****Part 12****
I was standing in front on him, scared about what he might reveal but also very desperate to know what he is thinking. He looks up at me and he knows I am waiting for his answer.
"I am not sure. I think it is Meredith's. I might be wrong."
"Meredith, your secretary??"
"Yes, Meredith, my secretary. I remember because, this was a long time ago, before you left me. I was in this meeting with some clients in a sports bar downtown and it was very late. I remember you frantically calling me so I was in a rush to get home. As I was rushing towards my car which was parked in an alley behind the bar, I saw Meredith. I did not even know her then.
She was unconscious and lying flat down on her face. There were other people smoking at the entrance and they didn't seem like good people. I was in a hurry, I called the cops and was ready to leave her with them. But, this bracelet caught my attention. You had made me buy something similar for you right around that time and I somehow did not feel like leaving her there thinking what if it was you in her place.
Anyways, I got her admitted in the hospital and called her brother from her phone. A few days later, she came to see me in the office to thank me. I felt sorry for her. She was broke, her husband had left her, she was looking for a job and I was looking for secretary. She was qualified enough'"
"So you gave her the job."
"Yes. But Manvi, she is a really nice girl. She deals with all my shit and outbursts on the clients or the employees or even the media. I don't see her like that, if that's what you are implying."
"Did you both..."
"No Manvi, Jeez, stop it!! I never got involved with my employees."
"Aint that a relief???" I retorted sarcastically. "Then how did her bracelet end up in our house Virat?" I asked, a bit caustic.
"I don't know, I am not even completely sure if this is her bracelet. I will ask her about it tomorrow. Can we go to bed, I am really tired." He asked, he didn't want to talk about it anymore.
"Can I come with you when you ask her about it?" I asked.
"If you must!" Virat glowered at me.
"You don't scare me like you scare everybody else." I glowered right back at him.
He let out a deep breath "I don't mean to scare you baby, it's just that, we have discussed all these things and I thought you forgave me and then new shit surfaces and you are back to square one."
"It's not that easy Virat, to forgive and forget." I plead. "Trust me there is nothing more that I want than go back to my Virat three years ago, but nothing is the same, you are not the same, I am not the same. Its just...unfortunate. I need to know the truth."
"Yes..unfortunate. I agree. Please, can we press the pause button and deal with this tomorrow." He comes and puts his arms round me from behind.
"Yes." I try to smile.
He leads me to the bed and I climb in under the sheets and he follows cuddling me from the back. I close my eyes. I wish there really was a pause button Virat, I would have pressed it indefinitely. He is running his fingers through my hair. I turn around and he kisses my forehead. "Manvi, can't you see that you are my life and I love you more than myself?"
My heart melts, it is true, he is not exaggerating, he really really means it. "Yes jaan, I am sorry. I just cannot digest the fact that you could be with another woman, it is soul-stabbing. I get jealous, bitter, angry and hurtful. I am trying to get past that."
"Hmmphhh.." I hear him giving up. He doesn't say anything. He is stroking my back lovingly and I fall asleep in his arms before I know it.
~~~
I wake up to the sound of a phone ring. Shit! I overslept. It is seven already. Virat isn't in the room. I get off the bed. The phone is still ringing, I search for it. Its on the side-table, its Virat's mobile. I don't recognize the name. I go towards the kids room with his phone. Nobody is in there. Where is everybody? The bloody phone doesn't stop ringing. I decide to take the call.
"Hello Mr. Vadhera's phone." I walk towards the window, and there I see the bunch. They are standing in front the swimming pool. I run downstairs.
"Hello, Sir, er ma'm. Mr. Shekawath wants to speak with Mr. Vadhera, it is extremely urgent." I heard someone panicking on the phone.
"Tell Karan that I will have him call back. Right now he is not around." I reply
"Yes ma'm. Please I cannot emphasize the urgency of the issue." The caller tells me.
"Yes. I understand. Bye." I hang up and march towards my wayward family.
"VIRAT!!! What the hell are you doing?? They don't know how to swim." I see Mrs. Andrews is standing in the shade. I am suddenly shy, I am in my night gown.
"Good morning wifey." He grins pecking on my cheek. "Quite a morning mood huh?" He is taking his shirt off.
"Virat, they can't swim." I stand with my hands on my hips.
"Yes, that's why I am not letting them swim alone and that's why they have floaters on." He smirks, he has Nikki in his hands and without any warning, he jumps in with him.
I shriek and shout. "Nikki!!!!!!! Virat!!!!!!!!!!!!" Oh my god! I think I am having a heart-attack!
Nikki is yelling and kicking his legs, super excited, he is beaming loudly. "Momma, I can swim"
What? I relax a bit. Virat is right by him and he is even balancing himself without his help. Phew!! Crazy husband!!
"Me, me, me" Ria is shouting beside me and Virat swims towards us to get her. I hold onto her tightly and move away.
"Manvi, let her go.." Virat is shouting. "No way, Virat you know she has a weak heart."
"What does that have anything to do with swimming? Did the doctor ask her not to swim?" he is annoyed.
"No. But, she needs classes, training, swimming coaches..."
"Aha? Manvi, kids already know how to swim. If you don't let go, I am going to pull you in too. I will forget that you are scared of water." Virat was threatening to come up.
I shudder, I have water phobia. Whenever I am in water, I feel like I am going to drown and die.
I kneel before Ria. "Bunny, you don't have to do this, if you are scared at any point just hold on to daddy okay?? He will bring you back. Are you sure you want to go in?" She nods her head up and down crazily. "Ok baby, be careful." I kiss her.
"Slow and steady, one step at a time. Don't be scared ok?" I am still holding her.
Virat is glaring at me. "Manvi, we are not sending her off after marriage, leave her already." He orders and I let go.
"Sweetheart, hold your breath and jump in." Virat tells her. She runs and jumps into the water and I think I need to call in for an ambulance, my heart creaked yet again. This is so scary. Virat swims to her and he is teaching her how to kick her legs. Surprisingly, she is already doing it pretty well. She is exuberant and wildly excited.
"Careful Viraat!!" I scream. Virat is shaking his head amused.
After a few minutes, Virat comes back to where I was standing. "You want to come in, it seems like fun." He is looking at the kids.
"No thank you." I move back.
"Come on. Be a sport. Kids are swimming and you are scared. Bad example mommy dear."
I widen my eyes signaling him to back off. I remember the phone call. "Virat, Karan had someone call you. They said it was extremely urgent."
"Ok."
"Aren't you calling him back?"
"Nope"
"Oh?"
He swims away. Ok? You know what? No wife should have a husband with so many secrets. It is frustrating! I give up and decide to enjoy the day. I look around and to my utmost bewilderment, Tim and Randy were on the terrace, on duty, observing our every move. I look around and there he was, Blanco, behind the tree. For the love of god! I flush scarlet and run inside and Virat watched me perplexed.
~~~
"Hey, you seemed pretty pale out there." He said walking into the bedroom. I am showered and changed.
"YOU DON'T SAY!!" I burst out on him.
"Woah! Relax, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong? I thought we were alone, I didn't know three other men were watching me in my night clothes." I was fuming at this point.
"Ok. I am sorry, I should have warned you but you looked fine, I would have said something if you weren't. You need to get used to this stuff now."
"Like I have an option!!!!!" I turned away crossing my hands.
"Its not a big deal baby." He was about to hug me.
I moved away. "Don't you dare touch me while you are soaking wet from the pool. "Go take a shower and dry yourself." I am pointing towards the bathroom.
He was looking at me amused. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Huh?" He was laughing. Why the hell is this amusing. I am going to cry, stop laughing at me!!!!!!!!
"Momma, I learnt how to swim." Nikki and Ria ran into the room and threw themselves at me. Water was dripping off from them onto me and onto the floor.
"Arghhh!!! I just showered sweety." I tried to argue. It's all your fault!! I looked at Virat accusatorily.
I am screeching mad and about to pull my hair out. He was laughing loudly holding his stomach, uncontrollably. "While you are at it..." He said and hugged me tightly and gave a big wet kiss on my cheek and carried the kids over his both shoulders into their bath.
I was beyond annoyed. I could strangle his neck right now. I changed, again, and went to check on them. He is going to give them a bath!!!??? I would like to watch that!!!! The only thing that is going to happen is they are going to turn the bathroom into another swimming pool.
And as I expected, that was exactly what was happening. My jaw dropped open as I opened the door. Both of them were in the bath tub filled with water. They were throwing water at each other in tiny mugs and at Virat, laughing and giggling. Virat was requesting them to stop. The whole floor had water over-flowing and Virat stood there, lost, pleading them "Beta, aaisa nahi karte." I looked at him astonished. Is this how he is going to put his foot down?
I took charge. "NIKKI, PUT THE MUG DOWN, NOW!!! RIA!!!!! IF YOU DON'T STOP RIGHT NOW, NO MORE SWIMMING FOR YOU GUYS!" I warned them. I can scare the shit out of them if I wanted to.
Virat breathed relief on seeing me. Ria turned towards me with the mug, her intentions clear, she was still giggling. "DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT IT YOUNG LADY! PUT IT DOWN, NOW!!!" I tried to bring out my angriest face and looked like it worked, both of them were looking down guiltily. "I want you both out of the bath in 5 min. Then I am going to have a talk with you. Understood??" They slightly nodded their heads up and down. They knew what a talk meant.
"Control freak!" Virat murmured under his breath. I looked towards him narrowing my eye-brows and crossing my hands. "I better get ready too.." he said and left embarrased. I couldn't stop smiling. Virat Vadhera, the CEO, scared of me!!! How about that?? I did a small disco dance in my head.
~~~
"Hey, where are the kids?" Virat came to the dining table, dressed for work. I looked at him and felt so insecure. He shouldn't be allowed to go to work looking like that!!!
"I gave them time-out. They can't come out of their room till tomorrow morning." I reply.
"What like jail-time?" he started laughing. "Come on Manvi, they are kids, my kids, mischief is their middle name." he was leaning in towards my lips with a naughty and wicked smile.
I looked at him crossing my hands and trying that look again. It worked so well the last time. "Do have a problem with that?" I asked.
"No ma'm." he said, but he didn't back-off this time. He kissed me anyways. "Just so you know, that look is not going to work for you everytime." He laughed.
I flushed. He knows me so well. I start laughing too.
"Accha, do you still want to meet Mer?" he asks.
"Mer?" I look at him astounded.
He coughs awkwardly realizing his slip-off. "I mean Meredith. I am just used to calling her Mer."
"Are you now?" I stopped my work and I am glaring at him.
"Oh baby, it's nothing, it's just shorter." I am seriously angry at him now. And he knows it, he gulped an entire glass of water.
"Do you or do you not want to meet her?" He tries to ignore my reaction.
"I most certainly do!!!!"
"Alright, I asked her to stop by on her way to work. I will go say good-bye to the kids."
"Right." I watch him leave. His phone rings yet again. He pulls it out and mutes it, putting it back in his pocket. Why is he ignoring Karan?It is one mystery box after another with Virat.
~~~
"Hello Mrs. Vadhera" Meredith aka Mer smiled at me, warmly, I must say. I suddenly remembered Karan's party and my booty call and I am embarrassed.
"Hello Meredith, you can call me Manvi." I smiled back. Somehow, she has a warm personality. I want to hate her but I cannot quite get myself to. We were standing in Virat's study shaking hands.
Virat enters. He seems to be in a very happy mood. I wonder why!!! "Darling!" he playfully puts him hand around my waist and kisses my hair, smiling. He turns his attention away from me and nods at her. "Good morning Meredith." He says stressing her name fully. Is he enjoying this? I bet he is. He must be awefully sure of himself to take this so lightly. Maybe I am wrong but I would have sensed him to be tensed if he had anything to hide.
We all sit down around a coffee table. I sit close to Virat and his hand is on the head rest behind me. He seemed very relaxed surprisingly. Meredith was sitting across from us in a single chair. She seemed a bit nervous, she should be. She is very pretty for a secretary, she is more like a model. Perfect figure, blonde hair and sharp features. I hadn't noticed her the other day. Virat is looking at me and then at Meredith. Finally he fishes out the bracelet from his pocket and puts it on the table in front of her. "Is this yours?" he asks her calmly.
I was watching her very carefully. Her face lights up. "Yes, this is mine. I had lost it a long time ago. Where did you find it? This is a gift from my granny."
I felt Virat shift uncomfortably. "I found it in our old house at 39th. Were you ever there Meredith?" I asked.
Her face became pale and she is extremely nervous now. "Yes. Mrs. Vadhera." She replied, almost a whisper.
Virat hunched forward. "Meredith, think about this carefully before you answer. I do not remember ever asking you to come there. When and why were you at our old house?" he was very indifferent in his tone but he was shooting angry stares at her.
I sat there numb, her answer is going to determine the fate of my future. I was not able to say anything. I was waiting for her. Her face was blank. She sat dumbfounded.
"Meredith!!!!" Virat screamed at her.
Her face was filled with anxious beads of sweat. She was panicking. I held her hand which was trembling. "Its okay Meredith, whatever you say, it doesn't matter. We just want to know the truth." She looked up at me. Her eyes were welling up.
"f**k!!!" Virat started cursing. He stood up and went to the window. I could tell he is now very disturbed. I didn't have any idea of what was going on but I couldn't bear the tension. I needed to know.
"Virat leave us alone for a few minutes." I request
"NO!" he had an air of finality.
"YES! Please." I reiterate. He looked at me and her. She was not even looking up. He was scoffing fire.
"Please." I maintain. He marches out and slams the door shut.
I look back at her. "Meredith, I understand you are overwhelmed but this is very important. When did you exactly come to our house?"
She didn't speak for a while. I sat with her patiently. She looked at me and then looked away. "It was on the day of a party, few years ago. They were celebrating the company's going public."
I suddenly didn't want to hear this anymore. It was that exact unfortunate day that I left him.
A little voice in my head kept asking me to leave. You do not have the strength to deal with this!
"Why did you go to the house?" I continued prodding her ignoring the voice in my head.
"Mr. Vadhera was drunk in the party and Mr. Shekhawath was driving him home in his car, he was going to pick up his sister in between and head somewhere else after dropping Mr.Vadhera at his place. I was asked to drive Mr.Vadhera's car, park it in the garage and drop-off the keys."
"His sister...Tanya?" I asked curious. I never liked Tanya. Her and Virat used to date before he met me and they are business partners now. The good thing is that she is almost never in New York. She takes care of the business in Europe.
Mer: "Yes ma'm"
Manvi: "Ok, so you came home?"
Mer: "Yes, I came home and parked the car and I called Mr. Shekawath from the garage. He asked me to come inside the house and put the keys on the table outside."
Manvi: "Did you?"
Mer: "Yes."
Manvi: "And then was Karan still in the apartment?"
Mer: "Yes. He was on the phone in the balcony. He told me that Mr.Vadhera was having a high temperature and asked if I had some Tylenol. I told him I did."
Manvi: "And?"
Mer: "He asked me to give it to him with some water before I left. He had to rush out for some work at that point."
Manvi: "What time was this around? Do you remember?"
Mer: "I think around ten-ish."
Manvi: "Ok. Did you give him the medicine."
Mer: "Yes. I did."
Manvi: "Was Virat conscious?"
Mer: "No ma'm. He had passed out and he was burning with fever."
"And then what happened?" my voice was shaking. I think I was tearing up too but I maintained to remain calm outwardly.
Suddenly her voice became very low, she was stammering and she wasn't looking at me. "Mrs. Vadhera, he mistook me for you. He was calling your name out and when I woke him up to give the medicine, he thought it was you. He was mumbling that he was glad that his wife finally came back and he missed her a lot."
"Stop!" I showed her my hand.
"Did you sleep with him that night?" I asked her directly cutting through the crap.
She broke down. She was sobbing. She couldn't look into my eyes. I don't why, but I f**king felt sorry for her. "YES or NO???" I asked standing up. My voice was strong but it was definitely layered with hurt. I already knew her answer.
"I just started my job Mrs.Vadhera. I didn't think I could say no." she spoke after a minute, her words garbled in with sniffs. She looked straight into my eyes, it was very eerie. It was like she was trying to communicate to me on other level. I couldn't quite understand it. Only one thing reverberated in my head. I was right!!!!!!! Sadly, unfortunately, heart-breakingly right.
I was done. Tears rolled out of my eyes. I turned my back to her. "Please leave."
"Mrs.Vadhera..I am really really sorry." I couldn't look at her anymore.
"LEAVE!!!" I yelled at the top of my voice. It was a cry, straight from my heart.
~~~
note: Hey guys, how ru all doing? I said I was going to update on wed, but I will be out of town till thursday so updating before going. Hope you like it. Next few updates are going to reveal much more so be patient. How do u like the update? Is the past/interrogation parts being dragged? Let me know, so I can adapt. Also, I really really want to thank you guys, I think update no 10 had like 99 likes!!!! Its not hundred but I felt like 100 and I was jumping seeing that. Thank u so much, that means a lot. Please do keep reading, liking and commenting. If you dont like the way story is going, tell me about it nd I will try to change it. Hope you guys have a good week-end. luv u all..Anu❤️
Edited by bluebolt - 12 years ago
Fan Fictions
Shiv Shakti
CID
