Ananya's p.o.v.
As I got close to his cabin I heard him shouting, more like complaining. The door was not closed fully otherwise the sound wouldn't have come outside. I peeped through it to discover him scolding Diya for something. I tried to overhear what was going on inside by landing my one ear on the door. The argument is probably regarding some meeting time-related. Suddenly I realized the whole thing has stopped. But before I could control myself the door opened and as a result of leaning on it, I just slipped. In embarrassment, I closed my eyes. Please God just save me.
No, something has stopped me from kissing the earth. I was hanging at something hard. I opened my eyelids slowly to see a pair of dark black orbs covering me. For a moment my breathing system stopped at the realization of where I am. I sensed my waist resting in his protective hand, my one arm was being circled with his tight grip. I balanced myself as soon as I realize that Diya is staring at our awkward position. We left each other. By the time the files in my hand were already crawling on the ground. I got busy with them.
"You can go." I heard him saying. Sideways I found Diya leaving. I think I should also leave for now to get away from this sudden embarrassing situation. Really, Did I just get caught for peeping in the boss's cabin? I patted my head lightly and turned to leave without meeting his gaze.
"I didn't ask you to leave." I heard his commanding voice.
"Sir, I will come later." I opened the door to get it shut by a force came from behind.
"Are you overhearing our conversation?" His husky deep voice fanned my ears. I got tensed.
"No" I replied back facing him.
"Don't you know you should face your senior or boss while talking to them?"
And I turned instantly.
"Sorry" Thank God that he left some spaces for me to turn at least. I pinned myself to the door to increase the distance and to see him step more toward me. Was he angry? Last time in his farmhouse he behaved like this.
"Are you jealous?" He snapped at me with a smirk.
What! Jealous! Of what!
"Of what? Why should I be jealous?"
"Because the thing you wanted has been taken by someone else?"
"What thing?" I said with anger. Now he is behaving irritating.
"For what you are just in my cabin."
"I wasn't."
"Are you not understanding or just acting."
Damn! This man, always need to get on my nerve.
"You are jealous of Diya because he is assisting me instead of you. You love straight answers, right? See I exactly did the same thing. I also expect the same attitude." He blurted.
"I just told you I wasn't."
"Ok, let me check the CCTV then."
He turned leaving me behind confused. I need to do something first. Otherwise, for the rest of my life, I have to spend my life on his taunts.
"Actually I was feeling a little dizzy so just was holding the door for support." I stammered.
He turned towards me raising one eyebrow. He was throwing his gaze at me like testing me with his eyes.
"Now can you please sign these papers? Avinash Sir has asked me to make you sign this."
I took some hurried steps towards his table trying to ignore his gaze.
He came towards me and to my shock hold me by the shoulders and made me sit in his chair.
"What are you doing Sir?"
"Taking care of my employee. You just said you were feeling dizzy."
"Sir I know that you provide very good service for your employees but trust me I'm fine and will take medicine. Please let me go. I mean please sign these papers and I will leave."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, Sir. Totally. Ok then."
And the next moment he just signed them without bothering me more and I left saving my life.
God! Why this man is so confusing? I mumbled while getting away from his gaze.
Third man's p.o.v.
"Hello, may I come in?"
Arjun was a little disturbed regarding one deal.
"You're already in. What's the need of asking then?"
"Coool man! You can talk to me sweetly sometimes."
He narrowed his eyes at her.
"Ok leave it. It's your normal thing. I will gonna think that you are not fine if you started talking to me sweetly one fine morning suddenly."
"What can I do? You always appear at the wrong time."
"Whatever. I'm here to give you the official invitation card. Well, you are already in still little formality. You know I'm the organizer. I don't want any loopholes."
She kept the card on his table and moved forward to him and gave him a hug and a light kiss on his cheeks which he rubbed instantly making an irritating face. Shriya laughed at his gesture. "You know you are cute sometimes." Then they noticed Diya standing at the door.
"Don't you know how to knock on the door? Shriya scolded while getting away from Arjun.
"So..sorry ma'am. Actually, Sir asked for his coffee so I.."
"Then keep it and go." Arjun blurted.
"You want one?"
"No, I will leave now."
After Diya leaves Shriya also turned to leave.
"Shriya" he stopped her.
"Yeah?"
"I wanna say that if you want Ananya you can invite her. I have no problem with her." He said while keeping his eyes on the laptop.
She frowned.
"I really don't understand you two's problem. One day you are good, the other day not even ready to see each other's face. Well thanks for accepting her. Everyone is coming to the party so I wanted her to come too. Bye"
*****
Ananya's p.o.v.
"Is that girl Arjun Sir's girlfriend?"
I stopped on my way.
"Who?"
"The one who came to meet him today. When I entered his cabin they were hugging each other like girlfriend boyfriend. And he often comes you know."
"Shriya?"
"I don't know her name. She was wearing a blue colored dress."
I know she is talking about Shriya because she met me also for his parents' marriage anniversary invitation.
"Hey"
"Yeah? I don't know actually. Maybe they are in a relationship. I don't know."
I took long strides and got out of the office. I was feeling weird and upset don't know why. Oh God, what's the need of her to tell all these to me? Every time anything regarding this relationship comes to me I feel so restless. I feel like everyone is so happy in their life. They have moved on so perfectly in their life and here I am stuck with my fears and my past. I took an auto.
After reaching I was just entering my apartment my phone started ringing.
Rahul! I took the call with hesitation.
"Hello"
"Hi Ananya" his voice was sounding different.
"Rahul, are you fine?"
"Anu, can you please come to me?" His words were rumbling.
"Rahul, are you drunk?"
"Anu please for once. Just come. I want to meet you. Please."
Is he crying? I couldn't react for some seconds.
"Anu please." I heard him pleading with me badly. No at least as a friend I should go.
"But where are you? Hello. Hello?"
Suddenly he cut the call. Then how will I meet him? I don't think he is in himself.
Well, I know a club where they visit often to drink. I can take a chance there. Soon I reached the club. When I entered I noticed him sitting in the pub with a glass of wine in his hand looking blankly. I sent a text to Neha regarding my whereabouts and went near him.
As soon as he saw me I was embraced by his sudden hug. I was shocked, I was numb, and I was confused about how to handle this situation. He was crying. His hair was disordered, eyes were red with tears. In one word he was nothing but a mess.
"Rahul, what happened?" I tried to talk to him so I broke the hug.
"Talk to me. Please. How would I know if you don't tell me." I wiped off his tears and tried to console him. I was feeling bad for him. I never saw him like this before.
"Shri. Shriya"
"What?"
"She doesn't love me you know, she doesn't love me." And I knew it was coming. He chuckled.
"And you know when I got to know this you came to my mind."
"Yess, YOU. Have you heard of karma? See karma hit back at me. The way I left you I am also left rejected."
"Rahul please I don't want to talk about our relationship."
"No, please let me say. You know I deserve it. I left a person like you for someone who doesn't even care about me. Yeah, I deserve it. Yeah, I deserve it."
"Rahul, whatever happened between us was different. And what you did by breaking our engagement was not a fault. You didn't love me. So if you went on with that despite loving someone else that would be more wrong." I tried to make him understand.
"And I think in this case also none of you are at fault at all." I almost whispered the last sentence.
"Well, you didn't ask me whom she loved. She loves Arjun. Yes, it's Arjun. My so-called best friend."
I took away the wine glass from him.
"Enough Rahul. Enough of your drinking."
"Well, I am not surprised. He always does that. Snatching away things from me. Be it the first position in school or college or even girlfriend." He continues in a mocking tone. Well, I was surprised. Why is he saying all this? Maybe because he just lost his love for his best friend. I know it's hard to see you love to become someone else's. Well, I have good experience in this case. But right now I need to handle him properly. I felt his palm holding mine."
"I can perfectly feel the pain you suffered today. Trust me I can. And that's why I called you, you know. Because you always understood me. You forgive me always me. Please be my old best friend forever Anu." He pleaded holding her hands more compactly.
Third man's p.o.v.
Arjun entered the club and the scene in front of him just burnt everything in him. He clenched his fist in rage. What are these two even doing here?
"Ananya" the voice came boomed out from him. Ananya almost flinched out from his hold. An unknown feeling of guilt strokes her. Arjun reached them.
"And see, who is there? Our hero. The great Arjun Singhania." Rahul said mockingly. "The topper Arjun Singhania. The winner."
Oh no this is not going right. Is Rahul going to spit out all his hatred now? It's not the right time to talk about Shriya even. No, he is not in his sense now. And I can't let happen anything bad or a fight between these two friends.
"Arjun I think Rahul is not in his senses. It will be better if we take him home now."
"He needs to go home. But one thing I couldn't understand that what you are doing here with him. Hope you are not giving him company at his drinking party." Arjun blurted keeping his anger in control as possible as he can.
"I-I got a call from him so I just came to check if he is ok or not. Now can we please take him home?"
"Not we, his car and driver are outside. I will ask him to take him home. Wait."
Neha entered the club when he suddenly bumped into someone.
"YOU? What are you doing here?" Vishal yelled.
"Yes, I am. Why? Am I banned here?"
"What new problem are you going to create today?"
"What?"
"Because of you, everything got spilled last time. Ananya misunderstood Arjun. Arjun couldn't even confess.."
"Vishal" They heard Arjun's voice.
"Go inside. Rahul is drunk. Handle him."
"Why? What happened?"
"No idea." Saying this he went outside.
After some time his driver came inside to take him. Rahul was about to fall but Vishal helped him to balance. They hold him tightly so that he doesn't fall again.
Before leaving Rahul turned towards her.
"Ananya"
She was about to go near him but was stopped by Arjun's strong grip on her hand. She looked at him confused. She tried to get rid of his grip but it got tightened.
"Arjun"
"He is not a child Ananya so he needs you to console him don't know from what. He needs rest. And I don't think that Dadi will like the idea of you being with him."
She got stuck in my place.
"He is drunk. They can handle him. But I don't understand among all of us why he needed to call you. I know you know him since your childhood. But Isn't It's us who spent more time with him? I expect that we are more close to him it's quite surprising that he found you leaving us. Now can we leave? Neha is waiting for you outside."
Saying this he almost dragged her outside.
They saw Neha and Vishal arguing over something but both of them stopped seeing them coming.
"Rahul?"
"His driver will take him home. Don't worry." Vishal said.
"Anu, let's go home."
"Vishal, can you please drop her at our home for tonight, please?"
"What?" Both Neha and Vishal spat out together.
"I need to talk to Arjun. Alone." Arjun who was going to leave them stopped on his way.
"He will drop me," she said glancing at him " but I can't leave Neha alone. Please take her with you."
"Anu, it's ok if you can't come with me, I will go on myself."
"Neha, can't you listen to me once? Please go with Vishal. And it's quite late. I can't leave you alone. Please."
At last, they agreed and left leaving Ananya and Arjun alone. Both of them proceeded towards his car. Arjun opened the car door for her. The car started. The first few minutes went on in silence except for staring at each other sideways.
Arjun cleared his throat.
"I'm expecting you to say something. Well, do you really have something to talk about with me or just made an excuse to be with me." He said with a smirk.
"Stop giving yourself so much importance."
"Well, I think I am important. Don't I?" He glanced at her intensely.
"Let's talk about your importance later. I wanna ask you something. I know it's not a thing I should ask but still, I want to know." She started.
She cleared her throat.
"Are you in a relationship with Shriya?" Arjun stopped the car the instant moment.
"You love her, right?"
Arjun's words got caught in his throat. He just stared at her blankly.
"Why did you stop the car?"
He started the car again.
"You didn't answer my question. See you can tell me I won't tell any.."
"I'm not."
"Just some days before you told me that we are friends and now you don't want to share anything with me."
"I DON'T LOVE HER," Arjun said in a loud tone this time.
"Everyone knows that you two love each other. People in the office gossip about your relationship."
The car again stopped with a jerk.
"OUT" Arjun barked out.
"Why you stopped the car again?" And then she noticed that the car is standing in front of her apartment gate.
"It's ok if you don't want. But you didn't need to lie." Saying this she got off the car.
This time Arjun lost his patience. He also got off the car within a flash.
Ananya was about to leave when she was dragged by a force and pinned to the car. For a moment she couldn't move or try to get out of his hold. His strong grip was not giving her permission.
Her heart started beating at a whirlwind pace. His intense eyes were scaring her sending her chills.
"I said I don't love her. I know that you have a habit of making up things without talking to anyone but you can make things even after talking. You are unchangeable. People often change. But not you. Well, I like that." His deep husky voice was fanning her ears.
"You wanna know if I love someone or not right? Yeah, I love someone. I am madly in love with her. I love every inch of her. Sometimes it looks quite impossible for me to stay away from her. When she ignores me or I see her in someone else's arms I feel like burning down everything around me." His fingers tightened on her. His each and every word hit her like a dagger.
"You wanna know her name? I will tell you. I hope you don't get a shock. Her name is..." The sentence stopped midway.