AADISH's POV
I walk straight towards my office, totally ignoring my phone that continues to blow up with calls from people who want answers. Because they are not the ones I want to talk to.
She hasn't called me till now. It makes me mad, frustrated and sad at the same time. I am like a teenager waiting for a girl to call, while she continues to ignore him.
The voices of people around me are just a dull blur in the background. My sole focus is on the screen in front of me, hoping for it to light up with a very familiar nickname.
And when it does, my body goes cold and my heart pounds in my chest.
Motioning with my fingers, I ask my secretary, Shefali and her assistant Riddhima to leave.
I answer the call and put it on my right ear.
"Hey!" I say, trying my best to mask my nervousness.
When she greets I can hear the slight tremble in her voice and the sniffling of her nose. Panic rises in my chest making my blood flow faster in my veins.
"Vanie, are you crying?"
"I'm not Vanie," she says.
My forehead creases with confusion. Even though I know exactly what she means, how can I call her Roses.
"I am you Roses, Aadi. You can't take that away from me."
The helplessness in her voice renders me speechless for a second. My throat tightens and my heart flutters in my chest.
"I know. It's just that last time I called you that, you didn't react well." I tell her.
The line is silent for a few seconds, but not completely silent. I can hear her snivels through the speaker. And then she breaks the silence to apologise.
The hurt, the pain, the regret and the guilt reflects clearly in her voice. The thing about people who wear their heart on their sleeves is that you can always know what their intentions are.
We continue to talk, she tells me why the video made her upset and I listen patiently even though I know exactly why it hurt her the way it did.
This is something I have learnt from my own insecurities. We all have triggers, triggers that push us to do terrible things. For me it was accepting that love is true and that I could actually love someone. And for her it was thinking that no one will love her for just being her, for just existing. For her it was having to buy someone's love.
If I hadn't witnessed how her parents treated her all these years, as she had to prove her worth or bring something to the table to be loved, I wouldn't have understood her reaction at all. But I was there all along, a silent spectator. I needed her to know what she meant to me, even if that meant losing my clients, company's stocks or money.
She is more important. She always has been.
But I just can't get myself to call her Roses again. It's like the name sits on the tip of my tongue but I can't get it out, so I swallow it back.
And when she tells me that she misses me, a plethora of emotions fill my chest. This statement doesn't even begin to describe the feelings I have. I have craved her, her soothing voice and the warmth of her body.
That video was carefully extracted to portray me in a bad light. And I will never forget Sidya, the fucking wild cat, for it.
When she asks to meet me, every cell in my body screams at me and asks me to say yes. But I can't. There are certain obligations I have to my company and my people. They deserve answers.
So instead I make the promise to meet her tomorrow at the rosarium.
Once the call ends the feeling of hollowness and emptiness fills my chest. I wanted to continue to talk to her, to hear her voice. I have yearned so long for it.
I am not letting her get away with leaving me this quickly. I might not have the power or strength to stay mad at her, but I have my ways of making her repay. Ways that I will like a little too much.
I press the palms of my hand against the table and push the chair back. An exhausted breath leaves my lips as a throbbing pain seeps through my forehead. I press my fingers along my temples, trying to massage and make the pain go away.
The intercom in my office buzzes, and Shefali's panic filled voice echoes in the room. "Mr. Arya, the board of directors, is here. All of them are requesting to see you immediately."
I knew this was coming.
Since I took over the company, our profits and sales have increased. The board has always supported most of my decisions, barely questioned my abilities, because even they knew I was taught by the best.
My father might have been an absent parent, but he was an excellent mentor.
Everyone thinks this was a rash decision, something I did out of desperation to have her back. It might have stemmed as an impulsive decision, but then I had the vision. I have all the answers to their questions. They just need to have the patience to let me execute them well.
I walk towards the door of my office. Pausing right before it, I take a deep breath and straighten my suit, then I twist the door knob and walk out.
Shefali looks up from her desk, while she continues to talk on the phone. She extends her left arm forward and points towards the elevator and mouths, "three."
I jut my chin out, and head towards the conference room no. 3.
As soon as I step into the room, all 10 heads turn towards the door and shoot me death glares. My eyes look around the room and I see my father, the president of the company, sitting in his usual chair with his hand on his forehead.
They all must have targeted him with their questions.
But where's Avinash?
He should have taken over in my absence.
My eyes search for Avinash around the table, but he isn't there. Maybe he is still handling the media.
I walk towards the centre of the room, and take the head chair casually, like their gazes aren't bothering me. I study their eyes, the dilemma blooming freely in them. I keep my mouth shut and wait for them to initiate the conversation.
While most of them were in favour of me taking up as the CEO, there were a few who voted against me.
I turn my seat towards them and watch the opportunity shining in their eyes. Three of them sit adjacent to each other, ready to bring me down with their questions.
One of them twists his head to the left, lays it on his shoulder like a psycho and breaks the silence, "it's hardly been 30 minutes and our company's stocks are already falling down, a few of our investors are questioning your motives and I don't think they will stay." He moves his hand in the air, looking for people to support him. "It's clear it was a wrong decision, with an even worse execution. You could have at least discussed it with the board, or do you not respect us?" He raises his eyebrow.
My lips automatically turn into a little smile. I love nothing more than proving people wrong. I sit quietly, maintaining my demeanour. I move my eyes along the table, waiting for more questions and accusations.
"Things were finally getting settled. We had ended months of dispute with this deal. Our clients were beginning to trust us and our originality again. We assume you had a reason," Mrs. Singhania says. She is the wisest on our team and has the patience of a saint. The way this woman's mind works boggles me.
"Don't tell us it was just some stupid power move," Mr. Singhania, her husband, says.
I don't answer. I recline back in the chair, and wait for more of them to speak.
I carefully observe everyone's expressions. Some of them are doing an excellent job at masking their emotions. They appear completely neutral, like there isn't a huge turmoil in front of them. And some of them show their distrust right on their faces.
"This is why we voted against him. He isn't mature enough to be a CEO. Just because his father—-."
The moment the word father rolls off his tongue I cut him off with a bang on the table. I turn the chair back in his direction to meet his eyes. He thinks I am sitting here because it's my father's legacy, but what does this asshole know?
Even as a teenager my father made me work at this company as an employee. Every vacation, after my visit to London to meet Rooh, was spent here. I had earned this position, unlike some.
"You voted against me, because you had ulterior motives that benefited you. If I don't say it out loud doesn't mean I don't know." I stand up from the chair and walk towards him. Placing my hands on the table, I bend down and look straight into his eyes. I watch the fear flash in his eyes. He is thinking of every possible crime he has committed till now. From stealing a pen to jeopardising his own relationship by running an affair with his secretary and then promising to vote against me to hide his affair. I know it all.
"Mr. Arya, he is right in asking you for answers. Everyone must be held accountable for their actions, even the CEO," Mrs. Singhania says.
Straight to the point. And this is why I respect her the most.
I step back. My eyes search for my father. He sits in his chair, his expressions blooming with curiosity and eyes following my every movement.
He is waiting for my response.
"The deal was no solution to the problem." My eyes stare back at my father's, making sure he hears this. He had already signed the deal. I had no option. This might have been a trick both my parents pulled to unite me and Vanie, but as a deal it was meant to tank since the beginning.
"They stole our hard work, and agreeing to collaborate was like giving in to them, accepting our defeat. Now that we have finally fired the traitors who leaked the information, we don't have to worry about them stealing our projects anymore," I state.
"Cancelling the deal must have set us two steps back, but it's all going to work out. When the clients see their incompetence to do it without us, all our clients will come crawling back to us. Our designs, and the mechanics we use are one of the best. No one can replicate them." I am confident because I have spent every waking hour working for it. I have built myself and my style from the ground zero.
I was never in favour of the deal. It was my father who signed it, and I couldn't back off. I have to agree it did help us grow, considering our own people were working against us right under our noses. And it was the only option to keep our clients and investors. But when the deal started to cost me more than just our clients and investors, I knew I had to back off.
Calling off such a deal will cost me a lot more than just money. But as long as I have Vanie, I know it will work out.
Because no loss is greater than losing her.
All the directors look towards each other, as a silent conversation takes place between them. They all take their time and then finally Mr. Nagrale stands up. "We are trusting you. You have time till the next board meeting to clear this mess. Get the investors, clients and the reputation we hold back. We need to see the profits."
He looks down and picks his phone from the table.
Considering this was an impromptu meeting, everyone is in a hurry to get back. All of them begin to push their chairs back and head towards the door, except Mr. Nagrale.
Mr. Nagrale is the oldest and most respected person on the board. He was here when my father started and he was here when I took over. He has seen the company go through all the phases.
The room empties one by one, and my father leaves too. And now it's only me and Mr. Nagrale in the room. I wait for him to say something.
After a few seconds he finally looks up from the screen. "I appreciate what you did for your wife today. You proved that you are worthy of having her. Family should always come first and I hope you will find a way to prove your worth as a CEO as well."
I will.
***********************
After hours of continuous working and addressing issues, I am finally free. It's time to go home. Even though that place doesn't feel home without her, it's the hope that she will be here tomorrow that keeps me moving.
I take out my phone. I haven't checked it since my phone call with Vanie. My eyes immediately ignore all the other notifications, and start searching for her name in the notification bar. The moment I spot it, I feel a very familiar feeling in my chest. This rush of emotions only happens when I am around her.
I tap on the notification, and it leads to her chat.
She has left me several messages.
Roses:- Meet me at 7:00 AM. I even arranged the cycles😉.
Roses:- How did you even find such a pretty place so far away from the city?
Roses:- You know it's perfect for cycling, there is barely any traffic there.
Roses:- Don't be late, okay?
Roses:- And you can't be mad at me. Are you?
Roses:- I can't fall asleep Aadi, where are you?
My lips automatically turn into a content smile.
I have missed this.
Without her random strings of text, my phone feels empty to me, like there is no life. This is what she does, she makes my life worth living.
The last message was sent about an hour ago and it makes me regret not checking my phone sooner.
Me:- I will be there.
Me:- Just how I found you, fate
Me:- It's the perfect place for plenty of things, considering no one ever visits it. I will show you😉.
Me:- It's you who is always late.
Me:- I won't be after tomorrow.
Me:- Good, now think about what you did.
I make sure to reply to all her texts one by one. Also ensuring to tease her through my answers.
*******************
I wake up when the warm rays of light hit my face. One of my legs hang down the sofa, while the other is twisted in a weird position. I haven't entered the room since she left. The room belongs to us, this place belongs to us and there is no way I will sleep in that bed without her.
I turn my head a little to the watch that hangs down the wall. It's currently 4:30 AM. No matter how tired I am, the melatonin in my body does its job perfectly of waking me up at the same hour every day.
I stretch my neck a little. It's sore from lying on the arm of the sofa. I look around, the house feels a little less gloomy like it can sense that she will be coming back today.
I spend the next 45 minutes catching up with the emails from our international clients. Once I am caught up I head towards the washroom just down the hallway. After bathing I get dressed in a simple grey t-shirt with black sweatpants.
I have already informed Shefali that I will be a little late today. I make a mental note to give her the next two days off. She has worked way too hard in the last one month.
I grab the keys to my car and head towards the garage.
While driving my brain continues to dream about her. All I can think of is her being in my arms. I think of all the ways I want her to make her pay, and just thinking about it makes me hard.
I adjust uncomfortably in the seat. I will make her regret walking out on me like this.
The rosarium is located outside the city. It's a long drive. I should have asked her to drive together, but I assumed she was already sleeping when I texted her back last night and got no reply. So, I simply let go of the idea of calling her.
As soon as I reach the rosarium I hurry to get out of the car and head towards the gate. It's a huge garden, filled with all sorts of roses and fountains. It was built as an escape from the city, where families could come for a picnic, but unfortunately the idea wasn't executed well.
The man who owns this works with my company. He owns several restaurants, resorts, tourist spots, hotels and theme parks all over the country. We have helped them several times by providing them one of the best electronics and devices. The designs our company makes cannot be replicated, but only stolen.
Last year when I helped them get the most advanced technology and the best equipment for their inbuilt private suits on such a short notice, he said he owed me one. And I am not the type to keep hanging favours, so I grabbed it at the first chance I got.
I asked him to let me use this place whenever I want, without any restrictions. This was the least he could do for me when I ensured that the technology at his suits was superior to everyone else's'.
This place could have made a great hangout spot, but soon after building it he realised how much this place lacks. There is no market near it, this place is completely cut from the main city. And when it got too much work for him, he abandoned the project. And now this place is reserved for secret hangouts by celebrities when they want to avoid the Paparazzi. And he charges all of them a hefty sum, but not me.
I walk in and take out my phone from my pocket.
I didn't see her car when I arrived, which means she still isn't here yet. I check the time on my watch while the bell rings, 7:02 AM. She is late. I smirk. More things to punish her for. The bell rings and rings, but she doesn't pick.
My forehead creases.
This is strange.
Maybe she is on her way here and doesn't want to answer the call while driving.
She is always the one to follow the rules after all.
I should wait before I call her again.
I start pacing nervously around the gate, hoping to hear the voice of tires screeching, but the sound doesn't come. When I run out of patience waiting for her, I finally decide to call her again.
She doesn't answer.
Panic builds in my chest, my limbs start feeling heavy, palms begin to sweat, eyes burn and a mountain of worry sits on my chest.
I run my fingers through my air as I bring my wrist forward to see the time on my digital watch. 7:59 AM.
"Fuck it." I rush out of the rosarium.
I head towards my car. Once I am in the car I drive as fast as I can. This is a one way road and driving so recklessly can lead to a deadly accident, but I don't care. I need to know where she is. She is always up by now, and even if she was running late she should have dropped a message.
Maybe I am freaking out for nothing, she must have just slept in.
It's a possibility, after what we have been through since the last few days, it is a completely acceptable explanation.
Despite the explanations I give to myself, my heart continues to pound in my chest. Like it knows something bad awaits me.
No.
No.
Be positive.
What if she got into an accident?
Fuck. This can't happen. I can never see....
No. Stop. Don't dwell on that, I tell myself.
I keep a look out for any accident, or any sign of the same, just for safety.
Please God, let her be safe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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