Tempting Mr Rajvansh

Chapter 17

Arjun : No, I would not have thought so. But, you do seem infatuated with her.

Abir : I'm not infatuated with her.

Arjun : Oh, Really? Then, You won't care if I pursue her?

Abir stiffened and looked at his brother in shock. Arjun chuckled.

Arjun : Don't worry, Abir. I won't steal your Mishti from you. But, you had better remember the fact that she isn't the sort one dallies with.

Abir (scowling) : I have no wish to dally with her and she is not my Mishti.

Arjun : Are you sure about that?

Abir : Yes. I like Mishti well enough but not to the extent that I'd want her. She is not my type. She is too innocent and completely unsuitable. And... And I don't wish to talk about her anymore.

Arjun : Innocent, Is she?

Abir nodded. Too innocent, he thought.

Abir gave an inside grimace. Mishti was a temptress. She lived up to her name. Sweet, yet fiery. She was a Goddess, she was divine.

Mishti : And completely unsuitable, I might add.

The two men turned towards the door in shock to see her standing in the doorway, not quite in this room, not quite out either. She looked backwards as if contemplating to run, but then she entered the room and looked at Abir head on.

Abir and Arjun looked at each other and then at Mishti, each wondering what to tell. It was obvious that Mishti had overheard everything.

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Mishti looked at the two brothers, momentarily taken leave of her speech, even though she felt like she should say something more.

There was nothing to say, of course. Abir had said quite enough.

She took a deep breath, his words seeming to echo around her. She is completely unsuitable. He had somehow managed to make even the word innocent sound like as insult. Well. At least now she knew the truth. Surely there was some comfort to be found in that.

None right this moment, of course, but...surely at some point... sometime in the future... the pain of his words hit her like a physical blow.

And then she felt the anger, surging around her like a vicious, welcome storm.

And she wanted nothing but to strike back at this arrogant, self-important man who seemed to be no kind of gentleman.

Mishti : Don't you think highly of yourself?

She managed to pour in all the sarcasm she could muster and must have succeeded, for two pairs of eyebrows at that. Arjun stifled a laugh, then conveyed his excuses and went out of the room leaving Mishti alone with Abir, who said nothing even though he continued to stare at her.

They must have stood like that for a few minutes when they heard Anya's laugh as she conversed with Arjun. The noise drew Mishti out of her stupor and she glared hard at Abir.

Mishti : How dare you?

Abir moved toward her.

Abir : I did not mean...

She held up one hand to stay his words.

Mishti : You spoiled a lovely afternoon for all of us. Your sister is hurt and is packing to leave. You drove my sister and her fiance off and you managed to ruin our dance lesson by inviting some random guy.