The office hours came to an end, the people bid their goodbye to her with a pitying smile or mock sympathy and she smiled tightly as they left one by one.
Cursing her fate and the man who was the reason for her late nights, she threw her hands up and groaned loudly. The floor being empty was void of many lights but one near the elevator.
Her cabin lights illuminated some parts and the spooky feeling didn't make her feel uneasy. She loosened her ponytail letting her locks fall on her shoulder. Her coat was discarded and blouse loose on her skin, the black trousers hiking up as she sat with her legs stretched on the glass table.
She typed another official statement regarding one of the scandals Rakshit Chouhan pulled on a daily basis. The speakers blared a pop song to which she vibes and danced sitting to work, relaxing her shoulders and stretching her neck muscles.
She tapped on full stop, proofreading one last time, and e-mailed it to press, sighing as she slashed a point from the sticky notes sprawled all over her laptop screen reminding her of daily tasks.
The beat changed, so as her mood as she grinned to herself and stood up. Taking advantage of no eyes, she jumped and swayed her hips as per the beats, arm moving and staying on her waist as she spun and screamed the lyrics, dancing and enjoying the song.
She failed to hear the door opening and yelped in surprise when her waist was caught mid-air and she was spun to face the intruder.
Her scream was cupped with a palm.
"It's me." A voice announced and her wide eyes took in his face.
She pushed his palm and smacked his hold away from her "You scared me."
"Sorry, not." He grinned, pulling her closer using her palms, and settled them on his chest.
"What are you doing?" She asked curiously watching him sway their bodies with the beats, spinning her and pulling her back. "Rakshit?'
"Making love to you, meri jaan" He whispered to her ears.
"Shut up." She shoved her elbow into his ribs.
"You hit hard." He groaned but didn't leave her shoulders as he spun her again for her to land on his chest, bodies pressed together.
"Why are you here? Go to some club and make headlines. Bring work for me. I don't wish to starve because Rakshit Chauhan decided to be a saint." She mocked, ruffling her hair as she let her waist sway with the rise in beats.
"A saint in your presence? Impossible." He winked, turning her and matching her moves.
Leisurely, his palm caressed her arms, and fingers hooked to hers. He stepped back and she followed a step front and she took one back, hands in hands, and they moved gracefully.
"I am helping you clean my image." He answered her questioning eyes.
"Then you better not show up in the office too." She suggested "Seeing you fucked your secretary just last month."
"She was giving me hints." He defended himself.
"Really? You never seem to take some from me, hints to not show up anywhere near me." Her eyes glared holes in him.
"Try another hint, I might take then." He grinned, leaning his head suggestively.
"Get away from me." She wiggled in his hold.
"Can't do that." He pulled her closer. "I have missed this."
"We have never danced before." She rolled her eyes.
"That is why," He said, " I missed dancing with you."
"You do not make sense." She commented tiredly.
"True, I have lost my senses after meeting you." He piped back.
"Your charm doesn't work on me." She snorted.
"A man can try." He shrugged.
"I have work." She wiggled making him grumble, stepping back from him.
"But I don't care." He faked an innocent look earning a scoff from her. "How about I take you somewhere?"
"Where is this somewhere?" She probed.
"Just here." He replied cheekily, "Pack your things, we are going to have fun."
"This is your idea of fun?" Shreya looked at the race track bewildered, the underground racing club loaded with sports cars, boys smoking and drinking, and girls yearning for attention dressed in scintillating outfits, some barely there.
"No, racing is," Rakshit announced and claimed her waist as he maneuvered his way towards the crowd, past them, and towards the garage.
"Rakshit" She hissed his name but he passed her only a look and his eyes commanded her to follow.
"Hey, Garry!" Rakshit greeted a middle-aged man who dressed impeccably among the rowdy crowd.
His raised eyebrow questioned Rakshit her presence.
"She is special." He stated and glanced at her "Someone I trust."
The man nodded in understanding and guided them towards the parking, yellow lights flickering as they illuminated the place to make the shining Lamborghini scream its presence.
The neon orange car made her narrow eyes as it brightened with the single bulb glowing.
"Why, did you like my baby?" He asked like a child showing his report card to his parents.
She wanted to scoff but tamed the urge and nodded wordlessly.
His fingers caressed it like soft silk, cherishing it with his soul invested. It was as if he stared at his love, dancing naked and only for him to watch. His eyes spoke thousands of emotions she had never seen as he fed his heart with the look of his car.
He looked at her breaking his affair with the non-living thing and his gaze pierced hers "It's time I show you the different world, meri jaan."
Her throat parched, and her feet took her to him.
"What are we doing here?" She asked touching his arm.
"Winning." His one-word answer was enough to heighten her senses.
She blinked at him and kept mum, observing the place to not let anyone catch a picture for tomorrow's headlines. She was fidgety yet composed to not let anyone see through her nervousness.
"Come with us." The man addressed her as Rakshit rolled his sleeves, nodding at her to follow him.
She forwarded her hand for him to pass her coat and phone, he grinned looking at her, and walked near her.
"Wait for me to take you for a celebration." He mumbled in her hair and pressed a quick peck before she could blink.
A girl she didn't notice before dragged her away and into a door, up the flight of stairs as she came to stand on the balcony, the room darkened and hidden so as people. Only lights illuminated the race course.
"You haven't been to a car race before." The girl commented but Shreya couldn't answer, her heart vibrated with the purring of engines, eyes searching for a stupid orange color car.
"Your brother is been winning for years now." She commented.
"He is not my brother." Shreya corrected the girl immediately.
"So, you do speak." The girl laughed, "Ofcourse, he cannot be your brother when his eyes undress you continuously."
Her hold on the railing hardened as she tried ignoring her so-called companion's words.
"He has fucked a lot of skirts but never brought one here, you have to be special."
Shreya couldn't pinpoint if it was jealousy or angst for her in her tone.
"What's your name?" Shreya questioned, making the girl shut up for a second.
"Liza." She piped "What is yours?"
"That is none of your business, Liza." She replied with a smirk "Now, if you could seal your mouth, I'll like to enjoy my first car racing."
"Such a bitch."
She heard the grumble before she was left alone.
The stadium came to life with the engines, the buzzing seems to be blaring into her head as she glared at everything until one sight made her leave a breath she didn't show she held.
The bright neon car made its way to the start line, the black tinted windows gave away a reflection of the driver because of artificial lights.
She could make out him looking out of the window, somehow, she had a feeling of being watched. Lifting her chin defiantly, she stood leaning against the railing and soon he turned towards the streets.
The gunshot indicated the start of the match. Her eyes kept following him as the cars sprinted down the road, overpowering and defending their positions, the speed blinded her but the color helped as she watched only him.
A loop after loop and some were already out being dashed into borders or breaking down.
The car hooted with each push of the accelerator and left her sight only for returning in less time than the last one, a girl stood in the middle of the road with a white flag indicating the end.
He pressed faster and another car joined him, she closed her eyes as the two neared the girl and soon the cheers deafened her.
Exhaling a big breath, she kept standing with her eyes closed.
"Come on, doll face. Your man won."
The annoying voice returned and she seem to go soft for her presence, she blinked to watch a large amount of crowd rushing to the ground, towards him as he stepped out.
She averted her gaze from him and followed Liza down, meeting a larger crowd than she saw from above.
"Make way and find him before he thrusts into another vagina and you watch him do it." Liza snorted parting and leaving Shreya to find her own way.
She took steps inside the madness, grimacing at the girls who threw themselves on each other, worrying about what would happen to their barely covering clothes.
She pushed past some but was shoved down, landing on her butt and hissing in pain. "Fuck"
The crowd seemed to quieten around her as she watched them parting.
Rakshit walked towards her and bend down. A silly smirk on his sweat-cladded face with hairs sticking around flattened.
"I would have preferred you on your knees rather than butt, meri jaan." He whispered to her and earned a glare. He laughed it away and helped her stand up.
"You will never have me on my knees." She hissed stomping on his foot but lost balance and he pulled her closer, preventing her fall.
"I don't want you to" He pushed a strand back "Not when I'm ready to go on mine."
"If you are done, we should leave." She gulped at their proximity, more from his gaze which seemed to be affecting her.
"We are not done." He announced and stepped back from her. "We will be done when I get you as my prize for winning."
"What do you mean?" She blinked in apprehension.
"Marry me."
■ ■ ■
Pulling his surgical mask and cap, he breathed stepping out of the surgery which took 8 hours to complete.
He was called here back in the middle of the night when a patient and his family got into a car accident, the driver being the most injured and was to be operated on an immediate basis.
The other victims were not serious, having mild injuries on the head and arms.
"Doctor, my husband?" The desperate voice stopped him on his track back to his cabin to disrobe.
Vidyut watched the woman looking a mess, she had dried tear streaks, her hair a mess. The gash on her forehead was bandaged and a hand holding her pregnant belly.
"Please take a seat." He requested and a nurse made the woman sit down. Once satisfied that she was resting, he held her eyes and passed her a genuine nod "He is fine, he made it. The staff will let you have all the details. Excuse me."
He always interacted less with the family of his patients, the heightened emotions did not settle well with him. He would rather do his work silently and fade into thin air. Answering the questions asked was easy but consoling them for loss, he lacked the words they require.
Being a doctor, facing loss and failure was common but not emotion when you have to deal with rationality and practicality.
He entered his room once changed and went through some of his files when he felt he missed a certain one.
One he was studying late last night and slept on it, later he had rushed here and forgot it.
He pinched his nose bridge and unlocked his device.
The phone rang for three bells when it was received.
"Hello?" A low tired whisper greeted him, his eyebrows furrowed.
"Where are you?" He asked her and heard shuffling.
"I am home, why?" Hearing her voice, he felt the need to ask if she was okay but he kicked the thought out. "Is your surgery done? You didn't wake me while leaving."
"You were sleeping." He hummed. "I want a file, can you bring it to me?"
"Sure, which one?" It came immediately and he instructed her on the location of it.
"Got it." She said after a few seconds, her breathing was labored. "I will bring this to you."
"Uttara?" He took her name demanding unknown as she hummed. "Are you working today?"
"Yes, I leave in two hours." She sighed.
He did not reply but made a noise of acknowledgment.
The silence was a sign to hang up when her voice stopped her.
"I want to ask something." She said and he waited for her to continue, "I was searching your medicine box, what is fever medicine called? Can you give me its name?"
"Who needs it?" His ears heightened.
"Actually, I think I have a light fever." She confessed sounding scared "I will just take one."
"I am coming home."
He regretted the words immediately as his brain processed them, not thinking again he hung up and rushed out picking up the keys.
The drive didn't last long with him pressing the accelerator.
Not ringing the bell, he unlocked the door and entered to find her leaning against the couch's backrest, her eyes closed and face pale. The medicine box lying on the center table.
"Uttara" he called her softly but she did not stir.
He touched her forehead and grimaced feeling the burn.
"Tara?" His fingers tapped her gently and his eyes widened at the nickname, he corrected himself quickly "Uttara, I'm here."
"Hey" She blinked sleepily and tried sitting straight, "I am sorry, I don't know how I slept."
"You are burning." He said with disapproval and retrieved a thermometer from the box. "Keep this between your underarms."
She followed and sighed tiredly, as he searched for medicine and fetched water for her.
"Remove it." He took the device from her and narrowed his eyes at the reading. "You are not going to work."
"No, I'll be fine just let me have a medicine... I will be up... " She was fatigued.
"Enough" His voice interrupted her, "Take this and rest."
She submitted immediately, head bowed as she gulped the medicine and water down her throat. Her body gave in to exhaustion within minutes as her head rolled back to the couch and he tucked her in to be more comfortable.
His phone rang and he cursed at the loud voice as she stirred, silencing the call he received and answered.
He rolled his eyes hearing Rakshit from the other end.
"Is Bhabhi with you?" His brother questioned and his eyes rested on her face.
"Yes," he said after taking a long look at her, she was frowning in her sleep.
She looked exhausted.
"I am getting married."
He heard it but did not process it until a few seconds.
"You are what?" He whispered and yelled at Rakshit who was the same age as him, they had their birthdays on the same day which made them almost twins, though with different genes but the same parents.
Harshvardhan Chouhan and Rashi Chauhan were his only parents, the ones he knew until a few years back. They were considered twins by the world, though the truth was what shattered his world.
Not thinking back to those memories which he had deposited somewhere back in his mind, he focused back on the gibberish he could hear from the call. All the people spoke at once which made him roll his eyes and hang up.
He will be meeting that brother of his and clear the mess he is creating.
He searched for her phone and made a call to her manager.
"Hello?" It was a man instead of Nitya who he had known.
"Farhan?" He guessed.
"Yes, speaking but where is Uttara and why are you calling from her cell, Mr. Chauhan?"
His jaw slackened.
"She is Mrs. Chauhan for you and I can call from her phone seeing I'm her husband." His words were met with a silent apology "Ask Nitya to postpone whatever schedule my wife has for the next 48 hours. She is not coming to work."
"But, why? Is she okay?"
He glared at her sleeping form for working with him. "48 hours, Farhan. No work calls."
He hung up and blocked the two numbers belonging to her staff.
She was an idiot to term 103° Fahrenheit as light fever.
Another call and he was ready to lash out at the caller but calmed hearing the words laced with worry and panic.
"Mrs. Sharma, I'll be there in another 40 minutes." He instructed and the call disconnected.
He stared at her sleeping form, rubbing his temple for a plan.
He placed the file he required in his car before he returned back to the house and scooped her sleeping form and locking behind him to leave.
He settled her gently in his car and made her wear a seat belt. Pushing her hair back he adjusted her tank top and covered her with the blanket.
Rounding the car, he settled inside and started driving in the gentlest possible manner to not disturb her.
Once reaching the hospital he repeated the same, this time hiding her face in his neck to not let anyone catch her. Being a celebrity was hard on his wife already, making headlines for being caught unconscious would make it more difficult.
Once in the confines of his cabin, he rested her on the recliner she always napped on, it had become her favorite which was a reason he hasn't got rid of it.
Her entire frame was snuggled into the blanket as she slept herself back to health while he came and went back from his checkups.
He prohibited his staff from disturbing her if they entered, mostly they were prohibited.
He closed his eyes and rested his head on his desk when he felt movements, fingers touching his pinky finger when he knew she was up.
"You are up?" he turned his head towards her, still laying on his arms, his eyes questioning her smile as she watched him.
Her eyes turned misty.
"Are you in pain?" He probed with concern lacing his tone.
She gently shook her head.
"What happened?" He asked holding her hand and pulling her closer as he sat back.
A tear escaped as her smile widened.
"You worry about me."