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I glare at him, while he is unperturbed and relaxes back into the chair, totally getting under my skin. Jerk. The only thing that would lift my mood a bit is if he falls off his chair and lands flat on his face. “Fuck you.”
He continues to smirk at me as he opens the buttons on the coat of his black suit and leans forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “Can you act civil for once?”
It is my turn to give a vile smirk. “I doubt that’s even possible for me in your presence. You sure know how to raise my hackles.”
“Don’t you dare put this on me. I am not the one to be blamed for you screwing up so badly, which is making you sulky and grouchy.” He again sits back and laces his fingers behind his head, his face solemn as he gives me a measured look.
“You think I am not aware of that?” I reply in a deadpan voice. “I think we went over this conversation.”
Rolling his eyes, he replies, “Yeah, we did. But what I am not able to figure out is why the hell it is taking you so long to win your wife back. I thought you both were solid and could overcome any obstacle.”
“We are,” I grunt. “She just needs a little time. Moreover, as you pointed out last time, I have no choice but to give her that.”
“That’s wise of you to pay heed to my advice. I am highly obliged, Mylord!” He gives me a mock bow, which further infuriates me. Before I can give him a piece of my mind, he continues, “But what if giving her this space turns against you, and she will want nothing to do with you? Will you let her go?”
“No, never.”
“Then why are you doing nothing about it?”
I sigh. “Alisha has an issue that’s holding her back.”
“And what’s that?”
“She is worried about Mili.” My voice is hoarse. “It’s just that she thinks she will—” I hesitate before blurting out, “—come between Mili and me.”
His eyes narrow as he asks, “And do you feel that’s true?”
“No. Hell no!” I explode, my face a study of agony. “Alisha will never be the reason to hamper my relationship with Mili. I have no doubt that she is fond of Mili. In fact, she has everything in her to be the perfect mother. To tell you the truth, I want nothing more than to see Alisha, Mili, and I living as a happy family,” I answer swiftly without any hesitation, my tone defensive.
“It won’t be easy for Alisha to accept Mili as her daughter, no matter how much she adores her, especially not when Soha is still in the picture,” he strokes his chin as he utters that. “Maybe you both should simply sit down and have a word on how you wish to move forward together.” I open my mouth to say that is what I have been trying to do, but he holds up his hands, stopping me. “I know she is not ready to see reason at the moment. But if you continue to be persistent, she will eventually have no choice but to acknowledge it. She obviously loves you, and won’t be able to stay away from you for long. However, you will have to keep drilling that in her head.” He leans forward, spearing me with a sharp glance. “But do keep one thing in mind—when you get the second chance, don’t screw up again, because if you do, you’ll repent for the rest of your life. All hell will break loose and then there will be nothing to get you out of this quicksand.”
Hurt? Remorse? Sadness? For a nano second, I can see all of these emotions flash in his eyes.Wait! That can’t be! We know each other inside out and never have any secrets between us. Then how is it that I am unaware about this part of his life? Has he been hiding it from me? That’s a huge blow to me. I keep staring at him, trying to gauge his expressions. Either I am too influenced due to my own despair, or my instinct is correct.But by the time I take a deep breath and open my mouth to ask him if there is anything in his past that haunts him, his face turns expressionless and unemotional. I hold back my tongue, recognising the look on his face, the unmistakable sign that means he doesn’t want me to broach the subject. I don’t want to push him to open his wound if he doesn’t want to. Moreover,I am left with no option as of now but to wait for him to let me in, as it’s impossible to get anything out of him if he doesn’t wish to divulge.
“She’s being stubborn,” I complain, returning my attention to my ongoing issue.
“Finally, you found someone who makes you taste your own medicine.” He crosses his arms and shoots me a knowing look.
“She’s annoying.”
“Just like you.”
“She knows how to drive me mad.”
“Maybe you are just looking at the mirror,” he counters.
“Fine, I agree, she is the only woman who challenges me.” I slam my fist on the desk. “I am aware she is so much like me. She is not someone who will bend easily. She is strong, iron-willed, and in a way, difficult. For sure, she is the other half of my heart and the better half of my soul. That doesn’t even begin to explain how she is unlike anyone I’ve ever come across in my life. I am also aware that she is the best gift life has given me so far, and I know no one else can take her place in my heart. She makes me whole.” Breathless from my rant, I suck in a trembling, uneven gulp of air. I slump forward, drained out completely due to my overwhelming emotions, which I have bottled up within me for as long as I can remember. Akshay is listening to me patiently. “Every hour, every minute, every second that passes by, I miss her more and more. I don’t want a life without her in it. Each day I spend away from her is a torment. I need her by my side. I want her to be with me. Always. I just can’t fucking live without her.” My voice is vibrating with emotions as I look up at him with a tortured expression on my face.
“No one is asking you to,” he answers simply, lifting his brow. “If you can accomplish all the success in business, you can handle this.” His voice goes from serious to teasing as he adds, “Go the extra mile and pull yourself out of this shit.”
My lips curve up in a small self-deprecating smile. “Sometimes, I think it’s easier to fight all my competitors than to have to deal with this.”
He shrugs. “I agree relationships are not a piece of cake. They are complicated. You have no facts and figures. Nothing to give you the solid grounds for making the leap, except for your intuition and feelings,” he quivers and I witness the torment resurface in his eyes. “But I also know that you’ve got this. Trust me, nobody deserves this bliss more than you. It’s within your reach. Grab it,” he answers, his voice full of friendly compassion.
Before I can thank him for having my back, my phone starts vibrating. I pick up my mobile and read the text. It’s from Ajay. I stare at the picture he has sent. It’s Alisha. She looks as if she is in a deep conversation with Siddh.‘What the fuck?’A litany of foul words echo in my mind, as anger burns through me, threatening to turn into an inferno. I can’t wrap my mind around why the hell is Alisha even talking to this jerk.
Grumbling, I fire back a text, saying that I’m on my way. Ajay is quick to reply with the name of the coffee shop.
“What’s the matter?” Akshay asks with a quizzical expression as he studies my sudden shift of mood.
