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The meeting with my Intel, Punit, who always brings us secret information about our competitors goes well. Punit has contacts spread out in almost every competitor RS Group has and through these contacts, we dig the confidential information and use them for our benefit by manipulating our competitor’s next moves. Both RS Group and AR Group are participating in a Software tender for a reputed clientMKB Industrieswho would give the contract to the one quoting less. Punit has the exact estimate of the amount AR Group is quoting and all I had to do was make sure RS Group quoted lesser than that. Though we also had to make sure we are still profitable with that project if we get that work. But that was not my concern. My team waited for my instructions to go ahead and I was speechless for a long moment. While my heart pinched for a second at the thought of doing this to Aarav Raichand, I eventually gave up and asked the company executives to make the relevant manipulations and get the reports to my desk by evening. We had to send the quotations to the client by tomorrow and couldn’t afford to delay.
This work takes up my entire day, keeps me busy and focused but as the evening falls, I remember Rudra is taking me for dinner. I check with him where we are dining tonight and he tells me to see him directly at Taj, around 08:00 pm. His meeting with the German clients won’t end before that which means he can’t pick me up from home. So, we both plan to meet at Taj directly.
I go home, change into a black dinner gown and drive to Taj. Strangely Aarav Raichand hasn’t stalked me today. Probably he has got my message loud and clear. But it didn’t feel so when he left that club last night. I shrug his thoughts from my head and make my way inside.
“Miss Thakur?” the manager asks as I enter the hotel and at my nod, he leads me to the elevator.
“Sir is waiting for you in room number 1431.”
Room? Why has Rudra booked a room here? I thought we were just dining. In fact, he had promised it would just be dinner and nothing more. I swallow the uneasiness and fake a smile to the manager as he hits the 14thfloor button and greets me for a pleasant stay.
I am not staying. Definitely not like this. The mere thought of Rudra and me staying in one room makes me nauseous.Breathe. I remind myself. I am not claustrophobic but right now even the idea of spending a romantic night with Rudra brings those symptoms in my body. I’m not staying. Just dinner and I’ll head back home. I don’t care what Rudra thinks but I still need more time.
The elevator stops on the 14th floor, and I proceed to room 1431. The manager had given me a key, which I use to open the door and enter. Even though the room is semi-dark, I can see an opened wine bottle with extra glasses on the table inside.
“Rudra?” I call but when I don’t get his response, I am about to message him when suddenly I see a silhouette of a man leaning at the balcony door, swigging his wine. “Rudra?”
“Aarav,” he says, and I immediately recognize the owner of that powerful voice. He isAarav Raichand.
Aarav comes in the light and that’s when I see him clearly. He’s fitted in a dark grey suit, freshly showered as his hair is still wet at the front and tousled like he has run his hand through it, repeatedly.
“What are you doing in this room? Where is Rudra?” I bark, but his gaze remains fixated on me as if he doesn't notice how irritated I am. “I asked you something, Mr. Raichand.”
“Aarav,” he corrects me.
“Whatever!” I snap. “Where is Rudra?”
He unbuttons his suit jacket, swigging some more wine before reaching the table and pouring wine in another glass.Probably, for me.Is he for real? Now I wonder if this was all his set-up. Maybe Rudra is waiting for me down for dinner and he never booked any room here. The Manager was most likely instructed to escort me to this room rather than to Rudra at the restaurant. Aarav Raichand is capable of doing so, yet the notion of being alone with Aarav does not frighten me. Strange! But it annoys me for sure as he’s really stooped low this time.
“Fine” I snap. “Don’t tell me where he is. I better find him myself.”
I scoot back to the door to leave and the moment I hold the doorknob, Aarav presses my hand over it, not letting me go.
“You can’t leave this room until you hear me out and answer my doubts.”
“To hell with you and your queries, Aarav. Let me go.”
The next instant I know, Aarav grabs my arms and pins my back to the door. There’s nothing painful in that gesture but it’s filled with dominance and intimidation.
“Don’t make me tie you up. Just answer my f*cking questions and leave wherever you have to.”
“You monster,” I scowl. “I shouldn’t have been lenient with you ever. You are going to speak for your actions to my lawyer tomorrow.”
“Gladly,” he nods. “But right now, you are going to answer me.”
His hold drops from my arms to my wrist and then Aarav drags me to the couch. I am forced to sit there while he takes the single-seater sofa very close to mine so that I don’t escape.
“Wine?”
He even has that audacity to offer me wine? Taking my silence as a cue his eyes hover over my face, exactly to the soft scar at the right corner of my forehead which I usually hide by my hair.
“What is this scar about?”
I cringe at his openness. Why should I tell him about it?
“You are no one to ask me such personal questions. I’m leaving.”
When I try to get up, he forces me to sit again and I literally feel helpless. From tomorrow I am going to need a bodyguard to handle this nosy man. I mentally make a note to hire one as soon as I can.
