Chapter twenty-five
Ever since Srishti shifted in Sahil's room, weirdly, her cravings increased, her cribbing increased and for Sahil, his headache increased. He never imagined a pregnant woman's mood swings to be this dangerous.
"Mr. Malhotra!" He shut his eyes tight when he heard her yell his name for the nth time. He couldn't even work in peace for ten minutes straight without her demanding or requesting something or the other.
"What do you need?" He asked in a calm tone as she entered the room. He deliberately didn't look her way because whenever he would do so, she would start with her waterworks for God knows what reason.
"I need someone to talk to." She complained more like whined and he nodded engrossed in his laptop.
"You have your best friend. Call her." He suggested and she grit her teeth in annoyance. Firstly, he was ignoring a pregnant woman and now saying such nonsense things.
"Mr. Malhotra she isn't free to sit and chit-chat with me. She has a job." Her tone was snappy and it made him sigh. She was in her seventh month of pregnancy and according to the doctor, she should be given utmost care and love. Giving her stress or behaving rude would cost her complications and so Sahil had been this patient with her until now.
He had a high level tolerance but not every time he would accept anyone talking to him like she did just now.
"Srishti, if you know she has a job and I have a company to run then why are you telling me about your problem? You know Mrs. Khanna cannot come because of her husband's health issues so now don't make a fuss about everything." His voice was stern but not that harsh and even though she was used to him being this aloof, tears still gathered in her eyes because of the hormones.
She sniffed and wiped her tears turning around to leave when he stopped her.
"Where are you going?" He asked and she halted in her tracks but didn't turn back. She was still sniffing and wiping her tears which caused him to sigh.
"Don't talk to me." She declared and left the room leaving him with his work. Sahil could feel the frustration rise in him and it would be the first time he felt like pulling his hair.
"Srishti," He followed behind and found her in her room sitting by the window. She didn't look at him and kept staring outside the window with a grumpy face.
"Okay listen, I'll ask Aditya to give Zevah a few days off. Then you can chat with her all day long." He suggested and she shot him a glare.
"I don't want people to work according to my demands when they have their own life Mr. Malhotra." She snapped and he just gaped at her. What the hell did this woman exactly want?
"Just drop me at my orphanage for a few days. I'll be alright there." She demanded and his answer was immediate, "No," his voice stern.
"Why the hell not?" She argued and gave her a sharp look but that didn't scare her.
"I won't be able to reach you there immediately if you need something. Also there's no one over there who could take care of you in this state." He pointed out and she scoffed.
"Like you take care of me." She mumbled under her breath but unfortunately he heard it.
"So I don't?" His tone was harsh and she flinched but didn't cower back instead glared at him.
"Only physically. You have never even bothered to know my mental state Mr. Malhotra and I don't even intend to tell you about it." Her voice cracked in the end and she looked away to hide the tears building in her eyes.
He stood there watching her for a few minutes before turning around and leaving the room. She let the tears fall as he left and cried to herself for getting into such a strange relationship.
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Things at Zevah's side were going smooth after Aditya had apologised for his behaviour. She had been more attentive in her work and Aditya could very well see that.
The only problem was, there was no progress in their relationship outside the professional facade. She would behave almost as if he was a stranger and he would try to have a normal conversation with her.
"Zevah, are there any meetings left for today?" Aditya asked looking at her while she checked the schedule. Why couldn't she accept that he liked her?
"No sir. No meetings left." She informed and he nodded getting up and buttoning his blazer.
"Alright then let's go." He declared and she gave him a confused look. Let's go? Why? And where? Why would she go anywhere with him when the working hours were still going on.
"Sir, I just said that there are no meet ups, so where are we going?" She questioned and he gestured her to follow him which she had to obey because he was still her boss. With a annoyed look she followed him until they reached his car.
Once they were inside, Aditya ordered the driver to drive and ignored Zevah's anxious form next to him. She was literally getting all fidgety not knowing where they were heading to and Aditya was surely enjoying her state as he looked out of the window to hide his smile.
It was when they reached the Malhotra mansion, she gave him a questioning look but he only ignored it and got out of the car. She followed suit and stayed quiet not wanting to complain when he had actually brought her to meet her best friend.
"Srishti," Aditya called out and Zevah looked at him. There was a smile on his lips and for the first time she admired that smile very much. He was different.
Srishti came out five minutes later and literally squealed at the sight of them. She tried to walk fast but before that Aditya reached her and held her.
"Calm down lady. We are here and not running away." He chuckled and she glared at him playfully before looking at Zevah.
Zevah grinned and strode towards her, taking her into a hug and Srishti felt her pent up emotions being unleashed. Her tears trickled down her face as she hugged Zevah close and cried. Zevah let her, knowing her state as she felt her own eyes moisten.
She looked at Aditya who had been staring at her intensely. She couldn't look away even if she badly wanted to avert her eyes. What was this man doing to her? She had no idea.
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After the small reunion, Zevah and Srishti sat in her room while Aditya went to meet Sahil. Srishti wished for Aditya to be with her as well but she couldn't be selfish for Sahil needed someone too and Zevah─well she didn't know what was going on between the two.
"Srishti, are you alright?" Zevah asked with a worried face and Srishti smiled nodding her head.
"I just feel lonely at times when there's no one to talk to. I know I have my baby but sometimes I wonder how can one live such a silent life." She was referring to Sahil and Zevah very well knew that. Her best friend was worried for the person because of whom she was in this state. What had gotten into her?
"Alright leave all that. How did you land up here? Did Mr. Malhotra ask you'll to?" Srishti asked and Zevah shrugged being clueless as well.
"I have no idea. Aditya brought me here without informing me. I was surprised as well." She thought about how strange he had been behaving from the morning. Of course he was all professional like always but something was amiss and she had no idea what.
"Well..." Srishti trailed off with a teasing look on her face as she watched Zevah lost in her thoughts.
"Were you thinking about Aditya?" She smirked and Zevah glared at her but found her cheeks growing warm as well. She quickly avoided any eye contact and looked here and there.
"You saw that baby. Now your aunt is hiding things from your mother. How unfair." Srishti pouted at her belly but her attention was also on Zevah's movements.
She suddenly seemed nervous, panicky and anxious all together. She knew Zevah will never accept her own feelings that easily and that made her sigh. Aditya had a long way to go.
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"Sahil, can you stop working for once." Aditya groaned as he entered his room and spotted him with his laptop. Sahil neither glanced at him not acknowledged his presence.
"Sometimes I wonder that if you love your laptop so much then why did you marry Srishti? You should've married your laptop only." Sahil shot him a look that made him roll his eyes.
"You don't scare me, Malhotra. Instead you should be thanking me for coming here because I still had lots of pending work." Aditya said arrogantly and finally Sahil shut his laptop and looked at him.
"Is it? Then you can leave because you clearly weren't invited here to stay. I called Zevah and not you." The blunt answer had Aditya fuming because the next second he threw a pillow at Sahil.
"What the fuck!" Sahil hollered and Aditya snickered looking at his face.
"Stop behaving like a kid." The cold voice would've brought shivers down anyone's spine but it wasn't just anyone. It was Aditya who couldn't stop laughing looking at his best friend's disheveled hair.
"You are such a boring man. Despite of having a beautiful wife, all you do is bury your nose into this stupid laptop. Sometimes I think you're gay and to hide this reality you married her." He wondered and Sahil shook his head at the stupid assumption but someone else who stood outside the door heard this as well and she couldn't help but feel like she had been punched in the gut.
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To be continued...