"A drink?" Abhimanyu asked Akshara as they stopped in front of the bar.
Akshara took deep breaths to calm her nerves down. What had happened back there had been unbelievable. Magnetic. Her stomach was in shambles with nervousness and pride. "No, thank you, I don't drink. Just water for me, please."
"Really?"
"Why're you so surprised?"
Abhimanyu furrowed his brows. "No reason." He remembered she didn't drink on their first date either. But he'd just chalked it up to her trying to do the exact opposite of what he said.
As Abhimanyu ordered himself a whiskey mixed with soda, and Akshara a water, they both turned around to see Parth fuming with anger. He was standing beside a group of his colleagues but all his attention was directed towards Abhimanyu and Akshara.
"Parth seems like he may blow up any minute now." Akshara commented, taking a sip of her water.
"Good. I hope he does." Abhimanyu replied bitterly, earning a small giggle from Akshara.
Just then Harshvardhan walked up to them. "May I steal Akshara away for a quick dance?"
Before Abhimanyu could say no, Akshara placed her hand in Harshvardhan's as they made their way to the middle of the ballroom dance floor.
Harshvardhan placed one hand on Akshara's back, trying his best to be civil and the other hand softly wrapped around hers whilst Akshara placed her free hand on his shoulder, swaying to the music.
"Are you here to yell at me?" Akshara asked.
"Do you want me to yell at you?"
"No, but if you have to, then it's okay. I understand."
"No, in fact I'm here to thank you."
"Thank me?"
"Yes. For helping my son. For what you did for him against the board. Abhimanyu rarely ever asked me for help. And the one time he did, I felt like a failure of a father when i was unable to get the board to take Abhimanyu's proposal seriously. So thank you for what you did for my son back there."
Akshara raised her eyebrows. "Oh. You're welcome I guess."
Harshvardhan and Akshara continued to sway to the music, as Abhimanyu looked on, doubtful about what his father and his wife were whispering about.
"Why didn't you say all this in front of Abhimanyu?" Akshara questioned him, still confused about the equation the father and son shared.
"What did I say about asking questions, Akshara?"
"Sorry."
"Ah, and there is my son, coming charging at us like an angry bull." Harshvardhan commented, making Akshara's eyes go wide in shock.
Feeling antsy with the sudden emerging friendship between his father and Akshara, he'd had enough of their secret rendezvous. He hated being left out of the loop, like an outsider listening to an inside joke. Without thinking, Abhimanyu stomped over to where his father was dancing with his wife, ready to get his wife back.
"May I dance with my wife?" He growled.
"Of course. Here you go." Harshvardhan handed over Akshara to Abhimanyu.
Abhimanyu placed both his hands on Akshara's waist, making sure to dig his fingers into her bare, smooth, creamy flesh. Akshara wrapped her arms around Abhimanyu's neck, as they began swaying in tandem to the sound of music.
"What were you guys talking about?" He asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
"It's our secret." She teased.
Abhimanyu pulled Akshara towards him roughly, "I don't like secrets."
Akshara searched his eyes to see a strange restlessness dancing along the tips of his pupils. "He was thanking me for helping you." She admitted.
"Oh please. That man would never thank you."
"He did. It's up to you to believe it or not." She shrugged her shoulders.
Abhimanyu stared into her eyes, searching for any signs of deception and came up blank. "I trust you."
"Then you should trust him too. He's your father, you know."
"Sperm donor isn't the same as a father."
"He cares for you."
"He cares for no one but himself." He growled, bitterly.
Akshara could sense Abhimanyu harboring feelings of anger and hurt directed towards his father. He hid his soft, emotional interior within the hardened, sarcastic shell of his exterior.
"Sometimes things aren't as they appear, Abhimanyu."
"And sometimes things are exactly as they appear. Don't let him fool you."
Akshara gave Abhimanyu a soft smile, knowing there was no point of arguing with him. "Okay," She replied, ceasing the conversation.
As they continued to sway to the music, Akshara looked around the ballroom to see many women staring at her distastefully, some of them glaring at her in pure envy.
"So, how many women have you slept with here?" She asked him, changing the topic.
"What? What do you mean?"
"Sorry. A more appropriate question would be whom have you not slept with in this room? Because the way every single woman is staring at me, I feel like I'm either going to be a part of a very active catfight or end up getting murdered on the spot. Seriously, I can just feel every single woman plotting to kill me a hundred different ways right about now."
Abhimanyu chuckled, "Oh please."
"No, seriously, look around the room."
Abhimanyu followed Akshara's gaze as they twirled around in a circle only to see Akshara was not exaggerating. Every single woman in the room was glaring at Akshara ready to throw daggers at her.
"You're right. I suggest you make a run for it or else you'll find yourself on the front page headline of tomorrow's newspaper 'Death by stiletto'.
"Death by stiletto? Oh god! My worst nightmare." Akshara squealed, making Abhimanyu chuckle as he stated intently at the curve of her lips.
"How did you know about the children's wing and the charity ward? I don't remember ever tell ln you about them?" He furrowed his brows and finally asked her the question which was dancing in the back of his head for quite some time.
"When I was getting ready earlier this evening, I was scavenging through the closet and the file with the proposal for the children's wing and charity initiatives fell onto the ground. I know I shouldn't have peeked but my curiosity got the best of me and I snooped." She admitted, bashfully.
"Snooping is a bad habit." He chastised.
"I know. Sorry. But I couldn't stop myself. As I read through the proposal, eventually I realized why it was so important for you that you become CEO. Because being a CEO will give you the chance to turn your proposal, your initiatives into a reality. And I wanted to see it happen you know, your ideas turn into reality."
"It was risky, you know, what you did back there." Abhimanyu pointed out, his voice deceptively low.
"You call it risky, I call it bold." Akshara grinned.
"Tomato, to-mah-to." He rolled his eyes.
"Oh come on, we both know they weren't seriously considering you for the CEO position. Their first choice was always Parth. They are just tagging you along. But now, by showing them who you really are and what you can do for this hospital —you've actually managed to secure your place in contention for the CEO position."
Abhimanyu looked down at Akshara, mesmerized by her simplicity, her honesty, her humility. "Can I tell you something?" He blurted, still immersed in her the warmth of her almond shaped eyes.
"Yes." She nodded her head.
"Promise you won't cry?" He teased.
Akshara rolled her eyes and smacked him gently on the nape of his neck, letting out a little laugh. "I promise I won't cry."
"Thank you. Thank you for what you did back there. No one has ever stood up for me like that."
"No one?" She teased, trying not to grin like a fool from ear to ear.
"Yes. No one." Abhimanyu admitted more forcefully, letting Akshara have her moment to proudly mull over his confession. "I don't think any of it —them agreeing to give my proposal another chance would have been possible without what you did back there. So thank you for supporting me."
"I did nothing Abhimanyu. The children's wing, the charity initiatives are all ideas, your vision for this hospital. And they are very well thought out and great initiatives. I just happened to just nudge the board into acknowledging that your vision could become a serious reality. And that it's for the betterment of..."
"Just accept the thank you, Akshara. I don't say it often so this may be the last time you're hearing it from my mouth." Abhimanyu cut Akshara off abruptly, his voice alluringly low. He held Akshara tight, pulling her closer, gazing down at her intently as both his hands rested on the lower of her back, the lads of his thumb grazing alongside the soft silky flesh of her bare back.
"Okay, yes, you're welcome." Akshara squealed, pressing her lips into a flat line as she stared back at Abhimanyu's addictive gaze. The unholy part of her could stare in this man's eyes for hours upon hours and never get tired. He had the most beautiful eyes known to man.
Akshara wrapped her arms around his neck, stroking the nape of his neck as they continued to the sway to sound of music, oblivious to the crowd around them. There was a soft and subtle shift in the air as Abhimanyu and Akshara continued to sway to the music. Abhimanyu pulled Akshara closer to him until she was right against his chest, her face right at the eye level to his chin.
Akshara's breath hitched and she felt palpitations in her heart as she found herself going on her toes, moving her lips upwards just as Abhimanyu tilted his head downwards, his eyes immersed in hers, his lips searching for hers.
Akshara could feel Abhimanyu's breath on her nose. He smelled like the perfect blend of whiskey and mint. She closed her eyes, her heart beating rapidly against her chest as she waited for him to press his lips against hers, capturing her mouth in a kiss.
Except the kiss never came.
Instead, Abhimanyu and Akshara were surrounded by a round of applause. Akshara opened her eyes and Abhimanyu came out of his trance of desire to see everyone around them had stopped dancing and were clapping whilst making their way off the middle of the ballroom.
Abhimanyu let go of Akshara with a jolt, backing up, horrified at himself for becoming so carried away. Hurt flashed over Akshara's face after witnessing Abhimanyu's abruptness only to be replaced by embarrassment after she realized what they'd been about to do.
Kiss. They'd been about to kiss. In the middle of the ballroom with tons of people watching them.
Kissing the most notorious playboy of Mumbai? Yeah, that was one for the fantasies and it would remain as such —a fantasy only.
He'd been about to kiss Akshara. On the lips. Lips was a big 'no-no', a 'caution - do not proceed' sign in his books. Abhimanyu Birla had no rules when it came to sex, except one. He did not kiss on the lips.
He couldn't even remember the last time he'd kissed a girl on the lips. The last time he'd ever kissed a girl on the lips had been her...
You do not kiss anyone on the lips remember that, his brain told him. Because a kiss on the lips was the type of intimacy, the sensuality he did not need or want in his life. Not anymore.
Abhimanyu looked over at Akshara who was trying her best to avoid eye contact with him.
"I think...we should shift to the side. Everyone else is." Akshara pointed out, tucking a lose strand of hair behind her ear. She took a deep breath, trying her best to calm down, to sweep away the hurt she was feeling.
Wait, so we're not going to talk about the almost kiss we shared? Abhimanyu's eyebrows furrowed and he frowned at the lack of acknowledgment from Akshara.
Why do you want to talk about the almost kiss Abhimanyu? Just so you can tell her it was a mistake that shouldn't be repeated?
"I think what happened back there, was a mistake. The kiss. I think we're just better off as two individuals who occasionally become cordial friends." Akshara blurted out as they made their way off the dance floor.
"Yes, I agree. A mistake." He grit out, trying his best to act cool.
What are you so angry for, Abhimanyu? Isn't this exactly what you wanted? To call this almost kiss a mistake? Or are you just annoyed that Akshara thought of it to be a mistake too? Or are you just mad that the kiss didn't affect her as much as you'd have hoped? His brain taunted him, making him seethe.
Just as Abhimanyu and Akshara went to join Dr. Rohan and the rest of the interns at their table, the lights dimmed and a spotlight flashed across the room.
"Ladies and gentleman, may I have your attention please?" Abhimanyu and Akshara turned their faces towards the source of the voice. Their eyes followed their ears and came across Harshvardhan Birla standing on-top of the stage holding a mic, at the center of the spotlight.
"As you all know, my name Harshvardhan Birla, and now it's that time of the year again. The reason we've all gathered here today —the charity auction. All proceeds from the auction goes towards various non-profit causes and helping in the advancement of medical research. So please. Don't be shy to start a bidding war as it is for a good cause after all."
"This is my first ever charity auction." Akshara whispered to Abhimanyu.
"Don't be too excited. They're as boring as boring goes." He whispered back, shaking off his disappointment from earlier.
"Don't be such a party pooper."
"Be a what?"
"Party pooper. The person who sucks the fun out of everything." She exaggerated.
"Party pooper? Me? Wow. That's hurtful. After all that I've done for you?" Abhimanyu scoffed dramatically.
Akshara giggled, trying to get back to a sense of playful normalcy. "And what exactly is it that you've done for me?"
"Do you want me to make you a list?" He asked, turning around to face her.
"Please do." She challenged.
Akshara folded her arms against her chest, automatically making Abhimanyu's eyes travel down to the arch of her breasts.
"And first up on the auction list is our yearly tradition of a night of dinner and a whole lot of 'fun' that is guaranteed to and I quote 'knock your socks off' with our very own Dr. Abhimanyu Birla." Harshvardhan's voice trailed off as he finished reading off Abhimanyu's name.
Abhimanyu and Akshara glanced at each other uncertainty, reeling in shock. He didn't sign up for this year's auction. Then how the hell did his name get on the list?
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Ah! Okay, vote and comment to let me know what you all thought of this chapter! Thank you!