Abhimanyu went straight to office after his flight landed at Mumbai International Airport. His flight was late by an hour, so he reached office at 11:30 am instead. All the employees who sat in the ninth floor of his office, were in their work stations working on their computers. He was greeted with a warm smile by his PA as he walked inside through access door. He returned an equally warm smile and walked on to his office.
Shanaya was busy working in her cubicle, and Manoj was standing there facing Abhimanyu's office at the partition of Arun's cubicle next to hers, discussing some bug that Arun was having difficulty fixing. Shanaya was expecting Abhimanyu in office anytime then. When she knew he was in aisle behind her, her stomach muscles constricted, and her heart started pounding as if it'll fall out. She tried hard to focus on her monitor.
Manoj noticed Shanaya get all uncomfortable with Abhimanyu's arrival. Abhimanyu was next to his office door.
Manoj: Hey, Abhimanyu! How was the trip?
Abhimanyu: It was very good Manoj. He looked at him and told, and then went into his office.
Shanaya heard his voice, and turned red. Her whole body burnt. She didn't know how she will be able to see him now. Last time she saw him, he was naked in bed. How was she going to look and talk with him now without any thoughts from the night. She sensed Manoj's eyes watching her, she immediately got up and walked to restroom to calm her body and brain.
Just then, the phone in her cubicle rang which Manoj picked.
Abhimanyu: Shanaya!
Manoj: Shanaya is not at her desk, Abhimanyu. I guess she went to the restrooms. You want me to tell her anything.
Abhimanyu: No, thank you Manoj. I'll call back again.
From Shanaya's uncomfortable body language in his presence to the way she focused too hard on her monitor which meant she wasn't focusing at all, he could so tell that Abhimanyu got her in his bed. Then, the way Abhimanyu took a glance at her back, before going into his office, and then immediately called her, it only confirmed that his suspicion was right.
She felt so shy to see him now. She didn't know how she was supposed to behave and talk normal after all that. She knew he was going to talk to her, but she didn't want him to talk about it. She knew what was he going to talk, and she was just not in a mood to hear all that bull shit on how he was inebriated and it was a mistake, and he shouldn't have done that or how great it was and if she was open for it again.. whatever, she just didn't want any mention of that night.
As she was walking out of the restroom to her desk, after some fifteen minutes, her eyes stuck on an extremely beautiful girl at the access door. She saw Parveen opening it for her. She kept looking at her as she walked in. She thought she saw Katrina Kaif. Tall fair girl with model like long skinny arms and legs. Everybody turned to see her as the noise of her heels broke the silence of office. She looked hot in a short green color flowing dress, with spaghetti straps, and a skinny belt around her tiny waist. Manoj ogled at her and Shanaya kept looking at her as she walked to Abhimanyu's office.
Shanaya was almost near Abhimanyu's office , when she just opened his office door, and slammed it close.
Manoj: Looks like our Abhimanyu has a hot girlfriend, after all.
Shanaya heard it but she knew it wasn't like that because Abhimanyu told her he never had, and didn't have any girlfriend.
She was about to sit in her cubicle chair when Arun asked her if she can help him figure out the problem. So she stood next to him as she looked at his code with Manoj still standing at the cubicle partition watching them brain storm, and staring at Abhimanyu's door wondering what was going inside with that hot model inside his room.
Maya slammed the door of Abhimanyu's office close and he looked up his mac book.
Maya: Hello!Surprise! Surprise!
Abhimanyu: Oh! Maya! You really surprised me.
Maya: That was the whole plan. She went and hugged him in his chair.
Maya: C'mon! Let's go now. She pulled his hand to get him out of chair.
Abhimanyu: I have work to do Maya. I can't.
Maya: Alright. She dialed his mom on her cell.
Maya: Aunt, talk to Abhimanyu. She gave her cell to Abhimanyu and smiled.
Mom: What's it with you Abhimanyu? You are coming after almost two weeks and instead of coming home, you go to office.
Abhimanyu: I'll come and see you, after I finish an important work.
Mom: Maya's family is here with us, and we all are waiting for you to join us for lunch.
Abhimanyu: Mom, can I come little later? Really, I have something very urgent to do.
His dad took the phone from his mom.
Dad: My dear son, it's not bad to be workaholic, but ignoring family completely over work is not right. Putting personal life on back seat should have limits and you have already crossed all those limits. We all are waiting for you. Whatever work you have, you can do later. Anyways, you should never try to do things in rush. Come home with Maya, and have some family time with us over lunch. And then you can go back and do your work.
Abhimanyu: Okay, am coming home. See you soon, dad.
He decided to take his dad's advise to not do anything in rush. With Maya there, anyways he couldn't talk to Shanaya about it. Her flight was in evening, he could easily come back after lunch and then talk to her.
Maya opened the door and walked out with her hand around his waist."I missed you so much", she told Abhimanyu, clearly audible to to anyone in cubicles near his door. Shanaya was standing in Arun's cubicle with Manoj in front of her already staring at them , heard it, and her head automatically turned to see them. She saw her hand around his waist as they walked out the access door. Even Arun had turned to look at them.
Manoj: Lucky dude! God has blessed him with everything exceptional, looks, wealth, brains, to be able to play with three four girls at a time, and girls won't complaint. He said to Arun.
Arun : Jealous much!
Manoj: I mean, ya. Who wouldn't want to be in his shoes?
Arun: True that. But, don't forget, you are married. Your time to do all that is over.
Shanaya's reaction to their conversation was like men and their love for polygamy, but she was curious to know who that Katrina Kaif look alike with him was.
Shanaya suggested few things to Arun and then went back to her work. Manoj too left to his cabin after that. Soon most of the employees were out to lunch. Shanaya walked to Parveen.
Shanaya: That girl who came to Abhimanyu's office today looked like Katrina Kaif? Who was she, any idea?
Parveen: I have never seen her before. But I think she is Abhimanyu's girlfriend.
'Not possible', she told to herself.
Shanaya: Are you sure?
Parveen: I myself don't know. But today she called me and gave me her number to call her back on. She told she was in a nearby cafe and when her boyfriend Abhimanyu reached office from airport, I should give her a call since she wanted to surprise him.
But Abhimanyu said he never had one. How is that possible?
Shanaya: She looks like Katrina Kaif. I hope her name is not Katrina Kaif. She joked hoping Parveen would tell her name and she did.
Parveen: No. Her name is Maya Walia. That is what she told over phone. She said after smiling.
Shanaya chit chatted few other things before returning to her desktop. She googled," Maya Walia profiles". Then she filtered the profiles by Mumbai. There weren't many profiles after that and she could easily identify hers by her profile picture. She clicked on it to go to her facebook page and it was public. She went through the images and there she spotted her selfies with Abhimanyu. There were some five selfies with captions " On date with Abhimanyu"," On date with my boyfriend" and one was very recent ,just a few weeks before they went on a business trip with caption "On date with my hot Young Entrepreneur of the Year BF". Shanaya closed Maya's facebook page before others came after lunch.
She didn't know what to think. So many thoughts bombarding her brain at the same time. Abhimanyu has a girlfriend! Why did he lie to her about it? Why did he not tell her that he has a girlfriend? He slept with her despite a girlfriend, and he lied to her about not having a girlfriend all the time. Why? What's going on? She pressed her head.
All this while she thought he was into casual sex since he had no girlfriend. What to think now? He was one of those guys who have hot girlfriend and yet go around sleeping with other girls whenever they get an opportunity. Shit! She thought so high of him , and he turns out to be someone who cheats on his girlfriend left and right. Ufff..!!
'Okay, so he is a cheater who cheats on his hot girlfriend, but why did he lie to her about it when she told him the truth about the presence of someone in her life', she thought.
"No, no. It can't be", she shook her head as she thought.
Was it always his plan to get her into his bed? Is that why he didn't tell her about his girlfriend? Guys like hard to get girls and some especially like the thrill of getting the forbidden one. The way he fucked her with lust all night, it can't be ruled out that he had been wanting to do that for long.'How could he be so giving to girls in a casual sex, care about their pleasure more than his own. Isn't it always about one's own pleasure especially with strangers,' she had thought. He did with strangers in frat parties and then cheated on his girlfriend left and right. And if that is the way he fucked all the girls, like fucking them all night. Damn! He was a sex addict.
He didn't tell her about his girlfriend because he slowly wanted to drive her to his bed. It was all his plan, planned and designed flawlessly and executed successfully by him. He played his mind games with her. He didn't spare her. He loved his game of chess way too much.He played his game so well that she didn't even come to know when he made his move. She thought she was the one making moves to get herself into his bed. But her moves were only a part of his bigger move. He designed her to make those moves inside his game so that he can have the final laugh. Great player indeed. Of course, he always knew his game well. He did all his work before and then just waited for things to happen.
It was all becoming clear. It was not her seducing him. It was him doing all that subtly. Big game rule' If the girl is attracted to you, which is not hard when you are a Greek God' Ignore her first which he did in beginning when she joined, then give her lot of attention still maintaining you don't want her which he did when she started working with him, and then lead her in a way that she throws herself on you.
First time she went to his suite, he opened the door in an unbuttoned shirt. He subtly hinted her he was good in bed when he told her that he can do a good job in shower. Then he stood in a sexy pose in front of her singing the song from movie. He was the one seducing her from the beginning. He even invited her for a breakfast to the view of Eiffel tower in his room. Damn! he knew how she always took challenges so he subtly challenged her when he said only a very confident girl can carry a revealing dress like that and she was confident in that dress only because of his those words. All her moves were his echoes only that he was feeding her all the time with. He was training her like he did to Peter, he knew what to input in her head to get a desired output. He told her to live moments with that someone even if you can't get them for life. He told her how you must try everything to get what you want. When she came dressed like that after he showed her one in day it was a clear indication that she was interested in him and that's why she probably wore it, but instead of making any move he ignored her completely, because he didn't want to make the move and take the blame, but he must have been sure that if he ignored her she would get so desperate and will be the one to make her move and finally he would get what he wanted by making it look like it was all the way her and not him. He then ensured that he pleased her in such a way that she came running to him whenever he asked her and take her with him anywhere he liked. So he could have girlfriend in town and her outside town. 'Well played, Abhimanyu,' she said to herself.
But she was still so confused about the whole thing. 'No, but he didn't do anything, he didn't even touch her in the whole trip. It was her who was desperate to lose her virginity to him since she thought it was okay since she loved him and he was into casual sex and not in relationship with anyone. Had she not kissed him, they might have returned from the trip without anything between them. She couldn't decide which scenario was correct.
May be he cheated on his girlfriend only that one time with her because she threw herself on him, but because of his lie of no girlfriend, it felt as if it was always his plan and guy who has such plans has to be a regular cheater. If it wasn't any plan, and just a plain lie without any agenda, then it means he never even considered her a good enough friend to be honest to her about such a simple truth of his life. And it wouldn't change the fact that he cheated on his girlfriend with her, even if it was accidental. He cheated on his girlfriend and had sex with her all night. But then she was no different than him. She too did the same. She cheated her to be groom just before marriage to sleep with him. She didn't know who was the worst of them.
Abhimanyu reached home with Maya. He greeted Maya's and his parents in the living room. After the usual chit chat on work, business and his trip they sat at dining to eat their lunch. After lunch, everyone sat in the living with their bowls of sweet dish. Maya and Abhimanyu sat together in one of the sittings in their living room with multi sittings. Parents sat in a different sitting away from them in same room.
Maya: So, when are we going on our next date?
Abhimanyu: Next date?
Abhimanyu: I'm sorry Maya, but I don't think I can do these get to know meetings anymore. There is no point.
Maya looked at him, shocked.
Abimanyu: Listen Maya, you are a great girl. You are an amazing girl. The problem lies with me. I am the one with various issues. Being workaholic is just one of them. There are many that you don't know of. I'm not the right guy for you. You deserve a guy who you don't have to beg for time, plead for meetings. What's the point of marrying a guy who is never available and it's as good as living alone. I think it's time you start devoting your time on a guy who can give you all that and more. Unfortunately, I can't be that guy.I'm really sorry for that.
Tears came in Maya's eyes, but he couldn't do anything about it. He gave her the wipes to wipe her tears. After a while when she had controlled her tears.
Maya: It's fine, Abhimanyu. Anyways, we were only trying to get to know each other. She said wiping few more tears, and Abhimanyu's mom saw that from her place.
Abhimanyu: Thank you for understanding me, Maya.
After the Walia's left.
Mom: Why was Maya crying?
Abhimanyu: I told her I cannot do any more meetings to know her.
Mom: Why?
Abhimanyu: Mom, I tried. I really tried. It's just not happening to me. I am forcing myself to something that my heart is not into. I can't do that.
Abhimanyu: I can't force myself to do things. Whenever, I have forced myself to do something, I have never been able to do it. Things have to happen naturally to me. I am not meant to force myself into anything. Forcing myself into things, never works for me.
She could see the pain he felt, as he said that. She loved him. She wanted him to do things she liked, but she was not the mom who pushed hard.
She didn't like how her son was so much in pain doing something she wanted him to do. She hugged him.
Abhimanyu: Can I go now, mom?
Mom: Do what makes you happy. I only want to see you happy.
He went back to office and Shanaya was not at her desk. He inquired Arun, who told her that he doesn't know the reason, but she said she was taking afternoon flight instead of evening flight, and had left for the day. He didn't understand why she would do that , but whatever, there was no point calling her, because what he wanted to talk, he wanted to do that in person only. He wanted to see every emotion and expression that came on her face, when he talked about it. Now, he will have to wait for one whole week. Waiting for a week seemed like waiting for years. It will be only on Monday when she returned after leave that he would get to talk to her.
He had trips to Shanghai and Frankfurt the week before they flew to Capetown on Wednesday. He wanted that week to fly already. He found himself unable to focus on work or anything. All he could think about, was her, her body and sex with her.
On Monday, he desperately waited for her to come to office. It was afternoon and she still had not come. He called HR Sarvanan and asked if he received any mail or call from her informing them of any reason on why she was not there. When he said they haven't, he asked him to call at her permanent address, and her emergency contact number in the city. He had tried and her cell was turned off. They had to fly on Wednesday evening, and here she was absent. He just hoped it was not because of what happened between them. But then, she was in the office the day he came.
HR told that phone ring is going in her Trivandrum residence, but no one is picking it up and same for her emergency contact in the city. He has mailed to her, but it doesn't seem she is checking any mails or text messages. He said he'll keep trying throughout the day though. By evening also, when they couldn't reach anyone, he told Abhimanyu that it seems they all are out of station.
Whatever the reason, he now needed another person ready to take with him to Capetown. If she doesn't turn up, which he had started having doubts about, he can't go alone to his Capetown meeting with Ratnangi Jewellers who had hired a technical team for same. He was capable of taking on all technical and financial questions, but it would look so odd that CEO of the company did everything, as if he had no technical members in team doing the real job. To make an impression, he needed to take someone, even if that person didn't answer anything. He knew how to take care of that. But, how were they supposed to get visa for anyone in just two days. He asked HR to find out if any employee has South Africa's visa? HR came and told that Vineet went there on vacation this summer and he has a valid visa. He said they will wait for one more day and if she doesn't come on Tuesday also, he should book Vineet's tickets for Capetown.
Tuesday also she didn't come. All the ways to contact her failed. Vineet was all set to fly with him next evening. Abhimanyu was hurting bad now, because he could feel it was all because of that only, if she was not well or anything she would have informed, not gone missing like that. He thought she must be guilty conscious for her boyfriend, and might even resign without coming back to office, but they hadn't received any resignation by mail yet. He sat smoking in his office until late, and then went and hit the bar. He felt abandoned by her in the meeting that was so important to him. He was on third glass of neat whiskey, when he decided to not lose himself like that , and slip like that when his dream of making his own robot was so near without any interference in technology from the collaborators, and with abundant finance from them. He stopped drinking, called his driver and went back home with the plan to prepare himself completely for the Capetown meetingnext morning to give his best.
Next morning, he went to office at 7 am. No one was there on ninth floor. He checked all documents and files that they had to take with them for the meeting, when he noticed that the 'book read app' checked in version control was still the old one, but he had a mail from her that she had completed and tested the new version of the app and it was working great. 'May be she forgot to check it in the version control', he thought. He decided to get it from her computer.
He sat on the chair in her cubicle and started her computer. He logged in her computer using admin id and password, that he knew. The google hangout window popped up with her login id and password already filled in the fields since she had the option 'save for the computer' checked. He thought for a while and then clicked on 'Login'. The message window of Harsh popped up.
He could see the messages from Monday, and he started reading...
Mon 7 am
Harsh: C'mon babe! Talk to me. Your phone is off. Why do you never charge your phone? You are always so careless when it comes to phone. Tried thousand times to call you.
Harsh: Okay! I know you are back in office today. I am very sorry. I don't know, I just lost my mind that day.
Harsh: I know you haven't told your parents anything about it. May be because you didn't want to upset them before your niece's marriage in Jammu or may be you are regretting your decision. Winks. I didn't tell my parents anything about it either. I thought over it. All relatives already know of marriage. I don't think, we should call it off.
Harsh: Call me back when you read these messages.
Tue 7:10 am
Harsh: C'mon! I said I'm sorry. Now talk to me.
Harsh: No response. Huh! How much I have to plead. Call me Shanaya, our marriage is still on. We are getting married. I am not a fool to let go off a pretty girl like you. I have accepted and come to terms with your status now. I have a confession to make. I myself was screwing girls in your absence here. So, it's all fine. We are equal now. We won't repeat that in future, right? You don't reply to your mails, phones, texts. Why are you always so hard to reach? C'mon babe! I love you. You know that. Forget about what all I said that day. Forgive me, please!
Abhimanyu scrolled back and read the messages from Friday early morning, the day he came to office from New York in almost afternoon.
Fri, 6:30 am
Harsh: Do you have time to talk today, or today also you are busy?
Shanaya: I finished my work yesterday, and I have time to talk with you today.
Harsh: Finally! I can't wait for our marriage on Oct 20. I wish it was tomorrow.
Harsh: Thoughts of our first night are getting me wet dreams. And you?
Shanaya: What can I say?
Harsh: I know how you are shy and a such a good girl. That's what makes it so much more interesting.
Harsh: I bet you are dreaming about me after seeing my new shirtless pics. Am I not too hot in them? Did you like them? Now that our marriage is fixed, why don't you send some interesting pics of yours like that, for my eyes only. You can go all out there if you want. Smiling smiley. I am tired of seeing your same two behenji pics. We should have at least some fun before marriage. Can I get some hot pics of my babe. Winking smiley.
Shanaya: I don't have any pics like that.
Harsh: See, that's what I like about you. So virgin, and so pure.
Harsh: Let's go somewhere special for our honeymoon, after all I am getting a virgin girl. It's so rare these days. People here in USA buy virginity for million dollars and it gets auctioned. I am getting it from such a pretty girl like you.I should make it special.
Shanaya: What if I tell you that I lied to you, and I was never a virgin in the first place?
Harsh: Did you?
Shanaya: Yes.
Harsh: No, you are lying now.
Shanaya: Really, I was shy to tell that I am not. But, I don't want to go in our marriage with a lie.
Harsh: what the fuck you are fuckin'? I told you all about my fucking history and you fucking lied to me.
Shanaya: I am not a virgin and that's the truth.
Harsh: I can't believe it. I thought I was getting a virgin as my wife. I was so damn excited about it and you drop this bomb just after our marriage got fixed.
Shanaya: Is my virginity that important? You are not a virgin either. You had your fun with so many girls. If you are so desperate about having a virgin then you shouldn't be sleeping around yourself. You should keep yourself virgin too.
Harsh: You shut your fuckin mouth. You lied to me and got me into getting our marriage fixed. You are fuckin liar.
Harsh: Wait a minute.....
Harsh: You fucked your boss! Didn't you?
Harsh: Oh, ya! He is fucking young and hot. Isn't he? I saw his pics from the awards night. When you told me you were going on a trip with your CEO for about ten days, I actually bothered to check who your CEO was. Oh, so the fucking rich player guy got into your pants. That's why he took you on that fucking business trip, and that's why you fuckin' didn't pick up your phone even in nights. So, tell me Shanaya, how was he? Did he please you or you only pleased him. That fucker user who fuckin' used you didn't keep it in his pants. Did he?
Shanaya: It's not like what you are thinking.
Harsh: Oh yeah! You fuckin bitch. You are filthy fuckin bitch.
Harsh: You fuckin bitch
Harsh: You fuckin bitch
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Harsh: You fuckin bitch
He scrolled down 12 times of 'You fuckin bitch'
Shanaya:I don't want to marry you.
Harsh: How will you not marry me bitch? Our fuckin' marriage is fixed. You fuckin' whore don't get to decide anything. I'll fuckin' fuck you so hard that you'll not dare fucking someone in future. I thought you were an angel, a pure soul, but you are characterless. You are a dirty stinky whore who wants to put every fuckin' pole in her hole. Don't worry, I will slide mine into your mouth and stick it there for you to lick it day and night.
Shanaya: Listen. I have never met you in my life and I am happy I didn't, and I hope I never ever see you. I don't care anymore, if my parents promised to your parents or relatives know about it or what they will think. I don't care.
Harsh: Oh yeah! Now, you fucking bitch want to go around sucking all the dicks. What about your American Dreams, bitch? You are fucking growing old, you know that? No one gonna marry you. You are fuckin twenty seven.
Shanaya: Okay, so at twenty seven, I'm old because I am a woman and you at thirty two are young because you are a man. Why you think it's important for woman to get married? I don't care if I never get married. Marriage is not everything in life for girls as you might want to think. I have so much more to life than marriage. I am an independent women, and I have every right to lead my life like I want to, with a man or without a man.
That was the last message from her and after that were the messages from Harsh from last two days that he had already read.
Abhimanyu sat there thinking about what all he just read, when a new message from Harsh popped up.
Harsh: I can see you online Shanaya.
Harsh: C'mon babe! Tell me, what you thought about us?
Abhimanyu typed to reply him which looked like like this on the chat window of Harsh.
Shanaya: You know what, as much as you like fucking, I think you should go and fuck yourself.
He blocked him before he could spit some more fuckin'. He smiled as he changed the password to hack her account. He found the new version of 'book read app' in her computer, and checked it in the version control. He removed hangout from her Startup apps and shut down her computer. He walked back into his office and called his mom.
Like he had expected, Shanaya didn't come to office on Wednesday also. He was flying with Vineet to Capetown that evening. HR finally got her emergency contact in the city pick up the phone, who told him that she was in Srinagar, but was flying to Trivandrum next day. When Sarvanan informed Abhimanyu about it, he told him to get new return ticket from Capetown to Trivandrum for him and also give him Shanaya's permanent address in Trivandrum.
On Wednesday morning, Shanaya was in her mom's relatives place in Srinagar. She had told her parents that she had extended her leave in office as she needed some more rest. She just didn't want to be near him after his lie surfaced and she had made up her mind that she won't go back to office. She was thinking of resigning and taking up a new job in Chennai or go back and complete her PhD.
As the day passed, she couldn't stop thinking about it.'She just can't ditch him like that,' she thought. It's not like he promised her something and didn't do it.'This cheating his girlfriend left and right was his personal matter,personal choice. Who was she to question it or like it or not like it,' she thought.
No matter what she thought of Abhimanyu, and his playboy ways in his personal life ,checking out girls legs, flirting with her despite a girlfriend, doing strangers in frat parties, or lying to her. She couldn't bring herself to be not there for him in his most important meeting, she just couldn't abandon him.
She booked the afternoon flight from Srinagar to Mumbai which would get her in time to catch her Capetown flight. It was close, but not impossible. Her flight got delayed by an hour. She rushed to international airport and dashed to her airline desk for boarding pass and luggage check-in.
Only forty minutes were left for flight to take off. Luckily she kept all her tickets and passport in her laptop bag. She took out her Mumbai to Capetown ticket that was given to her weeks back along with tickets to other destinations of business trip. She gave her ticket to the lady at the desk. "Sorry mam, but your ticket has been cancelled".