Here's another update...
Your votes and comments motivated me to write this chapter sooner than I had thought.
Happy reading!
Mridula's POV
"I am glad that you came along with me, Mridula!" Meera commented as she stepped away after hugging me. It had been almost a month since that incident in Meera's office. And it had been almost a week since Meera and I had arrived in this small yet welcoming village near Jaipur.
Meera's new project was about some development project in this village by a private trust. And this project required Meera to visit this place. Anika and I both wanted to accompany her but Anika's schedule didn't allow her to join us.
This past week has been peaceful. This village is more developed than I had hoped and the people are homely and quite hospitable.
But this was my last day here and I was about to go back to Delhi.
I opened my mouth to tell her that I could stay here with her but she beat me to it. Meera pointed at the taxi driver and said,
"He will take you back to Delhi and then the airport, you have a flight to catch the next morning!"
I glanced once at the driver then back at her. My phone rang inside my bag and I huffed an agitated breath as I took it out. The networks were a little weak here but sometimes it worked fine. Just like this time!
The screen lit up and I was taken aback from the name that flashed on it.
Uday Shekhawat
Why is he calling me now? I haven't even talked about him for the past month and Vaibhav was the happiest about it.
I cut the call and looked away to my friend.
Before I could try to ask her to accompany me on my trip to France. The phone rang again.
"Who is it?" I heard Meera ask. The driver kept my two suitcases inside the car trunk. I don't usually travel with this much luggages. But I might have lied to my mom and told her that I was in France...hence my clothes for about a month's long vacation.
"No one!" I started as I reached for the door handle but turned around to face her. Meera was getting back to her old self. She does feel dejected from time to time but Anika and I help her keep her spirits up. I hugged her briefly and then got in the car.
"Have fun on your vacation, Mridula!" Meera said as I rolled down the window of the taxi. I nodded as I gave her a smile.
The driver got in and started the car. I leaned back against the car seat after I waved goodbye to Meera.
The ring of my phone pestered me again. I groaned in frustration as I read his name again. This man!
In annoyance, I picked up the call.
"What?"
There was a brief silence before I heard him. "If you wouldn't have picked up my call this time, I would have had to come and get you myself, Princess!"
His tone was laced with a little frustration.
"What do you want?" I spoke each word slowly so that he would know that I am not in a mood to joke, especially not with a man I hate!
"I need your help." He replied gravely.
"My help!" Not believing him a bit.
"Yes, I need your legal advice. Can you come to meet me?"
Legal advice. So, not personal!
"But I am not in Delhi." I said not denying my help to him directly.
"I know. My place is not far from where you are."
How did he know where I was? I looked at the almost empty narrow road that will soon lead to the highway. All of a sudden, this place started feeling eerie!
"This is important, Mridula. It's about my father!" My ears perked up at the mention of Uncle.
I cleared my throat in hopes that I don't regret this decision in the future.
"I don't know the address to your place."
"Give the phone to the driver!"
"Okay!"
I forwarded the phone to the driver who looked back at me a little confused.
"Ji!" [Yes!]
He was silently listening before I heard him. It wasn't Uday who was talking from the other end.
"Yeh unki mehman hai?" [She is his guest?]
He glanced back at me with wide eyes. "Khas mehman..." [Special guest]
I think someone said something else because of his next reply.
"Ji, mein inhe waha le aaunga!" [Okay, I will bring her there]
He gave back the phone and glanced back at me with a newfound respect and maybe...just maybe fear!
I sighed as the car took a turn away from the highway road and to the opposite side.
About twenty minutes later, we were pulling to a small yet majestic palace. The gates drew open and the car soon drove the elevated driveway and stopped in front of the main entrance.
I glanced around to find the place highly guarded. I had noticed four guards on the front gate and two were standing by the entrance of the palace.
Someone opened the door of the car for me. I glanced up, hoping to find Uday there. But I was greeted by another person. A man who I had seen somewhere and then I remembered that I had seen him trailing behind Uday that day, on my first day with Vaibhav.
"I am Yuvraj's PA Gaurav." I nodded in acknowledgement, taking my time to study him as I got out of the car. He might be a year older than me but his expressions were just like his Yuvraj, stoic!
Speaking of him, where is he?
"Where is he?" I asked him without waiting a second. I know that I would have to take another flight because I definitely miss this one but that does not mean that I want to stay here longer than needed.
"You'll meet him soon!" He was curt with his reply and then he turned his attention to the taxi driver.
Gaurav ordered him to leave my suitcases here and leave.
"What do you think you are doing?" I questioned him while sort of threatening the driver with my eyes.
"Yuvraj said that he will personally drop you off to Delhi." He replied.
"Well, I don't want that!" I turned to talk to the driver but Gaurav dismissed him before I could do that.
I looked at him with annoyance.
"You can fight over this with Yuvraj!" He then held open the door for me to walk in.
The prospect of hitting Uday seemed all the more alluring at the moment!
I took in the interior of the place. Although it seemed like a Rajasthani building, it was devoid of color from the inside. The decorations were minimal but beautiful and elegant at the same time.
"Kesar will take you to Yuvraj!" Gaurav said as a young woman walked up to us. She politely smiled at my direction and I gave her a small smile.
And she turned around, starting to lead the way. We crossed a long hallway that led to a staircase at the end of it and soon we reached the first floor. She opened the door on the left side to a lovely room. The color scheme was blush pink and white with cream colored furniture.
Kesar walked in while opening the door wider. There was a big window at the right side of the bed and two other doors.
I let my eyes scan through the room and then my gaze fell on a note that was placed on the low rise table. I picked it up and read the handwritten note.
Dear Mridula,
Caught up in an important issue that requires my urgent attention. But make yourself at home while you wait for me!
Signed
Uday
I turned around to face Kesar, who stared back at me with dreadful eyes.
"He is not here...He called me as if it was some emergency and he is not here!"
"Yuvraj will be here soon!" She said with downcast eyes.
I huffed at her words as I made my way to the sofa. The audacity of this man!
I slumped down on it while placing my handbag beside me.
"Do you need anything else?" She asked with her hands fastened together.
"Yes...!" Her eyes lit up at the prospect of helping me.
"For your Yuvraj to be here!"
~~~~~~
It had been more than two hours of me scrolling through my Instagram feed. Where is this man?
My eyes were burning and I yawned with tiredness. I looked around for a power socket and found it closer to a high table placed against a wall. I quickly plugged in my phone and stood there while checking my emails.
I heard faint footsteps and they only got louder. And after a knock, the door pushed open to show me the man of the hour!
I placed the phone face down on the table and crossed my arms around my chest.
He glanced at my direction and his eyes seemed to warm at my sight. But I might be imagining things because of my tiredness. He pranced in the room and I let myself observe his outfit. He wasn't in his normal business suits but a casual white shirt and gray dress pants.
He stopped short by some steps and gave me a look over. I was wearing a pink leheriya kurta with dark blue skinny jeans. My arms fell down to my side as I felt his eyes all over me, not wanting to acknowledge the warmth I felt in my chest.
"Look who decided to show up!" I said, wanting to bring his attention back to my face.
"Let's go...we have a lot to discuss!" His eyes shone with interest as he reached out to hold my hand. But before he could touch me, I pulled back away from his reach.
I heard him sigh.
"I forgot that you are another man's girlfriend." I just kept staring at him. He glanced around the room and his eyes stopped on the table behind me where my phone was.
He turned around and I swear I heard the correct words.
"But not for long!"
~~~~~~
I looked across his office desk, waiting for him to finally get down to business. I was eager to know what he needed my help for!
"Some time back, someone tried to attack my father..." He said pensively with his eyes trained on me.
"Did he get hurt?" I questioned softly. He shook his head once and relief washed over me.
"We caught the man before he could do something unfortunate." His eyes showed a hint of fear in them but then they were back to his normal serious ones.
"After some questioning, he told us who was behind the attack. Do you think we should report him?"
What sort of a question is that?
"Of course, you should report him...! The person should get punished at the earliest!" I stated. A little stunned as to why that was even a question.
"He is an influential person, Mridula!"
"To hell with that...being influential does not mean that he can get away with planning to murder someone!"
He gave me a small expected smile as if he knew what my answer would be.
"So, what do you advise?"
"Let everyone know how awful that person is...and if he is influential, there is nothing he wouldn't value more than his public image!"
He nodded and then picked his phone, quickly typing in a message. Soon, a knock echoed through the office. I turned back to find a man entering the room slowly with his head held low.
I faced Uday again with questioning eyes.
"He is the one who was sent to kill my father!" The man stopped at the side of Uday's desk. He fearfully looked at Uday but didn't even glance at my direction.
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Uday urged me. My gaze bounced between them once before it settled on the man in question.
"Who paid you to hurt Dhanraj Uncle?"
The man remained silent for a few seconds and then stared up at me.
"Vaibhav Rajawat!"
The unexpected name left me speechless for a minute.
Panic rose in me as I stood up while shifting my attention to the man.
"That's not possible...You are lying!" I yelled at him, who lowered his gaze but kept quiet...not changing his answer.
I turned to Uday. His eyes showed concern.
I huffed humorlessly. "You are behind this...You are setting him up because of your rivalry!"
"I am not." He answered calmly.
"His words wouldn't prove anything...unless..." I stared at Uday, not wanting to hear what he would say next.
"We have enough proof...His confession and his meeting with Vaibhav's secretary...And you should know that one statement can..."
"...can change the entire verdict of the case...I know!" I slumped down the chair, trying to work my brain to find a way out of this.
Uday gestured to the man to leave and that's when I noticed that he was limping slightly.
The word 'why' kept on echoing inside my head. Why would he stoop to the level of plotting to end someone's life?
Why would he do that? Why would he want to get Dhanraj Shekhawat killed...because of his rivalry with Uday...
"No one will want to associate with him after this news gets out!" Uday said with a vindictive smirk on his face.
"I wonder what his father would say...I heard he doesn't like his son much and after this he will probably hate him..." I recollected what Vaibhav had said about his relationship with his father. His strained relationship with him. I still can't wrap around my head with the fact that he is behind all of this...but the proof.
"As much as ruining his public image sounds interesting, I don't want that!" Uday words brought me back to the present.
I waited for him to continue. "I wouldn't report him!"
"Why?"
"I can be generous and forgiving!"
"So, you'll settle this outside the court?" He nodded at my question.
"Wouldn't you ask me what I want, Princess?" He questioned.
"What do you want, Uday?" He leaned forward as if it really mattered to him that I paid attention to his next few lines.
"What I always wanted and still want..."
He looked at me as he was staring deep at my soul.
"You!"