Toxic ~ Even if we can't be together in the end - Chapter 23 Up ! - Page 10

Originally posted by: Adiyalove

Love with this story... Please please update fast plzzz😉

Originally posted by: dumas

I love it he wants her desires her yet he still does not understand he loves her or is it he himself does not understand what he feels .

Originally posted by: ArhiMaria

Harsha, you are awesome mademoiselle! What an intriguing piece of writing...and not just this chapter but from the get go!

Absolutely love the lines about passion being the perk and Love being the foundation and if you took away the foundation, your castle will most definitely crumble. Wise words and I am again proud of your Zoya for realising this and also understanding that lust is all Aditya is probably feeling towards her. That is what can we deduce from him so far anyway, to give him some credit I can also sense maybe a little bit of guilt for possibly ruining Zoya's career or for whatever happened in their past that led to their break up. Over all, he is still a mystery to me, perhaps that is also intentional and that is credit to you as a writer. For now I find him a super arrogant jack%% particularly when he delivers his last lines about every path leading to his bed. He obviously has some plans to make Zoya stay and I look very much forward to seeing what those plans are and hopefully he can redeem himself.

Kudos and Salutes for your characterisation and the story telling style! 🤗

Originally posted by: anuleo09

Read all the parts in a go and this is f**king amazing story! The choice of words , sarcasm dripping at every line and how the story is progressing is worth a read! And obviously, entirely different concept compared to the serial. That caught my attention to the story. Last part was lit! Please update it asap.

Originally posted by: Adiyalove

Its been so long... When is the next chapter coming out😃

Keep your heels, head, and standards high.

~ Coco Chanel

Note: The flashbacks are in blue font.

"Run as much as you want Zoya Siddiqui but every damn path leads to my bed" he declared scathingly but I didn't turn back. That's how it always was. Our affair had been tumultuous and our fights nasty. And today was no different.

The key turns in the knob this time and I lock the door from inside. Truth is the foundation of any relationship and truth is what I couldn't give him. The screeching of the car tires marks the end of the chapter named Aditya Hooda in my life.

I free my hair from the bun taking out each pin viciously. The hairpins clattered on the hardwood floor symbolizing the disintegration of my life. Again. A life I had built so carefully piece by piece shattered from one stroke of evil genius. Life, has a sick sense of humour, doesn't it? Just when you think you have got it all figured out and feel like you know what direction you are heading in, the paths change, the signs change, east becomes west, black becomes white and you have no idea what the heck is going on. I took in my reflection in the glass cabinet and saw a scared woman looking back.

Zoya Siddiqui - just like my name everything in my life was transient and fake.

I knew what I was stepping into but I just couldn't resist the pull. The allure of seeing him again had silenced every logical voice in my brain. Aditya was one person who knew the real Zoya. And I had gambled everything by taking up this assignment. I should have refused Arjun point blank when I had the chance. Like any sane person would. But, when was I ever guilty of being sane? Sometimes you should just walk away from unwanted risks but I had a track record of running towards them. At full speed.

I hate you Aditya. I really hate you. The ironic thing is I don't even know why. I could build my life as someone else again. New city new beginning. The whole experience wasn't that new afterall.

I reach for the fridge and pour myself a glass of wine from an open bottle, pull my stilettos off and throw them across the room. I sink down into the couch, grab the remote and switch on TV. For once, I'm in luck as Bigg Boss is on. As I watch a bunch of wannabes bicker and curse incessantly and unnecessarily, I feel a lot better about myself. Having a pity party? Just watch someone make a bigger fool of themselves. The principle of 'better you than me' is as old as time. Romans built the colossal Colosseum for this sole purpose - blood, gore, executions, gladiator contests and animal hunting. The delight humans take in the wretchedness of others is disturbing.

After the much-needed morale boost and draining two glasses of wine, I head upstairs to the bedroom. I slip out of my wet clothes and head straight for a hot shower. The water cascading down my body reminds me of the very beginnings of the disaster. The moment I should have said No.

"Are you sure you can handle this?"

"I just want to take some burden off your shoulders. Very capable shoulders if I dare say" I reply trying to ease Arjun's concern. The Aztec Group contract was a piece of hot cake everyone wanted a bite from. Lucky me, Arjun was assigned to it and by default yours truly. "We have been working on this for two months. You have already done the hard-hitting, I just need to scope out the land and make certain that the estimations match the real scenario. A piece of cake, don't you think?"

"Hmm. I don't doubt your ability Zoya" Arjun got up from his chair and walked towards the floor-to-ceiling window. The glass expanse stretched not just vertically but horizontally, making it feel as though you are working alfresco. I envied Arjun for his cabin. The view it offered was unparalleled.

"Then? What has you tied up in knots?"

"It's their lawyer. He has a reputation for being brutal and this time he has vested interest in opposing our clearance petition. I just don't want you to be caught in the crossfire"

"What do you mean? You make him sound dangerous" I chuckled. It was unusual was Arjun to worry unnecessarily but seriously how bad could 'The one who shall not be named' be.

"Because he is" He turned back to face me "Aditya Hooda is representing the local population of Aloha. He has successfully defended criminal lawsuits all the way to the Supreme Court. He knows what makes people tick and how to make them compromise. I am warning you Zoya, he won't stop at anything to win this."

I had stopped listening after Arjun said 'Aditya Hooda'.

Aditya Hooda - my Adi.

Was he handling this case?

I shook off the wayward thought before it could take root. My Aditya must have become a hotshot lawyer by now but in New York, not Aloha. He had no plans whatsoever of returning back to India. The topic of coming back home had cropped up many times during our late night conversations. Aditya had been a dreamer and the United States of America his destination. He had been very clear about his goals and ambitions from the get-go.

Moreover, Aditya was hardly a rare name. There were thousands of Aditya's in this world, many of them with the surname Hooda and lawyer by profession. One of the numerous Aditya Hooda's was handling this case. Big deal !

"I understand. But, why are you worried about me? I am just an assistant to the golf-course designer. Won't he go after Aztec Group and show some legal lawyery magic to win the case?" I inquire after composing myself. Thankfully Arjun was still facing the window and hadn't noticed my sudden change of emotions.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Look what I mean is if you go to Aloha, which you shouldn't, stay far far away from him. He might try to establish some form of contact with you once he gets wind of your presence. Just don't fall into his trap" He turned back and I noticed how anxious he was.

"You got it boss" I mock salute him.

He gave me a small smile "Sleep on it. There is no rush, I need to take the final call tomorrow"

"Alright. Thank you for the heads up. I appreciate it" I close his cabin door behind me and rush towards my desk.

I had to know who this Aditya Hooda was ? Was it my Adi ? The small chance of it happening was enough to rattle my cage.

I open the wardrobe and run my hands through the delicate red chiffon gown. I had intended to wear it to the dinner date but since that was clearly not happening, I might as well as wear it for myself. I complete the look with matching red lipstick and some blush to add some color to my face. A good dress never fails to cheer me up.

I head downstairs and the high heels click on the wooden floor. The absurdity of wearing a gown indoors rears its ugly head but my wine-induced confidence shuts it down like a boss.

Since I was already tipsy why not get flat-out drunk?

I reach for another bottle in the fridge and pour myself a drink. A sharp rap on the door breaks the silence and I carry my glass of wine with me to open the door. And lo behold - Arjun is standing there looking perfect in a pair of blank pants and a leather jacket.

"Miss your assistant already?" I smiled at him.

"I just wanted to check on you" he sounded distressed.

"I am not committing suicide if that is what you are concerned about" I took a nice long gulp and ushered him in.

"Ofcourse. You would rather murder than kill your beautiful self"

"You bet I would"

"Red really suits you" he complimented me.

"Tell me something I don't know" I answered saucily and immediately regret it. Arjun didn't deserve my sass and sarcasm. The rightful recipient was probably having a gala time celebrating his victory. No matter what they say, failure sucks.

"Sorry about that" I motioned towards my glass to shift the blame "I am little tipsy. Feel free to ignore me"

"You're drinking wine alone? That's just sad" he snatched my half-empty wine glass and downed it one gulp.

"What the hell" I sputtered as his action leaves me stunned "That's way out of line buddy ! "

"You are getting fired. I am no longer your boss" he explained. He went on to shrug off his jacket and dropped it to the floor. I stared at him like he had grown two horns as he uncapped the bottle on the center table and raised it to his lips.

"When is your returning flight?" he asked.

"Tomorrow at 9 in the morning. In a hurry to hand me the pink slip ?" I retorted.

"I will try to put in a good word for you but don't get your hopes up, this fallout between Wave Designs and Aztec has shitstorm written all over it" he got a constipated look on his face.

"Facing too much heat from the upper management?"

"Who leaked the drafts?" he answered my question with a question.

I simply shrugged "Trust me, I would be planning a long painful death if I knew the conspirator"

He took a long swig from the bottle and slammed it on the table. The bigwigs must be giving him a hard time for losing the license hearing. Technically, we still had a week before the final decision but I doubted Kunal had an ace up his sleeve to upturn today's disaster.

"Are you okay, Arjun?" I ask tentatively as he wipes his lips with the back of his hand and approaches me. I am a little skeptical about Arjun's intentions. What was even going on ? He isn't the one to take a bottle in face of pressure. More like, hit the drawing board to fix the mess.

I apologize for the late update. My new job and apartment shifting kept me occupied forever. I hate shifting !

Please press the like button and leave a comment if you liked the update. Even if you didn't, do it anyway and tell me what an idiot I am 😆

Chapter 8: Do you not know I am a woman? When I think, I must speak