River & Desert

Part 9

Mitali kept pace with Adhrit's long strides. She studied his body language with a fixed stare, but this time, she was unable to interpret what she saw.

The wind had altered its direction and speed, and instead of the forceful attack on her face, she felt a soothing breeze on her back that eased the knots around her spine, almost like a mother's loving touch.

A deep male voice interrupted her thoughts, "Good evening, sir". The young man was familiar with Mitali in his role as Adhrit's assistant. It was at the contract signing that she met him. Sumit forwarded the keys to Adhrit, who accepted them with a tight-lipped smile and a curt nod.

"Ms. Pathak," said Sumit, turning towards Mitali, and she faked a smile towards him. She suspected he saw through her fake smile, but she lacked the energy and desire to offer a real one. The smile was a polite acknowledgement of the assistance provided to their cause.

Adhrit expressed gratitude to Sumit and extended his hand for a formal handshake. The young man shook his boss's hands and brought his hands together. "Anytime, sir. This pales in comparison to what you did for my family."

Sumit's words caused her to sink deeper into confusion. Adhrit Sinha's merciless nature was not unknown to her. The man's side that prevented her from setting her own terms. She had met someone who was quick to lose their temper around her for trivial reasons.

But the one who helped others and considered their emotions? She didn't have even the slightest inkling that the man she took a disliking to on their first meeting could be that man.

Her chain of thoughts was disrupted when she saw Adhrit pat Sumit's shoulders with a feeble smile. A vexed sigh escaped her lips, and she shook her head. He gave a tentative glance towards Mitali. "Shall we?"

A wave of emotions left her speechless. Without saying a word, she nodded in agreement and he went around the car to sit in the driver's seat. She looked up at the Heavens, hoping for her parents' departed souls' support.

Her reddened eyes had a thin film of tears, and they fluttered due to wind irritation. She gave Sumit a gloomy smile before ascending into the car he opened for her. She expressed her gratitude to the young man for closing the door behind her. The torn woman couldn't look away from the man's face, whom she had judged too soon. The mystery of the brain behind his tranquil expression was something she yearned to solve.

"Seat-belt," he said, gazing straight ahead with no emotions on his stoic features.

The raspy whisper disrupted her daze. "Huh?"

"Seat-belt, Ms. Pathak," he repeated, shifting in his seat and letting out a sigh. "Why?" she asked, and he turned towards her. She stared straight into his eyes, searching for answers to her questions.

Adhrit's grip on the steering wheel tightened, causing his knuckles to turn white. "Ms. Pathak, this isn't the time for a road safety discussion. I thought..."

"Not the seat-belt. I'm curious. Why did you do this? You had the option to follow what your family advised you to do. You defied them for a stranger. Why?"

With her eyes showing exhaustion and her voice shaking, she revealed her vulnerability. She fought to conceal her emotional turmoil by controlling her parched throat and erratic breathing.

Adhrit shifted his stormy gaze from her and gazed at the road ahead of them. "Ms. Pathak, this was not done for your sake. My conscience wouldn't allow me to forgive myself if I ever forced someone to compromise on their morals and self-respect."

His lips curled into a sardonic smile. "Ms. Pathak, I find it tough to just go with the flow. I won't turn to this until it's my last resort," he declared. He knew that was far from the complete truth, and he did not wish to divulge the complete reasoning with the forlorn woman.