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I am too shocked to respond. All these proofs claim one thing but my heart doesn’t want to accept them. Aman directs my attention to him.
“I know it’s hard to process Jhanvi’s absence in your life, Aarav, and it will be harder knowing another woman has her face and she clearly is going to be around you for a while, trying to find loopholes in our company strategies to pull us down, but-” he swallows painfully. “You have to keep your sanity in check. Please stay strong like you are. One single mistake and we have a lot to lose on our end. Do you hear me?”
Mohit gets up too from the couch.
“Aman is right, Aarav. Let’s just deal with this together. For once when I saw her today, even I felt she is Jhanvi but all these proofs can’t lie.”
My heart can’t lie either.I know it’s her. But these proofs say otherwise. I am too puzzled at the moment to think about my next actions or to process all this and come up to any conclusion.
“You seem very much distracted at the moment. Go and sleep now,” Aman suggests. “I’ll handle the talks with RS Group of Companies here on. You don’t need to meet them again.”
I can’t promise that. Still, I walk Mohit and Aman to the door before striding to my daughter’s room. She’s snoring softly on her bed reminding me again how Jhanvi snored in my arms at night. I shut my eyes, wanting to avoid the confusion, pain, anger and anxiety I felt within me, meeting someone who looked just like her… who made me feel just like I did around her and who had that power to make me vulnerable again. I needed strength, patience and most importantly a sane mind to tackle things hereon. So, without any doubt, I slide under the covers and cuddle my daughter gently. She’s a deep sleeper and doesn’t wake up even after being spooned like that. The moment I shut my eyes I see her face again.Jhanvi’s face.Or rather.. Khushi Thakur’s face when she had withdrawn herself seeing me extending my bloodied palm. The image of her cringing and backing off haunts me throughout the night. Is she really not myJaan?
CHAPTER 3
Khushi
I toss on the bed as a pair of sinful grey eyes haunt my semiconscious state. Faint noises creep over me and with it the alarm clock rings, waking me up. I jolt on the bed only to see a silhouette of a man standing at my balcony. It’s dark outside but there’s enough light in the room for me to realize he’s a stranger. My gaze wanders over his corded forearms gripping the window pane. I try remembering if I know him and what is he doing inside my bedroom at this hour when suddenly he cranes his neck to look straight at me and my jaw drops. It’s him.Aarav Raichand.
My eyes shoot open as I gasp for air. The alarm clock rings again, for real, this time. This is real. I was dreaming so far. I jerk and examine my room for any traces of him, but quickly calm down when I realize he isn't here. It’s the early hours of the morning and my usual time to wake up for a run. Ever since the party last night, the thoughts of Aarav Raichand have haunted me.Those eyes..I have never seen such intense eyes before. Visions of last night’s party fill my mind and I recall the way Aarav bruised himself by breaking the glass in his palm and tried to touch me with his bloodied fingers. There was something his eyes tried to convey to me and the entire last night I have spent thinking about him.
I might have met Aarav for the first time yesterday but I have been studying about him and his company for the past few months and everything about that man excites me. He’s been giving tough competition to all his rivals and no other company is that strong enough to fight his company’s reputation and profits but I know how to tackle it. Challenges like these have always got the best out of me. With that same enthusiasm, it was me who insisted Rudra invite the Raichands to our party last night though none of us had expected Aarav Raichand to accept that invite so easily. My theory said he wouldn’t make it to the party and as usual his company’s Vice President, Aman Mathur would show up. But I was stunned that he proved me wrong. His presence in public was rare in the last two years which made me believe he was out of the game and had allegedly stepped down from his title in the company but after seeing him in the party, and then knowing from Rudra later how he challenged us not to cross his way, I am sure we have read him wrong so far.Interesting.Very interesting.
Getting down from the bed, I reach for the window to see the sun rising in the sky. Every time I see the sun rising, it only boosts me to begin the day with a renewed vigor. There’s something stronger and stranger I feel whenever I see the sunrise though. Why? I am yet to find out.
In an hour when I come out of my room all set to leave for office, I hear the ringing bells of the little temple in the villa I am currently residing, at one of the prime locations of Juhu, Mumbai which is also my present home. This is my first trip to India with Rudra and I hope this is going to be as pleasant as I expect it to be. Focusing back on the temple bells, I make my way to the small room where I know just like every morning, Rudra would be offering his prayers. I stand there at the door, leaning over the doorframe and staring at him. I don’t understand where he got this spiritual trait from because his father is definitely not a very religious man.Like me.
When Rudra finishes the Puja and turns around, our gazes meet, and he hands me the prasad, which I gratefully accept. It's the same prasad he gives me every day, the one he prepares himself rather than delegating to the chefs.
“Thank you,” I smile.
“Don’t thank me. Just eat it.”
I roll my eyes at his domination but then oblige. It’s too sweet, as always.
“You feed me so many calories every morning that I am afraid to even consume sugar for the rest of the day. This prasad is the reason why I don’t skip my morning jog otherwise I’m going to gain weight, Rudra.”
He grins at my reply and keeps the Puja plate aside.
“You still won’t pray, would you?”
My face falls as I glance at the goddess idol before denying him. Rudra has coaxed me multiple times to pray and even though he knows why I don’t, he won’t understand.
“You are praying on my behalf already. That’s enough.”
With a deep sigh, Rudra guides me to the dining room where breakfast is served.
“What do you pray so much for?” I enquire. He bends to my ears when I’m seated on the chair.
“God gave me you. I just can’t thank God enough for the favor he did on me.”
His sincere words make me laugh.
“But-” He returns to his chair opposite me and takes a seat. “Doesn't matter how much I impress you; you are never convinced.”
I butter the bread, occasionally staring at him.
“It's not that I don't realize how much you love me, Rudra; it's just that I need a little more time.”
