Eid Mubarak everyone🤗 sorry for the late update...Happy Birthday Toni🤗
It's complicated Part 6
"Ma'am! Please go inside, sir is waiting for you" Kamal said, opening the door for Toni. Toni nodded with a smile and headed inside while the loyal driver drove back. She got scared as she peeped inside through the old Iron Gate. She wondered why Saras wanted to meet her in such a place. She entered through the door, to escape from the dust created by the construction work going on. As soon as she entered inside her eyes caught Saras, who was talking to one of the workers. As the worker glanced at Toni, Saras too turned around and looked at her.
"You may go now" Saras dismissed the person in front of him and approached towards Toni.
"This is my next hotel. I want this to be as perfect as Park View Hotel. I want this to be more like ancient style' he kept on talking like he was explaining everything to his wife.
"Why did you bring me here?" Toni asked with a frown.
"Can't you talk to me calmly? It doesn't suit you be angry like that. I want you to be smiling like before" Saras said, halting in front of Toni and putting his hands into his pockets.
"Oh, shut up, Saras! I don't have to be like that, at least not in front you. I'm not the old Toni… I don't have time to waste. Why did you bring me here?" she said with a deeper frown this time.
"I didn't bring you by force, but I thank you for coming here" he said moving closer to her. He smiled as Toni become perturbed due to his action.
"Why do you force me, Saras? If you think I love you then you are wrong" Toni said wryly, knowing that he would not believe a single word she said. "If you think I'm scared of losing my job, there also you are wrong; I'm obeying you only because of Sunny" she took a hundred and eighty turn to go away from there.
"Stop!" Saras cried loudly. He was losing control. "I never intend to do anything wrong" he walked up to her, held on her forearms and asked her to look into his eyes. "Tell me, you don't love me?" he uttered softly, but loud enough for her to hear.
"Leave me!" Toni said, trying to free her hands from his grip. She knew that he would not damn leave her unless his demands are fulfilled. "I …don't love….you" she said, looking away.
"Look at my eyes and say it" Saras demanded.
"I don't love you, Mr. Saraswatichandra" Toni said, after a while, with tears flowing from her dark brown eyes.
Saras felt his world moving around him at once; slowly he released her from his hold and turned around fixing his gaze on the concrete walls. He felt his feet concreted like the walls in front of him and his heart shattered like a broken sheet of glass. No! She does love him, but why did she force herself to lie? If it was true why would she cry? He ran his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes as thoughts congregated in his head.
Toni threw herself into the bed as soon as she reached her room. She covered her face with a pillow as she sobbed uncontrollably for what had happened between her and Saras. God only knows how much she loves Saras and how much she wants to be with him, but she knows that they don't belong with each other. Also she has not forgotten how he played with her emotions with his very own game of love.
Saras did not come out of his room since afternoon. Guman waited outside for a while after knocking at his door. As there was no answer from Saras, she opened the door and stepped inside. It was dark inside, Saras has turned off all the lights and also he has drawn the curtains of the windows.
"Saras, it's me, your mom. Come out to have a cup of tea, dad is also waiting" Guman said, moving closer to the toilet, while Saras stood in front of the bathroom mirror with total silence.
Time passed, changing the colours of life. Every single day brings joy or sadness to many lives. Unexpected things happen in life teaching people new things while the past helps to experience many things.
A week passed without Toni seeing Saras. Though she did not see him, she knew that he would have seen her at anytime he wished. She started missing his silent phone calls to the reception and his aimless walks through the lobby just to see her. Without her knowledge her eyes tend to search for his glowing face, her ears ache to hear his husky voice and her nose craves for the sandalwood and the manly smell of his perfume.
It was a beautiful Friday afternoon Toni caught Saras walking through the lobby with a client. She paused for a while; gazed at the perfect man walking in a CK suit with a heart-stopping lopsided grin that had set her toes tingling. A split second of fantasy gave rise on the race circuit seeing him so breathtaking. Unaware of her acts, she sat straight on the chair and looked at the two men passing the reception counter with a smile. The client with Saras smiled back to Toni, but Saras did not even bother to give a quick stare at her.
"Happy birthday…no no…many happy returns of the day…shit!" Saras stopped as he heard a female voice near the exit. He excused himself and slowly walked over there and saw Veera with a small gift walking up and down nervously.
"Veera?" Saras said. The best thing about him is that he always calls the staff by their first name and never did he forget their names.
The gift in Veera's hands nearly fell down in shock when she saw her boss standing looking at her silly acts.
"S…i…r" she managed to say slowly and hid the gift at her back.
Saras chuckled by seeing her actions and asked whose birthday was that and why she was feeling so tensed. Unaware of Saras and Toni's relationship, Veera told him that Saturday is Toni's birthday and hence it is a day off from work she was going to wish her and give the gift. August 10th? How could he forget the date this year as he used to celebrate the 10th of August since he met Toni? Thanking and wishing Veera all the best he walked away planning everything within his head.
"Happy birthday in advance Toni" Veera almost screamed and ran to Toni who stood with her mouth opened wide. "Close your mouth now, or else a fly may get in" Veera said in a comical tone and gave the gift to her friend.
'There aren't flies in this hotel' Toni said, laughing and thanking Veera, after a while. It was then the reception phone rang and both the girls become silent as Toni answered the phone.
"Toni. I'm taking you to dinner tomorrow" Saras said preamble.
"I'm sorry, I'm busy tomorrow"
"You aren't! You aren't avoiding me" he said, knowing the fact she was trying to avoid him.
No way! Toni thought. Not like how he had avoided her for the past five years. Her hands become clammy and she wanted to rail against him for what he's doing to her now. But still, a part of her yearned her to go with him for one last time and she would never let herself be carried away by his blandishments. She would stand firm on the ground with her decision and would never open herself up again to heartache.
"I'll pick you in the evening" he said, after a long pause and hung up.
Toni drew a deep breath, wishing her heart would stop pounding. Fine. It's just a dinner, but not a long one. She leaned back in the chair and told the story to Veera, but she kept the name of Saras secretive.
At 7.00p.m. Toni stepped out of the house in a white silky gown making her look more like a shining star with a simple necklace hanging around her smooth neck. She had an up do with her hair and let a trail of hair moving freely from the sides. To her surprise, he was already waiting outside for her, with a come-and-get-me-smile; he let the door of the car open for her. Unlike other times, he came without his driver which made Toni to think about the reason for it as well.
"You look beautiful!" he said, starting the car, hiis eyes skimming over the long gown she wore. She could not return the compliment as her heart started beating faster than usual for sitting this close to him. None of them spoke a word on their way to the Majlis Al Bahar restaurant. When the cab swooped to the curb and stopped, Saras helped her to get out of the car. Toni rode up her gown high, allowing Saras to see the silken skin which enticed him to touch. Clinching his hands into fists, he looked around the well lit beach restaurant where he was sure no one would come to disturb them.
The sea air was fresh with tang of salt on breeze. He took a deep breath and gestured her to move on and walked with her, their hands touching. She looked at him and said "the restaurant is vacant?" He felt the excitement and the nervousness in her voice. It was a dream come true moment for her to get a chance to be there.
"Lead on" he said, showing her the way until they reached the table arranged specially for them.
In only moments, they were seated under a starlit sky with a spectacular view of Burj Al Arabs' private beach. Once their order was taken, Saras looked at Toni and excused him for a while.
Few minutes past, Toni waited for Saras to come to thank him for taking her there. To her surprise she heard the familiar happy birthday song playing in the restaurant and she turned around to find Saras standing behind her smiling. He held an expensive boutique of flowers to her and walked to her right side. He then held her right hand and took it up to his lips. Slowly as she rose from her chair, he knelt down and took a diamond ring from his pocket and asked "will you marry me, Toni?"
To be continued...
