Eight years later
.......................
In the darkness, Radhika looked ravishing in the red lingerie as she stood in the middle of the room, moonlight reflecting on her tantalizing curves and her smooth, deep, soft cleavage. She giggled and blew him a kiss, swaying her hips slightly to the music in a drunken haze.
“Why are you hesitating, my love?” she purred as she caressed the back of James Martin, the Managing Director of Brown company, her fingers lingering on his neck.
“Which wine bottle can open without some lusty turning?” he asked, the forty year old already married man looked at her, licking his lips in sweet anticipation.
Radhika tilted her head to one side and moved towards the side table, “Maybe it requires some time with a beautiful woman, these shameless bottles open quaintly even with a very rusty opener provided it’s on the top,” she smiled seductively as she fingered the phone lying on the table.
“You seem to be very sure of your gender,” he chuckled and poured the wine in two glasses.
She glided towards him and accepted the glass, “I will let you be the judge,” she smiled and winked.
“You’re most kind,” James Martin groaned and held her delicately by her waist, his lips kissing her neck.
“You hardly know what I am capable of, Mr. Martin,” she replied and in a quick gesture, lifted her short laced skirt from the hem, pulling up to her waist.
It was a shockingly lewd movement, but more shocking for what was revealed.
James Martin gasped loudly and cursed heatedly, as he saw the pistol strapped to her thighs.
“James Martin, you’re hereby arrested on charges of espionage against your own Brown Company and indulging in insider trading, over to you gentlemen,” Radhika chimed as men in uniform swarmed the room, she looked at the head inspector, accepted the coat to cover her scantily-clad body.
“Here is all the evidence,” Radhika said as she handed him James Martin’s mobile and a pen drive.
“Thank you, ma’am. We’re very grateful,” the police inspector saluted her.
She smiled, took two intimidating steps and stopped, “Just, remember to send me the cheque on time,” with that she walked out through the hotel room.
***************
Radhika stood near the mirror as she clasped her bra. She was just running on time. Her ever functioning mind zoomed on the current issue bothering the entire organization which she co-headed.
She was happy with her job yesterday and couldn’t wait for her assignment. It always brought a thrill of challenge that she simply loved. Radhika Verma was content with what she had achieved. It could not be termed as a minor achievement.
Her parents were based in New York, only she remained in their home country and town in New Delhi. She had struggled hard to qualify for the prestigious UN Civil Services- a responsible, demanding job.
But, was not content with the job, it did not manage to tickle her nerve cells. She wanted more; she knew she could do more.
Hence, a window of opportunity presented itself to her, she was to offer her services, intellectually oriented towards specific cases which were secretive in nature and not for public consumption. She was made an officer in the coveted Special UN Services where she provided her services on account of payment. It was an integral part of the UN regional office but her work was usually outsourced.
She performed the job of a political mercenary. She was a famed personality especially in a profession where women were still struggling ,she was already a name to reckon with.
Radhika got out of her car. She was attractive with her long, graceful legs that looked elegant in her knee length, flared skirt.
She smiled at the guard as he swiped her id to let her gain entry to the building.
Intelligent, witty, smart; her curriculum vitae echoed her more than required qualifications. When she entered a building, the top executive knew someone, somewhere was in deep trouble and she was the angel who acted as the savior, salvaging the ship complete with its crew.
Radhika and her team was the master of damage control.
A job that meant she was far too busy to build a relationship with anyone. She anyways did not have time or thoughts for love.
As she entered the high profile UN building, the employees turned to cast a cursory glance at her.
She was known to be woman of steel who had no place for emotions where her work was concerned, a perfectionist who naturally attracted attention without so much demanding the same. Anyone who saw her could feel an aura of confidence mingled with a sense of achievement emitting from her persona.
Her simple appearance encaged beautifully in that prime, full, slim body never failed to capture the eye of the beholder. She could not be said to be a pristine goddess but accorded a beauty that never overshadowed her work arena but enhanced its appeal.
Radhika greeted the regional director's fifty year old secretary affectionately.
"Hey, Sonia. I was ordered to be here for the eight am meeting, had to cut down on my run," Radhika sighed rather dramatically as she perched herself daintily on her desk and brushed her long hair out of her eyes.
Sonia peered at her through her rim glasses," Awe. I sympathize with you. I would be mega angry too if I missed my hottie man- ogling time."
"Oh, Sonia. That cutie usually jogs by my house at quarter to eight and here I am today expected to work without getting my doze of hotness," she put her hand on her heart and moaned.
Sonia laughed, “Go on, ma'am. The lion is waiting for you. Something tells me your penchant for hotness will be satisfied today."
Radhika narrowed her eyes, “Why so cryptic? Do explain."
"Shoo. Go," Sonia winked at her as she added," Let it be a pleasant surprise."
Radhika rolled her eyes playfully as she stood up, adjusted her skirt and knocked on Mr. Mathur Arora's door.
Mr. Mathur was a congenial man in his late sixties. His experience was worthy enough to be penned down in a biography but as he claimed he would resist the temptation of giving its readers sporadic nerve attacks.
His chequered career was filled with managing countless scandals that always seemingly involved high ended politicians. Mr. Mathur was a man respected for his efficiency and no nonsense attitude as laughed at for his bad jokes which were found hilarious only by him.
As she was ushered inside, Radhika felt her senses on alert. A sensation which she could not relate to as anxiety or fear came to overshadow her mental capacity.
Radhika had always trusted her instincts, now honed by experience she wasn’t the one to go against them. They had served her well.
She brushed the thought away as she walked up to the director's long mahogany table.
"Sit down, Radhika. We are trying to defuse a grave situation. You have been summoned here to convince a man who in himself is an empire, to stop his adamant nature with respect to halting of oil in the market."
Radhika folded her hands as she thought, Well, hello to you too, Mr Mathur and looked at him," Surely, a single man cannot be such a cause of concern?"
Mathur stood from his seat as he moved towards the side window, he leaned on it and said," I can understand your logic but this man controls the biggest oil fields in Saudi Arabia and is known to be a close confidante of the king. He can single handedly stop the entire cargo and you know the implications."
Radhika swirled around in her seat,” One man wielding that kind of power. It's surreal. Why haven't we heard of him till now?"
"You know these fellas; they don't like to garner much publicity. The less they are in public domain, the lesser is the knowledge about them and better it is for them."
"But did he even think of the ramifications this action of his would have not only in developing nations but it would pull the world economy down with unnecessary shortage, direct effect on the general price level, inflation. The agricultural sectors of high-income countries, which are relatively energy intensive, would suffer more from rising oil prices than would those in lower-income countries, whereas the reverse is true for the impacts across manufacturing sectors. The negative impacts will be nearly devastating especially strong for oil importers with relatively energy-intensive manufacturing and trade, such as India and China," Radhika murmured.
“Do not forget the recent trend of quantative easing,” Mathur said somberly.
Radhika nodded her head,” Of course, that will simply drive the investors into hard assets.”
"Creating a near crisis situation for all of us. Today, Oil is power, Radhika and that is why you're here. He is going to be here in ten minutes. I want you on this project. No questions asked."
Wow. Thank you, Mr. Mathur for giving me a choice, she thought as she closed her eyes and addressed him. "Project? What am I supposed to do? Engage in espionage? Or another seduction?" Radhika opened her eyes and laughed at the absurdity of the thought.
Mr. Mathur looked at her straight in the eye," You're my most trust-worthy comrade here; your credentials are up to the mark. With your degree in International Relations, no one can doubt your capability. I don't care what you do but find out the answer. What is he hiding? Why is he engaging in such a practice? Is it a black marketing technique? Does he have an ulterior motive?"
Radhika was not known to back away from a challenge," I will be on it. May I know who this delicious cad is though?"
A voice full of command and authority spoke from somewhere behind her," I hope, you’re talking about me.”
That voice, it simply penetrated through her very pores, gliding, over-powering her senses.
Panic fluttered in her stomach, rising and spreading quickly throughout her body, setting her heart thudding and her pulse racing. Radhika needed her strength; she could not allow herself to crumble, not yet. She could not allow those shameful, hurtful memories to surface, those that she had buried deep long back.
She shook her head as tingling goose bumps erupted on her arms. It might have been eight years since she had last seen him, but she had recognized him immediately.
Impossible for her not to do so when his features were painfully etched deep in her heart. So deep and so poisonous that even now those wounds had not healed. The pain of abandonment, the hurt of bleeding was as fresh as the day it all had happened. She tried hard to bottle her emotions but this unexpected encounter seemed to have turned her thoughts into mere jelly. She sighed and drew a long breath.
Radhika's countenance seemed to almost fail her as her stomach churned when she saw his far too handsome, too arrogant, aristocratic male profile. His lips curled and twisted into a smile of disdain as he looked at her.
There he stood; her past, her Arjun Khanna.