Originally posted by: .amigos.
Prerna was drowning. The swell of people, the glaring colors, the tinkling glasses and the laughter that poured over and saturated her senses. She was happy. And she was...what was she? A part of her relished in the storm. Giddy and punctuated with relief. Her life had somehow found its tipping point and all was going back to the way it was.
She was getting married and soon.
She was on her way to become a lawyer.
She was...
She was petrified. And she couldn't understand why.
She splashed her face with water and watched as a froth of bubbles sang along the veins in her wrist, sliding through her hands and escaping through the basin.
She wanted to be that water. Free.
She wanted to escape. But why?
"Terrified?"
She looked up and his reflection in the mirror set a firestorm of tingles lose in her body. His black coat was in his hand, his tie was slightly lose and with a lock falling short of its clinch and pressed against his forehead in rebellion, he looked like the fallen angel.
A devil for everyone else. Except her.
She hated the way that made her feel.
"Mr. Bajaj," she whispered, turning off the faucet and facing him.
"Miss Sharma, felicitations are in order."
She scoffed, "you're here to congratulate me?"
He didn't move, "why the surprise?"
"I don't know. Because you hate the Basus? Or because you don't really care about anything beside your vendetta. Or because...or because the last time we were in a room together you told me to stay away from you."
He drew close and the suspicious resolve in his eyes made her uneasy, "you sound angry."
"Of course I am--" Prerna calmed herself, "you don't get to decide everything Rishab Bajaj. You've congratulated me. You've done your duty. You can leave now."
His gaze dropped to her bare neck and his words slid down her skin, "not before I do what I came to do here."
She gulped, "what?"
He reached inside his pocket and pulled out a red case. She watched in mute curiosity as the box flipped open with a single shove and wrapped around the velvet casing was a simple, silver bracelet.
It was breathtaking.
Just the way she loved it.
"Thank you but I can't take it," she whispered. She knew she was being unreasonable but the way she felt right now, the way this moment felt, it was all wrong and she needed to breathe. She needed space to think and she couldn't, not branded like that.
She expected him to be angry, or disappointed or to pass a sarcastic remark, but he just watched her and the smile that came over his face reminded her so much of the old Rishab. Cold. Aloof. Predator.
"Who said it was for you?"
Prerna blinked, mortification coloring her cheekbones, "what? Who is it for then?"
He pressed his thumb against her cheekbone and traced the moisture that sat upon her skin before pushing her hair back and giving her a look that sent chills down her spine, "Nivideta Basu. I find her quite...challenging."
Something cold and hot flared in the pit of her stomach. So many emotions rioting together, it was difficult not to burst, "don't you dare make a move on her."
He looked unperturbed, "have a good evening Miss Sharma. I hope your engagement goes well."
YEAH MY RISHAB IS EVIL AND A SADIST. I DON'T CARE.🤔
Contd:
"Don't you dare make a move on her."
He looked unperturbed, "Have a good evening Miss Sharma. I hope your engagement goes well."
"I said!" Her voice was a little too high than she wanted it to be, probably laying her emotions out in the open but she could not care less. "Don't you dare-
"I heard you. Don't need to repeat it." He said and she could literally hear his smirk.
"Give that thing to me." She said and crossed her arms, maybe trying to mellow down her erratic heartbeats.
"Why would I do that? It's rather expensive. 26 lakhs, to be precise." He said and finally turned back to her, his dark, sadistic eyes boring into her light brown ones. Her breath caught her in that second and she stared at him silently. "I don't want you to lose it."
"I don't lose stuff that easily." She chuckled and he raised his eyebrow. "That...just happened once."
"You lost a necklace worth 68 lakhs. I think it is enough for a lifetime." He said and pocketed the red box in his pants. "Have a great day, Ms Sharma."
Oh how she hated these two words whenever they slipped from his mouth. She hated the dullness they brought to his eyes. She hated the sinking feeling her heart felt whenever these two words were uttered by him. She hated it.
"Mr Bajaj." She almost sounded frustrated and he stopped from leaving again. "Won't you...won't you stay for the engagement announcement?"
"I wish I could." He said and she knew, he wished anything else but that. "But I have a flight to catch in half hour. I'm going to Italy."
Saying so, he left, deserting her in that lavish washroom, deserting her in that humongous party hall which was currently filled with almost thousand people, guests of the Basus and a few of the Sharmas.
Shaking her head, she turned to the mirror and gasped at her reflection. Her face was too pink and slightly wet, water droplets fell from her hair, her dress was damp,, in short, she was a mess.
Why? Why? How! How could this wretched man make her feel like this in less than ten minutes? Her heart was still thudding as loudly and she closed her eyes.
"Relax. Relax Mrs Bajaj-
Her eyes flew open as she uttered the two words to herself unknowingly and cursed herself.
Everyone was going to hate her but she didn't have the time. She had a flight to catch in half an hour.
Cricket
Tum Se Tum Tak
