ADITI
I try my best to follow Ishika but like lightening she rushes out of the crowd and I get bumped to someone right at the arrival gate. Bending down I quickly try to collect my things which might be kicked by people here and there. I see mine and Ishika's passports and my pocket diary fallen. Just at the moment I attempt to pick them up I hear Ishika's voice calling out my name. I look up to her with a smile, To my surprise my smile disappears within a fraction of time. My hand trembles with nervousness and I feel I am going to pass out any moment. My mind goes void of any thoughts but of him. I see Kabir right beside Ishika. Standing to my full length I walk to them with unwilling steps.
Why is he here? Don't tell that the bleak probability failed? He must have come for someone else. No. I see the driver beside him with our plank card. Should I just run back and fetch a fight back to USA. Ishika can manage it well alone right?
Unfortunately before I could turn around I had already reached before him. Not for a moment he got his eyes off me. I could sense a fine shrill down my back as if I was being observed carefully. It's Ishika's shrug that brings me back to my senses almost and once again I stammer to introduce myself, luckily Ishika completes my introduction.
"Hey, Miss Aditi, I am Kabir Singhania the proud owner of Singhania Group and I will be managing your deal, Professionally as well as personally." I looks at his face and then his hand in front of me. That is the only thing I did not expect off. 'Singhania'? His full name kept on ringing in my mind. The word ' Personally' made me quite uncomfortable and it was the zing I felt that I realised that he was holding my hand. I look to my right but Ishika has already walked to the car.
I try to jerk away his hand but I fail. He is still as strong as he was back then but this time he is willing to hurt me. His grip is so tight that my wrist pains. However I am unable to speak a word. Somehow at the back of my mind I knew that one day I will have to bear all that he does to hurt me because that's what I deserve. Unwillingly my vision gets blur and I know if I look at him once again I will burst into tears.
I have to be strong. I can't let him in because if I do then I can't leave him again. Looking anywhere but him I still try to endure the pain in my wrist and get rid of his grip. Suddenly he lets me go and without looking up I rush to the direction Ishika walked, quickly drying off my tears and go and sit on the seat only left for me. My heart beats faster than usual. Thoughts of him fill up my mind.
Three years and he looks the same just a bit more tired and rude to me. I have to be careful because I know he will try his best to know the reason I left him and I can't afford to let him know that.
I look out of the window when I know that behind his dark shades he is looking at me. Suddenly I hear him command the driver to drive to their home and my eyes go wide with horror.
That house once again! I try to reason and my mistake I start off with his name but soon gulping down the words I address him formally with his surname which is totally new to me. Its was me talking to him but he requests Ishika and that irritates me. Furthermore my dumb friend agrees to his proposal. I feel like smacking her head but something in me hesitates with I see a smirk playing on Kabir's face.
My heart thumps to my ears and I just to comfort myself that it's just and matter of a day. Soon out of the window I see the same majestic house with a name plate of 'Singhania's' and I mentally slap myself for never noticing it before. The car turns around a beautiful fountain and right before the main entrance.
I hesitate for a moment but open the door anyway. Getting out of the car I look at Kabir who is ahead of me but I clearly notice him glancing at me with a smile. I take a deep breath and hold on to the 'A' locket in my neck. What a lucky charm?
I see Ishika walking calmly into the house. She doesn't know a thing. For sure tomorrow back in the flight to USA I will tell her that she actually met the man she was always curious to know about.
"Ladies make yourself comfortable the guest rooms are ready and my father will meet you at lunch" Kabir says looking at Ishika with a smile and then at me but somehow he doesn't get his gaze off me and commands the maid beside to show us the rooms.
The maid walks straight across the stairs and Ishika and me follow her. Why is he going so easy on me?
"Miss Aditi!" My steps halt at his voice. My breathing fastens and I can sense him behind me. When I turn around I see his face right before me. He stands way to close to me and there I smell his masculine colon once again. What makes him smell so good? That's creepy Aditi!
He gesture the people behind me to go and I desperately want to turn around and run away from him but his closeness does not let me even budge from my position. Looking back at me he says, "I have arranged a room for you upstairs."
"Oh....no that's fine we can share ......" I try to fake a smile but feel my cheeks heating up at the same time.
"You know, I don't want a No." He says and I reluctantly follow his steps up the stairs. On the first floor I see his room's door closed. Somehow I remember all the sweet memories I had with him behind the closed door.
"That is my room." I hear his cold voice emphasizing on the word 'my' and realize that I am standing alone in front of his door whereas he has walked ahead of me. I just nod and follow him.
Turning to a slight left I see opening a door for me. It's the same guest room once I had slept for half a night. It's still the same. I walk in the room and look around the well furnished room I didn't have a chance to see before. Turning around I look at Kabir stand against the door with his head titled to one side. I see a confused look on his face. I attempt to give a short smile but quickly correct the expression to a least affected one.
"Um... thank you Mr. Singhania. I appreciate it." I say and take a step towards him. Tucking a lock of hair behind my ear I place a hand on the door in attempt to shut it but Kabir stays still at his position.
"Um...." What to say? Can't he get it that I want him to go? I try pushing slightly the door close but he stops all my efforts just with a hand.
"Um.. Mr. Singha...."
"Kabir." He cuts me off instantly.
Kabir! I have said that name out aloud since a long time.
"Ka...." I just can't speak it out! Why? He leans towards me and I can smell him. The smell is still the same. Still alluring.
"Smelt enough?" His words catch me off guard. Why do I always embarrass myself in front of him?
I just gulp emptiness and step away from him. " Kabir here you are! I was....." I man's voice I hear and Kabir quickly stands straight leaving good space between us. I see his father behind him and I can clearly make out that he stands there really confused.
"Oh! Did I disturb you....." I began but Kabir cuts him off. "Off course not dad! I was just telling Aditi to make herself at home. Right Miss Aditi?"
" Uh.... Ye..Yeah!" I try to fake a smile but inside I was freaking out. Did the man see us? What if he does?
"That's great you both are of same age. Good to make friends." The man makes eye contact with me and looking past Kabir's face I bearly manage to nod a little.
Kabir turns to face his father and me both as the two men gather around my door. "Actually Aditi was with me in college for sometime." What he actually told that with so much calm.
"Oh! I see..... that's the way I feel I have seen you before."
"Oh! I highly doubt that Mr. Singhania....." I instantly cut him off avoiding eye contact.
"Okay. May be we have talked over phone. Perhaps I feel familiar with your voice....."
I just nod to the negative. Unknowingly I look at Kabir for help but he just look at me without any expression. My hand become sweaty and I know I can't handle the lying anymore if someone doesn't save me. Someone save me please!
"Well have you been to our house or....." The man begins once again.
"No. Dad. She has never been to our house nor have you met her or talked to her." Kabir faces his father and tartly speaks to him.
Well Kabir is not that much useless as I thought! Thank you! I can see his father is not satisfied with his explanation however he nods with a short smile.
"Yet since you both are an old acquaintance you must call me 'uncle'." He smiles warmly at me and I just still struggle with all the recent conversations. Kabir still looks down pushing his hands into his jeans pockets.
"No...that won't be necessary....." I try to reason. I don't want to get involved with this family once again.
"That's an order Aditi. Apart from being business acquaintance you know my son so there is nothing inappropriate professionally." He smiles at me warmly and I can't help smiling back. The contiguous smile runs in Kabir's family.
His father places his hand onKabir's shoulder and without meeting my eyes once again he turns his back on me. "Good night!" I say with a smile and uncle wishes me the same back with a smile but suddenly my smile vanishes when Kabir faces me once again with a straight face.
"Good night...... Kabir." I say pushing a lock of my hair behind my ear and trying hard not meet his grey eyes. "Good night. Aditi!"
I never expected him to reply but the moment I look up he has already turned his back on me and steps to walk away . All I could see is his back and I know somehow back in my mind that he won't let he escape this time. Like a dumb love struck girl I keep on standing by the door watching him turn towards his room.
I sigh and shut the door. I stand there for sometime, grab my clothes and walk to get a shower and the lay on the bed but not even for a moment I could get the handsome devil's face and thought off my mind.
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Enjoy reading :)