hello everyone. here is chapter 10, i clearing all the doubts that tanveer is not a bitch in my story...no offence intended. she's just a misconception of zoya.
so here goes
recap Tanveer's a freelance editor.'
CHAPTER 10
zoya stilled at the revelation, but didn't turn around. After a moment, he spoke again, his voice rusty with reluctance. She's worked on nearly all of my books. I pay her to read the manuscripts for me, give me an overview and correct punctuation and grammar before I send them in. Why do you think my manuscripts are so polished when they land up to be published?'
zoya turned slowly. She had heard that he only ever required the occasional line-edit. But doesn't the editorial department usually do all that stuff?' He hunched his shoulders. I don't get a say at who Ayan employs"I don't like people I don't know taking over and changing things. But I had to do something after the night mare I went through over the editing on the first book. I have a mild form of dyslexia and never paid much attention to formal English at school so I have two strikes against me. But it is my story to tell"and I want to give the nitpickers as little excuse as possible to tinker with my intentions.'
The light bulb went on inside her head. Of course. This was an Asad Ahmed Khan she knew very well. He would do everything he could to minimise the exposure of his weaknesses to others. It was all about control.
But you let Tanveer tinker,' she said, eaten up with a jealousy that was far more than sexual.
We go over it together. She's good at what she does. I know she'll fix the technicalities and throw in a few criticisms and leave the final interpretation to me.'
Does Ayan know?'
He doesn't need to know.' He shrugged. He doesn't care about the process; all he cares about is that I deliver him a saleable book at the end of it.'
zoya stared at him. She shouldn't be so surprised. Need to know. He operated his whole life on that basis.
His fist tightened, putting tension on her wrap as he mis interpreted her long look. I suppose now you're wondering if she's more a ghost-writer than an editor.'
It had never even occurred to her. Knowing Asad, she would bet that Tanveer had a major battle on her hands with every altered comma.
Actually, I was wondering how long you two have been together.'
We're not together,' he rejected instantly. I send her chunks of the book to read and she comes here to work with me on the edit, that's all. It never takes more than a few days.'
She calls you "Darling".'
She calls everybody "Darling".' He clenched his teeth. Tanveer and I have never slept together.'
His statement fell starkly between them. But she obviously would like to,' said zoya.
A lot of women want to sleep with me; that doesn't mean I do,' he snapped impatiently, hitting on a source of increasing agony for zoya.
Why not? What's to hold you back?' she gouged viciously at the open wound.
For God's sake, zoya, I'm not interested and Tanveer knows it. Nor is she. That was all an act! She makes a mint off her contract with me, she wouldn't ever want to jeopar dise it. Apart from anything else she's married.'
That's no barrier these days.'
His head reared up at the splash of acid in her voice. It is for me.'
She would concede that. Too many messy complications. What if she got a divorce?' prodded zoya.
I'm not going to sleep with her, zoya, not even to justify your jealousy.'
He was so smug! I'm not jealous!'
He flipped his wrist, winnowing the thin fabric, wafting warm air around her bare thighs and midriff. You look pretty green to me!'
His sly humour struck her on the raw. Green also happens to be associated with harmony, growth and fertility"' She stopped, stricken. He continued to hold on, his eyes alert with sharpening curiosity, and with a little gasp she rotated quickly away in a balletic twirl that shed her gauzy cocoon, leaving him holding an empty snatch of nothing as her bikini-clad figure disappeared into the house, a sharp click of the latch signal ling that her tantalising flight was not an invitation to pursue!
Zoya was still alive in a state of angry embarrassment a few mornings later when she backed her car out of the garage to head down to the wharf and see if any of the fishing boats she had seen coming in were willing to sell some of their catch from the boat.
The anger was mostly with herself for being a wimp. After coming all this way to challenge Asad, she was now ducking and diving to avoid being seen until her chaotic hormones stopped her leaking tears at inappropriate moments, skulking around inside the house with the doors locked, taking long walks up the beach to find a hidden spot in the sand-dunes where she could do her sunbathing, and driving up into the hills to explore the nature trails.
The embarrassment followed a very uncomfortable second encounter with Tanveer baig at a local roadside vegetable stall, where zoya had paused on one of her carefully timed walks to buy a bunch of leafy green silver beet, a brown bag of crunchy sugar-snap peas and a large head of broccoli. The stall was a little wooden shed at the entrance to a long driveway heading down into the bush along the estuary shore, the method of payment an honesty box with a large, rusting padlock attached. zoya had been fishing in the lightweight fanny-pack clipped around her waist for the coins to post in the slot when the crunch of tyres and whirr of an electric window had made her turn her head.
Hello,' Tanveer called from the driver's seat. She was in a figure-hugging dress with full make-up emphasising her striking features, but this time all zoya could see was the wedding ring prominently displayed on the finger tapping the steering wheel in time to the beat on the stereo. Would you like a lift back to the house?'
No, thanks, I'm going in the other direction. I'm walking for fitness,' zoya said quickly as her coins clinked into the box.
Are you sure?' zoya could hear her scepticism. It did seem rather unlikely that she would carry a large bouquet of vegetables around to wilt in the hot sun, when the logical thing would have been to buy them on her way back.
I'm sure.' Was this an olive branch or a prelude to more backbiting? Should she apologise for calling her a Grade-A bitch? According to Asad the poor woman had only been trying to guard her client's back, or protect her investment, even if with questionable vigour.
Would you like me to at least take the vegies for you? I could put them in our fridge until you've finished your walk.' Our fridge? It was ridiculous how much that casually possessive little word grated.
No, thanks. Really, I'll be fine. I haven't got that much further to go.' For all Asad's protestations that there was nothing between them, zoya was still picking up a vibe that suggested a more than simply professional interest on the redhead's part.
Well, OK, then, if I can't persuade you...'
No, but thanks for stopping,' she made herself say.
The Other Woman laughed wryly. Really? I bet you wished I'd kept on driving.'
The thought did cross my mind,' zoya admitted.
Well, if it's any consolation, darling, Asad was in a furniture-chewing mood when he came back to the house the other day. He practically got out the thumbscrews to find out what we'd said to each other.'
Did you tell him?'
This time Tanveer's laugh was genuine. Are you kidding? After he prowled about like a cat on hot bricks when you arrived, moaning that he wasn't going to be able to write a word while you were breathing down his neck, and then acted as if I'd violated one of the ten commandments by telling you? Let him stew! I gather you didn't tell him much, either" just enough to set him marinating in his own juices. Once he's done he might go well with that broccoli.'
Damn! thought zoya as the car roared off. I wanted to keep hating her and now she won't let me. Sharp, pushy, but up front and funny... zoya could see why Asad might find her good to work with.
It was all his fault. If he hadn't primed both women to resent each other with his manipulative behaviour, she and Tanveer might even have been friends. But, of course, Asad wouldn't want that to happen, she brooded"the two opposite sides of his life meeting instead of keeping to his rigid lines of demarcation...
And there was still one good reason to resent Tanveer, she reminded herself. She was obviously great at her job. Her position with Asad was highly valued and secure, whereas zoya's was already shaking on its flimsy foundations. Asad would have no trouble finding another lover, but first-class private editors were extremely thin on the ground. Knowing that she was letting her fears for the future paralyse her will put zoya even more out of sorts.
Arriving back from the wharf with a bulging plastic bag of scallops, kindly dug from their shells by the grizzled fisher man for no extra charge, zoya swung into her driveway. Halfway back into the garage she remembered she would need mushrooms. She might have to go as far as the store for those, unless there were some available from roadside stalls on the way. She shifted the car into reverse and put an impatient foot on the accelerator. As she shot back down the driveway in a burst of revs she glimpsed a whisk of mottled grey out of the corner of her eye as it scooted behind the car. She instinctively swerved and jammed on her brakes but there was a jarring thud and high-pitched yelp as the rear wheel ran up onto something and bumped down again.
ok am tired now. i need more motivation to continue writing.
if you have time check my new updates
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Indian Mythology
Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan
Shiv Shakti
Anupamaa
124