Kajol's car takes a halt infront of her mansion which she held onto after the divorce. She was greeted at the door by her most trusted housekeeper whom she saw as family as she had been working for her family since Kajol had been sixteen.
"Welcome home, I hope the party wasn't that tiring for you" asks Meera. "It was quite okay if you take away all the staring and whispers the aunties were doing. How's mom did she sleep well?" Kajol asks while climbing the stair case. "She actually slept a few minutes ago, would you like me to bring you anything?" Meera asked." A glass of wine and please Meera go to bed and rest you really shouldn't have waited for me this late" her voice laced with concern. "I am happy to do this for you, if I had gone to bed I would have only worried about you anyway so I don't mind" Meera talked while she went to the Kitchen.
Kajol chuckled while heading to her bedroom, dropping her bag and phone on her bed side table she removed her clothes and headed to the bathroom for a much needed shower. As she exited the bathroom she saw the glass of wine that Meera had placed on her dresser and smiled. She chose her pajama and sat on her vanity mirror to do her night skincare routine which she did religiously.
She sat on her bed her glass of wine in hand, replaying the evening in her mind. Shah Rukh had been confident and intriguing something she hadn't expected to encounter at the dinner. Their conversation was short but it had a little bit of flirtation and an unspoken understanding of each other's ambition. As she reflected she felt a mixture of curiosity and a pang of guilt. He was a family man she had seen his wife and kids on business magazine covers and she's all too familiar with the pain of infidelity having experienced it firsthand in her own failed marriage. Yet there was something drawing her to him.
She wonders if he felt it too. The way his gaze kept lingering on her the entire dinner made her feel like a lady after a long time or was she reading too much into it, projecting her own loneliness onto a fleeting connection. Her practical side kicks in. She's worked too hard to build her career and reputation to risk it all on a scandal. Shah Rukh was a shark preying on other business owners for shares in their companies. This was not the time to be thinking about him, it was probably a ploy to take her company away.
She decided to sleep on the lunch date idea maybe she might feel differently about it in the morning.
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Shah Rukh on the other hand couldn't sleep a wink he kept tossing and turning which prompted Gauri to wake up, " Babe is there something stressing you?" Gauri asked her voice full of concern. If it had been any other day he would have felt nice about her concern for him but right now he felt guilty for getting annoyed at her question. "No baby I think am just tired and I have a lot of meetings lined up for tomorrow, maybe it is just my anxiety kicking in nothing to worry your beautiful head about please go back to sleep" he managed to respond with a smile.
Assured Gauri turned the other side and slept. He sighed, running his hand through his hair.His mind kept drifting back to Kajol, their conversation and her striking beauty. Her big eyes and plump lips. He knew it was dangerous playing with fire like this. He knew the risks but he couldn't stop himself. His marriage had become a comfortable arrangement a partnership built on shared ideals love and mutual respect for each other. He loved his dear wife and kids they had been through so much together. But Kajol had awoken something he hadn't felt in years.
He tried convincing himself that it was just a fleeting infatuation. But what could he do, he was caught in between comfortable love he felt for his wife and the passionate allure of Kajol. With that he drifted to sleep.
Kajol woke up early as usual and went about her morning routine. She left her room and headed straight to he mother's room. "Good morning mum, I got in last night when you were already asleep hope you're feeling better today?" " Good morning to you love" she responded while trying to sit up in bed as Kajol helped her up." Am feeling quite alright today but I will need to go for my doctor's appointment in the afternoon" "I hope all okay na" Kajol asked concerned " Everything is fine dear, just a routine check nothing should cause you any alarm, look at me am fine" they both chuckled.
" What about you, are you okay?" Her mum asked. "Am well, I just have a lot of work on my desk to deal with today. Other than that am good" "Am worried about you beta, you've closed off yourself since the divorce, whenever I start talking about it you either walk away or say you're over it and then immerse yourself in work in order to avoid me" her mother talked pleading.
"Mom it isn't something that am ready to talk about at the moment as much as it hurts you to see me like this it is something that I need to process on my own. I acknowledge your concern, I really do I will work on it then share my thoughts with you after" Kajol assured her. "Why not take a break from work?" Her mom pressed on.
"Not now mom, not when people are thinking of me being weak and vulnerable because of the divorce, Varun has already taken a lot from me.I will not allow him to take this business too". Her mom let it go and Kajol bid her as she left for work.
Kajol reached her office and Anya her personal assistant greeted her at the entrance of her office with her coffee in hand. She gave her the files she was supposed to go through during the day and left. Kajol delved into her files studying all the business tenders and business agreements on her desk as she was about to finish on her last file her phone rang.
She reached for it and noticed a number she hadn't saved calling. She reluctantly picked up the phone and a male voice boomed from the other side of the line.
*************
Shah Ruth straightened his tie, a nervous tic he hadn't realized he'd developed. He'd been rehearsing this call in his head the entire morning. He was a man who commanded boardrooms, negotiated million-dollar deals with a steely gaze, but the prospect of this phone call had him feeling like a nervous teenager.
He finally decided to call her having gotten her phone number from his assistant Siddharth, as soon as he got to the office. He finally punched in Kajol's number, his heart thumping a frantic rhythm against his ribs. The phone rang twice before she answered.
"Hello" her voice sounded crisp and professional. "Hello, Kajol it is Shah Rukh". He cursed himself inwardly. Smooth, he thought, real smooth.
There was a brief pause, a flicker of surprise in her voice before she recovered. "Shah Rukh, what a delightful surprise and very unexpected."
"I know," he said casually " I was just thinking about last night and our conversation about.... Well, everything". He could almost hear her eyebrow arching through the phone. "Everything? " "Yes, everything" he repeated " Your insights on the market, your ... unique perspective on corporate restructuring.It was all very stimulating ". He cringed he sounded like a textbook.
Kajol chuckled, a low throaty sound that sent a shiver down his spine. "Stimulating is one word for it, but Shah Rukh I don't remember talking about that with you?"
"Yeah it was the other gentleman seated next to you, sorry I eavesdropped " he answered guiltily " I was hoping we could continue that conversation perhaps over lunch or dinner?"
There was a bit of silence. He held his breath, waiting for her response. "Dinner?" She finally echoed, her voice filled with amusement. "Yes dinner or Lunch" he confirmed trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. "A purely professional engagement, of course.Just two colleagues discussing..... stimulating topics".
He could practically feel her laughter radiating through the phone line."Of course, Shah Rukh. Purely professional but I would definitely prefer lunch" "So, is that a yes?" He asked, trying to mask the eagerness in his voice.
"Yes, Shah Rukh. Lunch sounds.... stimulating" her voice softening slightly. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding." Great. How about we try Red Ginger restaurant or Ocean Basket?"
" I prefer Red Ginger" Kajol answered." I look forward to seeing you tomorrow Kajol"
"As do I Shah Rukh"
He hung up the phone, a wide grin plastered across his face. He had done it. He'd actually done it. He felt a surge of exhilaration, mixed with a healthy dose of nervousness. He knew he was playing a dangerous game, but for the first time in a long time, he felt....calm. This was just the beginning.