaved a deep breath before I walked over and went to his side where he was busily tapping his left foot in impatience.
"Yes sir? What is it that you need me for? If it's about any of the cases that you have assigned me it's all completed..."
Before I could finish he interrupted me.
"Never mind all that. I need you for a favor." He said.
At that I was taken aback.
Favors? When did the proud Mr. Dhawan ever need any favors?
"Favor sir?" I asked confused.
He looked at me and opened his mouth and closed it shut before he decided to think before uttering his next sentence.
"Yes. The current client I have...is a very familiar one...and sadly I will have to say a very special one'." He said.
I don't necessarily know if the way he said that he actually mean it like that or could it be hinted that...
Rather the case was of a more difficult, prickly and uppity client?
"Do you want me to do the usual?" I asked.
He shook my head.
"Its not that...I know this is going out of the realm of your duties but she is fully and willing to pay for your services." He said.
At that I scrunched up my eyebrow in confusion but decided for him to continue before I interrupted.
"You will have to be out of the office for a while but it's okay, I will have someone else cover your duties...but I will let the client herself finish the rest of the details. If you would follow me." He said with a clipped nod.
I followed and we entered the office.
I was expecting one of the old mill older clients or the other but the woman that was seated in the loveseat that was behind the coffee table that was positioned in front of his large desk surprised me to say the least.
She was absolutely stunning; gorgeous!
I fell pale in comparison to her and the inner woman in me almost shrank in comparison being in the same space as her.
She was sitting on the couch, her hands folded together with her hair that was a mix of blonde and brown blocking her view of us.
After thinking that, she suddenly twisted her head towards us and her green eyes met mine surprising me by their color.
They look like contacts...
She looked me over and cocked her head slightly to the side before she lifted her eyes towards Mr. Dhawan and a slow smirk played on her lips that were covered in a dark shade of red.
She was fully flanked with jewelry; clasped on her ears, nose, neck, and arms. While her dress matched her makeup and jewelry-flashy in nature as well.
She was in a sequined blue and white saree with chunky black heels visible from the bundle at the end of her dress; her purse was tossed on the opposite end of the couch.
"Mr. Dhawan it's always nice to see you." She said with a soft smile replacing the smirk that was there earlier.
He quickly groveled over towards her waiting patiently as she slowly lifted her hand that was wrapped around her waist towards his hand that was outstretched.
"You look absolutely marvelous and gorgeous this afternoon." He crooned towards her.
She smirked and he placed a bold kiss on her palm.
"Haven't you heard that flattery will get you nowhere?" she said while eyeing him.
The look that crossed her expression baffled me and slowly comprehension dawned.
"But I know it will get to all the right places when it concerns you." He said and the same look crossed his eyes and I rolled my eyes.
She was a special case alright...
A special case where he was f****** the complete nuts out of this one...
She removed her hand from his and smiled.
"Is it a business trip or more than what talked about on the phone that you had to grace your beauty and presence in my office?" he asked.
She chuckled.
"It's exactly what we spoke about...however, I am in a little trouble these days." She said with a smile.
"Is it legal do you need help?" he asked with sudden concern.
She lost her smile and looked at him and a serious expression crossed her features which was unsettling.
"It's not legal but it's a good excuse to meet someone." She said.
I was in and out of their conversation as it was but it was Mr. Dhawan's next statement that caught my attention.
"Is it concerning your ex-husband?" he said tentatively.
At that statement she cut him a death glare that caused me to question whether or not they were as familiar and friendly as they previously fronted about.
"Mr. Dhawan...I told you before there is really things that I hate...one men who try to control me and two when men overstep their boundary." She said with a cold tone.
"Oh...it's not that?" my boss tried to recover but it only came out as a question.
"Just because I said I enjoyed having sex with you doesn't mean that it gave you any rights on me. If you know any better you best not dwindle too much into my past and especially anything that concerns my husband...unless I ask you to." She said with a icy, cut and dry tone.
The room became increasingly quiet and I cut my glance towards my boss who was clearly uncomfortable.
You always will be put into your place...especially when you don't belong to their world...don't fool yourself for a moment that they won't treat you as if you are scum.
"I'm so sorry..." Mr. Dhawan started and she lifted her hand to cut him off.
"Shut up. I'm not interested in your nonsense...you are dismissed." She said waving him away.
I looked at him and wasn't shocked when he bowed towards her and barely glanced at me as he moved towards the front door of his office and walked right out of it.
Silence reclaimed the room and I looked at my watch and the time was just ticking steadily away.
"I'm not sure as to why I was called here but..." I started and she turned towards me with a soft smile on her face, erasing the cold demeanor from before.
"Oh, so sorry, where are my manners...would you like to sit?" she asked with a chipper tone.
I lifted my brow at the change of her attitude but shook it off to continue as I didn't feel like staying any longer than needed.
"Sure." I said and she shifted over and I sat next to her and she continued talking.
"Sorry for my behavior earlier, its just that I don't appreciate when people talk about my past more or less relationships associated with it, do you know what I mean?" she eyed me.
"Sometimes there are some things we rather keep hidden and not have others know about and even if they did, we rather if they pretend as if they don't know." I said meeting her gaze.
She slowly nodded and smiled in return.
"Exactly. You know you have a great way with words...anyway, what I asked for that stupid dumbf*** for was a hand in having someone assist me for the time that I am going to be here. It's less than a month that I will be here and I am not interested in all the formalities of finding someone. Anyway I asked and he recommended that you will be a great person for the task." She said.
"What will I be doing?" I asked simply.
She smiled.
"I need a personal assistant is the defined title yet rather you will become my shadow. Before I think it or say it you will be giving it to me no questions ask." She said.
"How much and I need more than previous discussions with my boss I need everything in clear and legal handwriting." I said just as simply.
She eyed me and a smile came on her lips.
"That can be arranged. However, I am surprised no running away? I tend to be a little fearsome...or rather some say that I am a complete and total bad b****." She said with a dark glint in her eyes.
I blinked and gave a soft smile.
"I am sure that I will be able to handle it." I said just as simply once more.
She eyed me for a while before she smiled.
"Fetch me my purse." She said and I quickly handed it towards her and she dug around for a while before she pulled out a piece of paper and pen, scribbled something on it before she showed me the paper.
"I think that should cover the duration which will be about three weeks and any other costs will be covered." She said with a smile.
."But Mr. Dhawan..." I started.
"Everything is covered by him...as of now you will not be reporting here for work but I will let Mr. Dhawan fulfill all the details to you in full." She said while suddenly getting up.
"Sorry for the rashiness and for how sudden but I do need your help and will much appreaciate it." She said with a smile.
I paused and took my chance and asked my next question.
"You were married before?" I asked.
I was surprised that her feathers didn't get ruffled and she smiled and answered my question.
"Of course...a woman my age who hasn't been...what a disgrace." She said.
I nodded and asked another question.
"I hope I'm not being rude but why exactly..." I stopped mentally slapping myself.
"Sorry, I don't need to know, I shouldn't be prying in other's business." I said while apologizing.
She smiled.
"It's okay...it didn't come off as rude...i bet you're wondering why exactly it didn't work out..." she said said.
"Simple, I grew tired of him. It was fun,his love and adoration for me was incredible, worshipping the ground I walked on...it does draw a girl...but after a while he simply didn't interest me anymore and I had to find another thing to entertain me." She said.
I looked at her and the expression on her face was a cold smile, not really sure how else to process everything.
"Oh! By the way my name is Jaspreet... Or you can call me Jas and you?" she asked.
"I am Kritika but most people that I am close to just call me as Kittu." I said.
"Kritika...Kittu...I think I like Kittu a whole lot more...Kittu it is." She said.
I nodded.
"I think it might be better if I could address you as your surname though...just saying Jas seems inappropriate." I said.
She lifted her brow.
"Really? I thought most people just say people first name's to begin with? Plus I don't think we are too far from age how old are you?" she asked.
I blinked at her question and answered either way.
"I am 27 years old." I said simply.
"You are only six years younger than myself, there is no need for all the formalities...Jas it is." She said.
I nodded slowly and she smiled.
"Great when everything is finalized your boss will call and you will report to my at earliest by Wednesday." She said.
I nodded.
"I feel like that we are going to have a grand ole' time working with one another." She said.
"I hope so as well." I said with a smile.
*********************
(The Following Day...)
"You have a meeting with your partners from the East branch and you have a couple of prospective stockholders coming in from the afternoon." Anna said.
I nodded and followed her as she talked and walked with me and I saw one of the my secretaries, Juhi pace in front of my office anxiously.
"Stop it for a while Anna. Juhi." I said as we approached the frazzled woman.
She was busy talking to someone on her earpiece as she told the person on the other line to hold on for a moment.
"Good morning sir." She said while bowing.
"Cut the formalities what's wrong?" Anna interjected.
Juhi looked at her and responded.
"It seems that we have a problem..."
"Concerning?" I asked.
"It seems that there is a visitor waiting for you in your office and I tried telling her not to go in and I was going to call you to make sure you had an appointment with her but she seemed to made her way inside your office sir." She carried out the statement slowly.
At that I paused and I felt the blood rush out of my body as my mind began to rummage around as to who but there was only one person that came to mind...
Maybe Juhi left the door unlocked...
But even my mind knew that was a bold-face lie.
"Was the door left opened?" Anna asked.
Juhi shook her head.
"Not possible." She said.
"There is no other way unless..."
"The passcode was used." Juhi said.
The way the office was designed was not only for a regular key to go into the knob, but there was also a security code to unlock the door.
If either was lost it made it a lot easier than calling a locksmith and more importantly it was tied to the security system within the building in case someone tried to break in.
"Then why didn't you go in there and have security drag their a** out?" Anna said puzzled.
She paused and looked at me and the dread that was already starting to bubble inside my stomach only boiled even more.
"She refused to leave and she insisted that she was sir's...um...sir's ex-wife." Juhi said.
The words landed and struck my stomach and I thought after so many years I could handle her if she ever appeared in front of me...but it seemed that I was wrong.
I would be angry if it was fear, or anger, or even betrayal that always held me back or ruled my thoughts at time...
Begrudgingly there was some emotion of affection that I still felt inside.
I hated it.
I despised it with everything...
With everything of my being...
But more so that disgust and hatred was more so for myself that I could still feel anything after everything that woman put Sohni and myself through.
Anna turned towards me and before she could answer, I looked towards Juhi.
"It's okay you did what you could. Anna push back my appointments later in the afternoon or tomorrow if I am not finished." I said as I walked forward.
"Anand we can call the police on her..." Anna started and twisted my head towards her and whatever I had in my expression caused her to look at me with a worried expression.
"You will be giving her what she wants. She feeds off of attention." I said and I composed myself before I typed the code in the light flashed from red to green vice versa until the door clicked open.
"If you want me I will come with you." Anna said while reaching out for my arm.
I stared at her and for a second I was going to agree but I shook my head.
"It's about time I see how she is faring after she abandoned her daughter." I said with a deadpan smile.
Anna stared at me and never released her grip on my hand.
"You say the word and I will shoot the b***** no questions ask. Or you don't have to say it, just nod...or maybe send it telepathically." She said.
I smiled and nodded.
"I will be fine." I said and she slowly released my hand and I turned around and entered my office, slowly closing the door behind me.
I gave myself a quick breather before I turned around and met the gaze of a pair of fake green contact lenses.
Her hair was dyed in a light shade of brown and blonde, with her outfit showcasing her body and figure and leaving little enough to the imagination.
She was facing me and there was smile on her face as she leaned herself over my table.
"Well, well, well I was wondering how much longer you were going to keep my waiting for a second there I thought you were purposely avoiding me." She said while clicking her tongue.
"It seems you haven't changed much, I see you still like to be as flashy and as trashy as ever." I said with a hard edge to my voice.
She sucked her teeth.
"And I see you have. I remembered your tongue used to only spill honey but now it seems it has only venom in it." She said.
"What do you want?" I said changing the conversation.
"So mean, I know you missed me and knowing how you are I am sure someone else definitely misses me." She said traveling her eyes down the front of my pants.
"Don't overexert your value than what it is." I said with a cold voice.
She touched her hands to her lips in mock shock.
"Oh! How cold of you? Did you forget the past fourteen years that we have spent, six out of those years we spent in happily wedded bliss." She said.
I folded my hands together refusing to pry further into the past knowing it was exactly what she wanted.
"I remember I spent 14 years blinded by a selfish woman who betrayed her husband by sleeping around with his friends and coworkers, making an ass out of him, squandering our savings, and only using our child as leverage to get her way. But I digress, what is it that you found was so important that you have to come and see me? Well except for the fact that you are bidding your time around town to sell our past to the highest bidder that will listen to your nonsense." I said.
She smiled and lifted herself off the table.
"You saw that?" she said innocently.
"Of course when it was splashed as publicly and boldly on a gossip magazine exactly around the time I stopped picking up your calls." I said.
She pouted and folded her hands together.
"I told you before Anand, I don't know what I might do when you start ignoring me." She threatened.
I pausedand I eyed her.
"I don't care what you do to me, but leave my daughter out of it!" I yelled.
She raised her eyebrow and pouted.
"But I missed you." She continued.
That caught me off guard and shook it off.
"You don't miss me. You got yourself in trouble. I heard you occurred yourself a large debt in your rambunctious shopping spree in Paris and Italy and you needed someone to pay it off." I said ignoring her declarations.
Finally her stupid innocent faade broke and she ran her hands through her hair and a smirk appeared on her face.
"Ugh...you are no fun. Okay I ran out of money and you weren't listening to me...but you should know that I had more than enough fun knowing how badly you were going to react. And it worked...I heard through the grape vines you had to and tried to recover your disgruntled image."
"You don't have to worry about my image its perfectly fine." I said with a leveled voice.
"Oh really...I wonder how the world would react about Sohni." She said while eyeing me.
At that threat I looked at her and she only smiled.
"Leave my child out of this! Don't you dare say anything..."
She regarded with no threat as she interrupted what I was saying.
"Not only a former son of a previous official but more so of a disgraced official whose son ran off with an unknown woman, knocked her up, and is now divorced. All in a twisted scheme of things is running for office but hasn't told the public he's a divorcee with a little love child. I wonder how much that would fetch..."
Before she could finished I walked up towards her and she was backed up against the desk and she stared at me: in excitement instead of fear.
"Leave my daughter out of this and out of your mouth!!!" I glared and pushed the words out of my mouth.
"Ooohhh...this is what I wanted to see... what will you do to me Anand if I don't listened?" she said her eyes glistening with interest and I could see her eyes cloud over in desire.
I slowly felt her hands on my tie and I froze.
"You were always so hot when you got angry...but it seems that you are even sexier than before..." she said and I felt her twisting the tie around in her hand.
I grabbed her hand and stopped her before she did even more.
"Do not touch me like that...ever...again." I breathed out tightly.
She smiled and she caught her teeth on her bottom lip.
"I would have to say that someone else disagree." She said.
I smiled at her and yanked her free from myself, sepearating our bodies.
"Don't get it confused." I said.
She stared at me and I backed away from her.
"I am man and it can respond towards any woman, you are no less. Don't think I am that same stupid young boy from before that hung on your every word and did almost everything to please you. I am not like that...far from it. I suggest you never mention my daughter's name and importantly never, ever show your slithering disgusting self ever, ever again in front of me."
She smiled and all emotion left her face until I saw someone who was staring at me who was the real woman that I knew.
"Be careful Anand, you out of anyone else know how far and dirty I will go to get what I want. I am not done with you not by a long shot." She said.
"Be careful Jas, you know more than anyone that I will protect what is mine and will cut anyone down that comes in between my family." I said with the same threat.
She stared at me and she smiled.
"Anand, you can never win when it comes to this type of battle with me. You already said it yourself before: I am shameless. Unlike you, I have no shame no sense of humiliation...I have none and I will go as far as I can to get what I want." She said with a crazed look in her eyes.
I paused before I walked towards Jas, pushing her against the dance and she didn't falter and I lowered myself towards her ears and I could feel herself hesitate.
"If you are shameless, what makes me different in spreading that shamelessness everywhere? There shouldn't be a problem if everyone know how shameless you truly are?" I said eyeing her.
She stared at me and she leaned fully against me.
"Spread it, I don't care I suggest you lean towards my favor or we will make the following months a very, very, very tough ordeal for the booming governor or is it prime minster of India?" she said not letting down.
I didn't pause.
"There is nothing that you have on me, our daughter is not leverage you want to use." I said confronting her right back.
Before she continued I said one more thing that stopped her.
"If you fully want to bring our child in this I will destroy any image, any relation, any piece of contact that you have until you are nothing. Less than nothing...you know more than me you have nothing...you were nothing before you met me." I said to her.
Finally her bravado faltered as my statement seemed to have landed a nail in the coffin as she looked at me in a mixture of emotions but was not responding.
"Now if you will excuse me I am a very busy person." I said removing myself from her body and walking away.
I didn't respond and she shuffled and I could here her as she walked towards the door and she said one thing before she left.
"Anand I hope you have a great election..." She said with a smile.
"I really hope we can meet again in the near future?" she said before she tossed her head to the side and exited my office.
For a moment I tried to calm down my anger but it was bubbling and overflowing to the point where I drew my fists apart and slammed it solidly against the wooden desk.
"S***!!!!!!"
Cricket
CID
12