For the sweetest Jhilly Bean, just because
When the heart knows it follows
Yash was standing in his office, looking at his phone and chuckled. This was her, his wife, his love. She was back. This was the girl that he met nearly 10 years ago, who pursued him relentlessly, despite him being a grumpy old coot even at 17 years of age.
When he opened up her message earlier on his way to the meeting, he nearly stumbled over his own feet. It was a pic of her in a sexy red chemise. She had taking a full length pic in the mirror. The message read:
"Just trying on my outfit for this evening. I hope you like it. BTW, the doctor gave me to all clear today so we can celebrate your first day on the job with a bang. Excuse the pun."
That made him all hot and bothered, but he had to pull himself together as he had to chair his first meeting as the CEO of the company.
He dialled her number.
"Who am I speaking to please?"
"Who would you like to speak to, sir?"
"The lady that sent me an erotic picture of herself and now I can't concentrate on anything else. I am the CEO of a company you know and I cannot be distracted."
"Lady? As far as I know ladies don't send erotic pictures of themselves to men."
"Is that so?"
"Indeed."
"So what would you call this, uh, woman, that sent me this pic."
"I don't know but I can assure you her intentions are not good."
"You reckon."
"For sure. I think she has a dirty mind and wants to lure you into her web of ill repute."
"Mmm, it sounds as if I should stay away from her."
"You should. You definitely should. But I guarantee that she hoping that you won't."
"I know for a fact that she is a married woman."
"Even worse."
"I am married too."
"So there you go. Stay away."
"But the picture was so tempting. It's going to be difficult for me to stay away."
"Oh, is she good looking?"
"Good looking? She is hot, gorgeous, and sexy. Need I go on?"
"And your wife?"
"She is ok."
"Good Bye" she said.
"Wait, wait."
"My wife is gorgeous, hot and sexy too. In fact she is the most gorgeous, hottest and sexiest woman that I know."
"And?"
"And I love her more than anything in this whole world."
"And?"
"And I will never look at another woman."
There was silence.
"Ever. Never Ever." he continued.
"Ok."
"And does she love me back?"
"Sooo Much."
"Can't wait to see you later." he said as he smiled into the phone.
"Yes, Ma is taking Ansh with her to your cousins wedding so we will have the house all to ourselves."
"Are you sure you are ready, honey?"
"200%" she affirmed.
"Love you." he said.
"Love you too, sweetheart. See you soon" she said and disconnected the phone and smiled too, thinking how far they had come.
Flashback 10 years:
Yash was standing in the hallway of his new school checking his time table. He was still not familiar with the timetable or the school.
"Hey, new guy."
He looked up. She was plump, girl with braces and very long hair and spectacles, possibly two years his junior.
"Can I help?"
"Don't know?"
"What are you looking for?"
"Technology Class"
"Follow me." She said
He did.
"See you around, new guy."
And she ran off.
Later he was sitting eating his lunch. He was thinking how he got here. No one knew that he was illegitimate son of Suraj Scindiya. It was his decision. He wanted nothing to do with that man. After his mother had pleaded with him and made him understand that he should take the opportunity of the best education that his father could provide him, he agreed to come to this exclusive school. It did not mean that he had to have a relationship with the man.
"Hey, fancy meeting you here"
It was the same girl.
"So what's for lunch?"
He didn't answer. He didn't come here to make friends, he came to study. So that he could give his mother a good life. A life she deserved.
"Thank you for this morning but I just want you to understand that I am not here to build relationships with anyone."
"Ahh, so that is what all that frowny face is about" she said as she circled his face with her finger without touching it.
His frown deepened.
"It's working very well. Ooh, parathas. I love it. She took one out of his lunch box. Who makes these for you? It's the best I have ever tasted. I only get sandwiches and fruit. I don't like fruit, but don't tell my mom. You want?" she offered him her lunch box.
He just looked away and carried on eating his own.
"BTW, my name is Aarti. Aarti Dubey. I am 15 and in grade 9. I love hockey and I am a great artist. Everyone says so. I also love to dance. And you?"
She continued to chatter without even waiting for him to answer. She was irritating him so much.
When the bell rang for classes to resume she got up.
"Need help to get to your next class."
He shook his head.
"Ok, then. See you around. Yash"
His head shot up, surprised that she knew his name.
She winked and ran off.
That was the routine every day. And it seemed she didn't care that he hardly interacted with her. Even after cricket she was there.
"Hey, new guy. I'm no expert, but you looked the best out there. I think you should be captain."
"You just said you are not an expert."
"Again with the pleasant demeanour." she said sarcastically.
He walked past her.
"You should come watch me play hockey sometime. I am pretty good."
"I'm sure you are but I doubt that I'll have time."
Who blows their own bugle like that he wondered.
The last day of each term she sought him out when school ended.
"Hey, new guy. I'm going to miss you."
As usual he always gave her an indignant look and shook his head. But when the year ended and she said the same to him, he felt something different. He walked away as usual and then he turned around to look at her again. She was still standing there, smiling at him and she waved. He lifted his hand uncomfortably for a quick wave and turned around and walked on. He found himself missing her that vacation.
The first day of school she was waiting for him at the gate.
"Hey there not so new guy. It's you last year. Excited?"
He shrugged.
"Did you miss me? I missed you."
He just looked at her and walked on listening to her chattering on. He smiled inwardly. He really missed this chatter.
A couple of weeks later...
"It's the valentine's ball next week." she said at lunch break, eating out of his lunch box again.
"I want to go." she continued when he said nothing.
"You are going to make me say it aren't you?" she continued.
"Will you be my date?"
"You know I don't do that kind of thing."
"Please Yash. I won't ask you for anything in my entire life. I won't even eat your lunch anymore. Here."
She started feeding him the piece of Paratha that she was eating.
"Please, please Yash. Pretty please with a cherry on top."
"No"
"Fine" she got up and walked away.
She avoided him for the next week. Till the day of the ball. She looked different. Her eyes were sad.
"Please Yash. Please come tonight. I will wait for you outside to the auditorium."
"No."
"I will wait." She walked away.
He had no intention of going. Yet that night he found himself standing behind her as she was sitting outside the auditorium, slumped against the wall. He knew he shouldn't have come, but something in her eyes earlier compelled him to come.
"Aarti."
She turned around. He could see the tears running down her cheeks. She got up and ran to him and hugged him.
"I knew you would come. Thank you Yash." He slowly brought his arms around her too. They just stood there for a while. She looked beautiful in a red sari and her hair was loose. She looked like a teenage bride. His heart was racing and he knew he was losing the battle against the feelings that he was fighting for the last year and a bit.
"Want to go inside." he asked.
"No, let's stay out here. Dance with me out here."
"Is anything wrong?"
"I don't want to talk. I just want to enjoy this." she said. She stood on her tippy toes and kissed him softly and he kissed her back. The kiss was beautiful in its innocence.
He knew then that something was wrong. But he didn't ask. He just did as she asked. They stayed outside. Dancing slowly, him holding her in his arms.
About an hour later she said.
"I have to go. I love you Yash." she looked at him as if she wanted him to respond. But he couldn't. He turned around. Suddenly he felt ready to put those feelings that she had awakened in him systematically into words. He turned around.
"Aarti I ..." but she was gone.
3 years later
Yash had been attending a conference at the University in Bhopal. It was very interesting. It was a conference of his peers and the speakers were international and had a wealth of knowledge in his career choice which was Public relations. He was walking and talking with some of the other students when someone literally ran into him knocking his books out of his hands.
"Sorry, sorry." she said bending to pick it up and handed it to him with a big smile. Until recognition set in. They stared at each other. Suddenly a host of young scholars came rushing down the middle of them. Obviously they came on some excursion. He was distracted for a moment and when he looked again she was gone. AGAIN. For the next few days that he was there, he looked for her. He didn't know why. It was the first time he had seen her after the valentine's ball. She never came back to school and no one really knew what happened to her. He just wanted to know what happened. After she had broken down his defences, she just left. Re-in forcing his mistrust in people. But he just wanted know. Why had someone that was supposed to love him abandoned him yet again? But that was not to be it seems. He didn't see her again.
Another 3 years later:
"Yash was sitting at the bachelor party of one the few friends he had made at college. The party was at a private gentleman's club in Mumbai. They were being served by waitresses in scantily clad clothing. Basically bra's and low slung skirts in silver but they had veils low over their heads. All of a sudden the lights went down and the spotlights went on the waitresses and the started dancing provocatively to a song. There was one that caught his eye. She was the most rhythmic of the lot and the lead dancer. He couldn't take his eyes off her. When the music stopped the veils came off. He didn't know why he was not surprised to see it was her. She left the stage with the rest of the ladies. He walked in her direction. He saw some guy holding her at the arms in the passage.
"Please sir. I am just here to work, please leave Me." she said, almost in tears.
He walked closer.
"Leave her."
"Why. Do you want her?"
Before he knew it the guy was lying the floor. He had jerked him away and punched him lights out.
She ran but this time, he wouldn't let her go. He ran after her. He got her outside and grabbed her by the arm.
"Let go of me Yash."
He looked at her. He looked at the way she was dressed with disgust. He dragged her along with him to his car.
"Yash, please, all my things are at the club. Please let me go."
He drove her to the bed and breakfast he was staying. Luckily there was no one around to see what was happening.
He locked the door behind them.
"Are you so desperate for money that you sunk so low?"
"What does what I do for money have anything to do with you?"
"Fine, if you are that desperate. I will pay you."He advanced on her and she backed away till she hit the wall. She look so desirable. Her eyes were shut tightly and he used the opportunity to really look at her. She had changed so much from the 15 year old girl that he met and even from the time that he saw her in Bhopal for a few minutes. She would have been 19 then. She was stunningly beautiful, no wonder the guy went after her. But she was not the care free girl that he had met then. He touched her cheek and he she opened her eyes. Their gazes colliding as their hearts did many years ago when they were still little more than children.
Their lips involuntarily made their way to each other in a passionate and heart wrenching kiss. They both gave into their feelings for the moment. Their troubles and issues forgotten in each other. He felt her surrender. And he did too. For a moment he let down his defences again. He picked her up and carried her to the bed.
He was surprised when he encountered her barrier, but that did not stop either of them from experiencing pure bliss. Afterwards, he lay on one side of the bed and she lay on the other. She was crying. He didn't know what to make of it all. He didn't know if he should hold her or if he should leave her.
"Why are doing this Aarti. Your family has money."
"You won't understand." she said between tears.
"Does your parents know?"
"I would die if my mother ever found out."
"Stay with me. I can take care of you. You don't have to do that again."
"No. I have to go."
She got up and got dressed.
"Please will you give me a ride back? My clothes are still at that place."
"Fine." he got dressed and drove her back.
"How much?"
"What?"
"How much for the night?" he said.
She looked at him in utter shock and got out of the car without a word.
Aarti went back to her things. She didn't want to do this, but a friend of hers that knew of her skill in dancing and her desperate need for money told her of this job. It paid very well.
When she was 16, her father had divorced her mother. She found that out on the day of the Valentine's day dance. She had needed so much to be with him that night. And he came. But she couldn't tell him of the scandal her life had become. And although she had known very little about him, she knew he must be from a rich family, otherwise he would not be at that school. She loved those few moments in his arms. She loved him and it had to last the rest of her life. They had moved to Bhopal to her mother's family. They treated them like servants and her father did not contribute a cent. She started working directly after school for her uncle. She tried to do a few part time subjects at the university as well.
She was so surprised to run into him that day. But she didn't want to explain what her life had become. She basically worked for board and lodging for the two of them. And the other little she saved to pay for her studies.
Now things had gotten worse. Her mother was diagnosed with cancer and the family refused to contribute towards her medical care. She had even tried to contact her father. But his wife wouldn't even let her talk to him. She had to stop her studies and look for second jobs such as this one. She had done it a few times in Bhopal, but this was a big client and the money was more. It could go a long way towards her mother's treatment.
And then she had to meet him again. She still loved him. She had hoped it was only a teenage crush, but it wasn't. It was an intense love. So much so that she gave herself to him. And he thought she was for sale. Just like a rich man. Typical. Like her father too. They thought they could treat people any way they wanted too because they had money.
For the next month after she saw him she was so nervous. She couldn't afford to be pregnant. Not now when she finally had the opportunity to do this internship. This would allow her to study and work. Thankfully she was not pregnant.
The company was a PR company. The money she earned paid for a little apartment near the firm so she could walk there and back and got and check on her mom during the day. And it covered the medical expenses for her mom.
Two years later:
"Miss Dubey, you are the best candidate for the job. From what we hear about the new director he is very pedantic. He doesn't suffer fools gladly. You have proven yourself in the last two years. Your results are good despite you working full time as well. This will be a wonderful stepping stone in your career."
"I am very happy to accept the job sir. Can you tell me who the director is?"
"Not yet. We are still in negotiations with him and things are sensitive with his previous company. But everyone will know soon."
