Meenakshi stared at the paper lying in front of her. Her hair was all disheveled after a deep slumber and hours of weeping.
It was the divorce paper.
Two days passed since she left her room. There were several knocks on the door, but she responded to none. Her stomach gave up on her diet and she decided to just cry her heart out all day.
The incident replayed in her mind. Every single word of his replayed in her mind.
After what he said, she tried hard to resist the tears that were about to descend from her hopeless eyes. She didn't respond and just walked out of his room.
She saved his life, took care of him and this was her reward.
Meenakshi sighed in defeat.
Why had she even hoped to be loved by Dhruv in the first place? Of course, he made it very clear to her from the first day. To not expect anything from him.
Yet she did just the opposite. Expected love from him.
Meenakshi felt like laughing at herself. What a joke she had made out of her life!
And after a lot of thinking, she came to this decision.
To sign the divorce paper and release him from all the burdens!
She didn't want to be a burden after all. And today was the best day to sign and submit the divorce paper. Because it was his birthday.
There would be several expensive gifts for him, but hers would be the best.
Meenakshi smiled at herself. She wished it was a happy one.
But it was a curve drawn on her face to hide the storm that rose from the pit of her heart.
**********
Dhruv rocked on his moving chair, thoughts and emotions cluttering his mind.
He felt restless for no reason. Today was his birthday, but all he thought about was the afflicted chocolate brown eyes that tried to hide the tears within. The way they recited tales of the broken soul.
He wasn't liking the fact that Meenakshi was affecting him in every way. He could never enjoy any other woman's company. But when he saw her, his whole body burnt with desire to have her. He couldn't spend a night, not thinking about her or the kiss they shared.
And he couldn't even feel happy after inflicting some pain on her. As if hurting her was hurting his self. He couldn't tolerate the way he was getting obsessed with her petty comebacks and stupid beliefs about the world.
How she made faces like a baby, her cheeks puffing out, and how her face turned into a red smoking ball when she got angry.
Dhruv chuckled at the thought, but his smile soon faded into gloom.
He shouldn't have allowed her to stay for long or challenged her if he knew what she could do to him...
******************
8p.m.
A huge number of posh, sleek cars parked in front of the big mansion that beamed under the decorated lights, paparrazzis, and high rising fountains.
Iqbaal and Martin welcomed all the guests at the entrance, while Vijay managed the other sections of the grand party.
Dhruv wasn't just a crime lord but also the young and sensational business tycoon, the CEO of Kavya Industries (named after his late mother). People admired his capability to build one of the leading business industries that was spread all over Asia, at such a young age. Police could hardly catch him as he operated his dark business under very careful supervision and privacy.
Meanwhile, Meenakshi stepped out of the washroom, her body draped in a towel. She dried her wet hair with another towel and applied a hairdryer over it.
She was invited to the party too, so she thought to groom herself to look decent enough in front of the guests.
But there was a problem. She didn't have anything to wear. All her dresses were very basic and won't go well with a party.
She thought of the black mini dress she brought the day-
Maya gulped in the lump of her throat.
"It's ok, Meenakshi! Out of sight means out of mind. Once you get out of this place, you won't have the same feelings for him." her mind assured.
Meenakshi didn't want to wear that dress because it had a bad memory latched to it. So she walked towards her cupboard, to search for a decent party-type dress. She prayed to God to find something inside, when her eyes laid on a package , with a letter over it.
She immediately grabbed it and placed it on her bed. She tore the envelope quickly, to read what was inside.
"Dear Meenakshi,
A small gift from me. Accept it or I'll feel hurt.
You've reached a great milestone of learning to find confidence in yourself.
So, I'd ask you to celebrate yourself. For the hurdles, you crossed and for the woman you've become today.
Strong and Self-reliant.
Dress up, just for yourself.
To admire what's you.
I Love You"
~A
Meenakshi clutched the letter close to her heart, tears streaming down her eyes. She owed a lot to this person, whoever it was.
She wiped her sweet tears and unpacked the box. She gawked at the beautiful white evening gown placed over a red velvet cloth. She pulled it out, looking at the detailing of the dress.
The dress was pure white, with several diamonds and pearls dazzling on the straps of the neck. The waistline was draped with a white silk belt, studded with diamonds in beautiful, intricate designs. The chest portion had a sweetheart neckline, and the lower right portion had a long partition while the ends looked perfectly flowy.
Meenakshi looked back into the package to find two more boxes inside. One box contained a pair of beautiful diamond studded long earrings and a diamond bracelet. The other one contained a pair of white heels.
They were just perfect.
Meenakshi squealed in excitement. She internally thanked A and appreciated his/her sense of style.
She sat in the mirror, with her towel on thinking about how she should do her hair. She initially thought of making a tight bun, but then she realised, it's better to let her shampooed hair stay free.
"Yeah! Or else your hair strands would start a protest against you and you'll be making the headlines of 'Meenakshi the pshyco who ran away from mental asylum' in no time." her mind nodded.
Meenakshi rolled her eyes at her subconscious and started to get ready.
********************
Meenakshi walked towards the mirror and was amazed to look at the beautiful lady in the white evening gown. The dress perfectly fit her, flaunting her curves and waistline. Her medium brown hair cascaded down to her back in shiny, long curls and her diamond earrings and bracelet embellished her whole appearance.
The sweetheart neckline revealed a bit of her cleavage and the right long slit of the dress exposed her waxed right leg. She was grateful for the decision of waxing her body a few days ago.
Meenakshi completed the look by applying a pink lip gloss, eyeliner, and a bit of concealer under her eyes. She wasn't a make-up person, so she always liked to keep it minimal.
And white was just her color. It always gave her positive vibes. She looked at herself for a brief moment and breathed a sigh.
This day might be the last of her in here.
"Ok. Let's go." she said to herself.
***************
The main hall was filled with gentlemen in black tuxedos and women in long satin gowns that revealed a lot of skin.
The high walled glass windows were flanked with golden curtains. Silver chandeliers hung from the ceiling, lighting up the whole hall. The waiters scurried to serve the guests.
Dhruv walked into the hall, wearing a black three-piece satin suit that enhanced his skin tone, black shades covering his deep black eyes, hair neatly combed, and hands folded inside his pocket. His whole aura reflected dominance and money.
Every single person in the hall admired his looks, especially the ladies. They threw seductive looks at him, but he ignored them.
All they discussed was the man of the party and his looks
"He is so handsome and rich. I wish he was mine!" one girl spoke.
Another girl interrupted
"Wish? We tried so many times to get close to him but he never cared to look at us once!"
"But isn't he with Veronica? I heard they are together."
"Huh!! Bullshit! That Veronica looks like an elephant. Dhruv can never choose a girl like her. Have you ever seen her size?"
All the girls started laughing.
"Even though, if she is his girlfriend, then why is she sitting alone there when she is supposed to be with him. Dhruv also doesn't seem to care about her presence either. We might have a chance" the girl winked at others.
They eyed Veronica at the other side of the hall, who was sitting on a couch, sipping her drink. She looked glamorous in her tight black gown.
Dhruv didn't pay any attention to her at this party, which made her feel ignored.
All the guests were busy in their discussions when their eyes fell on a beautiful lady walking down the stairs.
Meenakshi walked down the stairs, realising that all the stares were on her.
"Why are you guys looking here?? Go look at something else, not me." Her subconscious growled.
Meenakshi didn't like to have attention, as it made her feel very self-conscious.
She walked down the stairs, Vijay and Iqbaal receiving her.
"You look stunning, Maya." Vijay said.
"I agree." Iqbaal added.
Meenakshi blushed at the compliment. She was flushed at the gazes that were focused on her. Some of them were appreciative, while others were out of sheer jealousy.
But none of it affected more than the feelings she was bearing within when she saw Dhruv walking towards her. His face appeared stoic, but internally he was dying to devour Meenakshi.
The moment his eyes fell on the beauty, he was drooling over her.
Meenakshi on the other hand felt a sudden urge to run away from the place. She didn't want to face him. She won't be able to handle the pain within.
Dhruv stood in front of her, his shaded eyes checking her every curve.
"H-happy Birthday." Meenakshi managed to wish him.
Dhruv pulled her right arm and softly kissed her middle finger. It coursed tingles down her spine.
"Thanks."
Meenakshi gulped in the lump, her eyes shifted towards Vijay who was staring at them, all perplexed. He noticed her stare. Her eyes screamed 'Help me'.
Vijay got the signal.
"Umm... Meenakshi.Do you want to taste the starters? They're amazing! Come, I'll show you."
He grabbed Meenakshi's wrist and led her towards the crowd. He could feel the burning glare of Dhruv. His boss wasn't happy about stealing Meenakshi from him.
Iqbaal thought to divert his attention.
"The Chinese Mafia is here to meet you." he said
"Hmm."
Iqbaal could feel how Dhruv's attention was focused on Meenakshi all the time.
His face expressed jealousy towards Vijay who took her too a corner and was telling something he couldn't hear.
It made Dhruv more frustrated.
Iqbaal coughed to draw his attention and asked.
"Do you plan on kicking her out today?"
***********************************