Hi, all of you lovely people who left such incredible messages that it spurred me on to write another update even though I had more or less given up on the story. I stopped watching the show a while back. I think KSG is hot and an incredible talent but watching him trying to save the unholy mess that is KZK2 was more than I could bear.
Since I have no idea what is happening, the characters in this story may or may not bear any resemblance to the ones on the show. I hope that that's okay. I had given up trying to work the pm system and I make no promises about a future update. It's damn near impossible to write a story about characters of a tv show when the tv show itself is so dismal.
Some of the stuff is technical. It's supposed to be. RB is playing a larger game than just 'ishq vishq pyar vyar' with Prerna. He's a business fiend and I would be remiss in my duty as a storyteller if I didn't focus on that.
Let me know what you guys think. <3
With all the gratitude in my heart: here goes:
PART XXII
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“Sir, we’ve met with the sub-registrar. We’ve got a go ahead for acquiring the surrounding land provided the money is deposited in escrow by end of January.” BHI’s head of Legal spoke in her commanding voice.
“Excellent. Get Risk and Compliance to sign off on the escrow account. Vishakha, ensure that the title search report of all land parcels are in the clear before Blackstone signs the sale agreements. I don’t want title disputes once we take over the land. And handle all the documentation in-house. I don’t want any details of this deal to leak until I say so.”
“Yes, sir. We’ll get right into it."
“Ranjan, get a drink with one of your friends from the Tribune. Let it slip that Bajaj Steel may be suing Mittal Manufacturing for IP infringement. Once it sparks a selling frenzy, Sehgal United will do the rest. They should have majority control by the end of the month.
“It’ll be done, Sir.” His head of Public Relations nodded and left the room. In couple of minutes, the conference room was nearly cleared, leaving only three occupants behind.
“What is it, Tanuja?” The Executive Director of Business was a calm but shrewd woman. Rishabh had poached her from a rival many years ago having recognized her magnificent potential.
“We have a more pressing issue in the meantime. There has been some unusual amount of share purchase in our subsidiaries. Candriam Investors Group is making the buy.”
“Candriam?” Rishabh didn’t let his discomfort show. The London based group was infamous for its aggressive tactics, but they didn’t usually operate outside the startup sphere.
“I did some digging and it’s very possible that Anurag Basu’s meetings in London were related to this.”
“For the love of God. That kid is just asking for it.” He leafed through the docket Tanuja handed him, his irritation growing.
“What’s our move, Sir?” His ED and secretary waited patiently for his orders. He didn’t want to go in all guns blazing. It would attract unwanted attention and this was the time to operate under the radar.
“Mehara, it’s time I took my family on a vacation. See to it, will you?” Rishabh finally said, buttoning his jacket.
He had a holiday to plan.
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Rishabh really disliked London this time of the year. Oh, it wasn’t the cold or the damp that bothered him. He had lived through enough chilly nights to not be affected by frigid winds anymore. No, it was the relentless holiday cheer that got on his nerves. The jingling of bells and ridiculous elven choirs, the adults roaming in green and red spandex and strange ferns dangling from hotel archways which served as an excuse for groping in public. All he wanted to do was stay in his office and get work done.
Unfortunately for him, he was outvoted by his wife and child.
To be honest, seeing them shriek in delight over the Christmas festivities that London had to offer made up for his aggravation.
He’d dropped them off at St. James Park that afternoon before swinging in to his office to get a few hours of work in. Prerna hadn’t seemed too thrilled by his decision but she’d only pursed her lips and taken Kuki’s hand before stalking away from him resolutely. Letting her walk away while she was upset had unsettled him and he made a mental note buy her those Laduree’ macarons she favored.
Shuffling through the files in front of him, he dialed his London VP’s number.
“Where are we with meeting with the Candriam Group?”
“They’ve given us a date for the first week of January. It’s the holiday season and their EDs are unavailable until then.”
Rishabh swore silently. He needed to get that meeting with Conrad Doerr as soon as possible and his patience was running thin. Arnav Verma was as competent as they come and if he wasn’t able to cinch a meeting through official channels, they were going to have to get in through the back.
“Verma. We need to take care of the problem Basu has created. His efforts were amusing at first but he’s beginning to piss me off. Tell me you’ve got another way in.”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” Arnav Verma replied almost gleefully. “Doerr is major art enthusiast and is going to be attending a private showing of Frederic Leighton’s work at the Tate Modern tomorrow evening. I’ve emailed you a picture of the painting he’s put up for auction.”
“Put in the highest bid. I want him to be one happy lark when we approach him. Get four invites and call accounting to mobilize the funds. I need this closed before I leave day after.”
“Already ahead of you, Boss.”
“Good. It’s time Anurag Basu learnt his place in the world."
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“Prerna, come on. Get up. You’ve had a whole week’s break from your MMA training.”
Prerna pretended to be deaf and snuggled further into the plush sofa and sipped on her morning tea. Kuki was still asleep in the adjoining room and Alka was watching her. Life was about as good as it was going to get and she wasn’t going to move unless absolutely necessary.
“There’s no reason to stop your self-defense training just because we’re in London. Come on, get dressed.” Her husband was seriously messing with her zen.
“Urghh. I am on a holiday, you psychopath! Let me just sit around and do nothing.” She groaned, tossing a pillow in his direction.
Rishabh ignored her protests entirely as he gently pulled her to her feet and pushed her toward the room. “There, there. I promise I’ll go easy on you.”
“And buy me chocolate. I won’t do this unless I get chocolate out of it.” She said mulishly, shuffling around.
To her relief, he did take it easy on her during the workout, skipping the strength training. The gym he took her to was close to their hotel, a large empty space equipped with both weight machines and free weights, punching bags, what looked like gymnastic equipment, and a matted enclosure.
"That isn't thick enough," she said dubiously.
"It's thick enough. I'm not going to be dropping you on your head." He kicked off his shoes.
"It's my ass I'm worried about." She took off her jacket and bundled her hair up into a top knot.
"Well, I promise I'll take good care of your ass." His eyes taking on an amused sparkle.
He was as good as his word. The workout didn't involve getting tossed around or twisted into a jalebi.
"No. You go on the defense. Don't try to take anyone down," he said. "You aren't strong enough. The best you can hope to do is get away, so that's what we'll concentrate on. You have the advantage of surprise on your side, because you're small-"
“I am not.”
He cast his eyes upwards, as if begging for patience. “You're smaller than most men.” he amended.
“But I'm fast!” She insisted, her mouth settling into a pout.
“I'll take your word for it. But you are all skin and bones.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Such a way with words, Mr. Bajaj. It’s setting my heart a-flutter.”
“My apologies, Mrs. Bajaj. I only meant that you look delicate. Like a kindergarten teacher who saves lambs. A nun, even…”
He really wasn’t making things any better.
“Assh*le.” she spat out.
He grinned down at her. "Look. Any guy who grabs you isn't going to be expecting you to do anything except cry.”
Prerna sobered immediately, thinking of Anurag. “Okay, so teach me how to kick him in the nuts.”
“How about if I just teach you how to get away instead?”
She already knew some of the basic stuff but Rishabh refreshed her on many of the moves. They moved around on the mat, into different positions and scenarios. By necessity, the drill was close contact. Prerna forced herself to ignore the sensations generated by having Rishabh's tall, hard-muscled body against hers, his arms wrapped around her in various holds as he patiently instructed her on how to break those holds. His tone always gentle, but firm.
After nearly an hour, they had both worked up a sweat, and he kept at it until she was panting for breath.
“We should stop.” he said, sounding hoarse. “I don't want to make you sore. You need to train every day, to build up your strength and stamina, and you can't do that if your muscles are too sore to work. And we have that gallery viewing tonight.”
He actually sounded worried, so Prerna said, “No, I’m okay. I don't think I'll be sore, but I'm ready to leave. Kuki will wake up soon.” She turned around suddenly in the loose hold of his arms, bringing their faces unexpectedly close. A hair’s breadth away from each other. A stillness stole over her, keeping her locked in place.
Rishabh hesitated, then reached out and lightly touched her cheek with his fingertips. He started to say something and stopped. Something akin to desire, only more magnified, flickered briefly in his coal-black eyes. Then just as quickly, he snatched his hand back and said, “I’m going to take a shower.” Without another word he turned and left toward the locker rooms, his footsteps echoing in the silence.
She stood in the gym, fighting the chill that raced over her at his touch. No, she wasn't cold. She was shivering, but it wasn't the cold that had gotten to her. Just that light touch of his fingertips everywhere had sent her nerve endings tingling.
What would it be like to actually— “No,” she ordered herself aloud. “Don't go there.” Men like Rishabh Bajaj weren’t made for romance and roses. He might seem harmless enough in their interactions, but she knew him for the wolf he was. And she had, in these past months, come to know her own nature. Had come to realize how deeply she craved the excitement he offered.
But he came with no guarantees. No fail safe.
She stretched out on the mat and closed her eyes, so she wouldn't give in to the temptation to think about him. Her entire body felt like an exposed wire after that workout with him. His forearms had brushed her several times. His hands had been on her legs, her hips. His body had slid against hers several times, as they grappled and it had left her over-sensitized.
She rolled over onto her stomach and cradled her head on her arms. She should be thankful that he had remained ever the gentleman and hadn’t followed up on her drunk flirtations of that night. Hadn't even spoken about it after. Ever so often, they’d come in close physical contact with each other, but he would quickly withdraw.
She should be thankful.
Rishabh Bajaj had “Trouble” written all over him, and for her own sake she needed to pay attention to the sign. She was already risking more than she could afford to lose. There couldn't and shouldn’t be anything between them except Kuki.
Because if she were to fall, she wasn’t entirely sure she’d survive him.
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“Hi, there.” Rishabh’s greeting startled her. Prerna had wandered off on her own once Arnav Verma, Raina Virmani and Rishabh had started talking shop. As she’d walked through the display, she’d noticed her husband, his VP and Company Secretary engaged in serious talk with a tall, white haired gentleman. It hadn’t seemed like a social conversation.
“You haven’t moved from this spot for a while now.”
“I can’t help it. This painting isn’t like the others…it’s so…” She couldn’t find the words.
“Raw?”
She nodded wordlessly. It was raw and visceral and painful. It also made her feel like approaching storms with arms wide open.
“Do you know their story?”
“Vaguely. Didn’t Hades fall in love with Persephone and decide to kidnap her? That he left the Underworld to pursue her, while she was gathering flowers in a field. And then Persephone fell beneath the Earth and Hades stole her to the Underworld where he made her his wife.” Rishabh stood directly behind her, her back brushing against the soft linen of his shirt.
“She must have hated him.” Prerna said, faltering slightly over the words.
“Why do you say that?”
“He tricked her. Lied to her. Fed her the pomegranate seeds and dragged her to a sunless world.”
His fingers lingered on her nape and as he drew the curtain of her hair over to one shoulder. She instinctively leaned back into him, the wall of his chest enveloping her. She craved the contact. The power he exuded. That was the heart of her addiction. She was being crushed under the weight of it, and it almost swallowed her whole.
“Maybe she asked him for it.” Rishabh’s low voice sounded in her ear. “Maybe she asked for the blood, for the pain, for the sin. Maybe she didn’t want the pearls or the fine marble palaces. So she found her king and ran away to a land of shadows, where she reigned supreme. And out of an entire kingdom he kneeled only to her, only called her Queen. So people, confounded by a woman who knew her own mind, whispered that she’d been abducted.” His warm breath washed over her exposed neck. His whispers leaving a trail of goosebumps over her body.
They were no longer speaking of Hades and Persephone alone.
“But when she left, she took the spring away from everyone. Persephone had to leave all her loved ones behind.” Prerna turned around to face him, raising her eyes to his midnight ones.
“She traded a disquiet soul for a throne. She exchanged restrictions for a court of her own. She had Death himself wrapped around her finger. She turned the world upside down to find freedom and he gave it to her."
Prerna didn’t realize when her hands had left her side and sought purchase on Rishabh’s chest. Her fingers played with the silk of his tie as he spoke. It was like he had weaved a spell around them.
His velvet voice. Sooty eyes. Smell of coffee.
It left her light headed, drowning out the warnings in her head.
“Was she happy?” She asked softly.
“I believe so. Persephone, after all, belonged there. Belonged with Hades. He was the only to see the darkness in her beauty and she saw beauty in his darkness.”
She stayed silent for a long beat, savoring the feel of his heartbeat under her palm. She finally spoke, irony lacing her tone.
“Still. He should have asked nicely.”
Rishabh threw his head back and laughed, unmistakable affection in his eyes.
It consumed her.
“Yeah, darling. He should have.” Raising her hand to his lips, her husband placed a tender kiss on her wrist before tucking her arm under his and walking them out the gallery.
He didn’t notice that Persephone had fallen.
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The plane had barely touched down when Rishabh powered on his cell phone. The meeting with Doeer had gone more smoothly then he had expected. There was only one more thing left to do. Glancing across the aisle at his sleeping wife and child, he dialed Mehara’s number.
“Welcome back, Sir. I hope you had a great holiday.” Mehara said, answering on the first ring.
“I need a meeting with Nivedita Basu tomorrow. Make sure it’s not at either of our offices. Somewhere out of public eye. And don’t put in my schedule.”
“Consider it done, Sir.”
He had waited for years and the end was nearly in sight. He was going to deal the first strike at the heart of Basu Industries and the wound was going to prove to be fatal.
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Okay. I did an average job but tbh, I got bored in the middle of writing it.
Cheers,
Sohaa
Edited by Sohali19 - 4 years ago
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