Chapter Seventeen
"Also either breathe or leave my tie if you can't do that in this state."
⧠P R E E T â§
"I want to meet Deven Mehrotra," I said politely to the last sitting at the reception and tucked my sunglasses above my head. She spared me a glance, and later her eyes fell on the flowers in my hand.
Oops. Should've kept them in the car.
What car?
Oh, yeah. I don't have a car. Yet.
Never mind, short-term memory loss is what people call this. I was so habitual of cars back in India, let it be my family's, now here I keep forgetting that I travel by public transport.
Living on your own teaches you a lot, I must say. Although it's tough, it gives you a sense of maturity, and what's better than exploring things by yourself?
Coming back to flowers, I got some for Deven.
Well, initially I was going to buy some for myself but then I thought to give him a tiny surprise. I know it won't mean much to him as those are just flowers but anyway, I had the urge to give those to him. He has done a lot for me, from agreeing to do this shit I've pulled up to help me that day to dealing with Aniketh.
He deserves some pretty white roses.
For which I paid extra just because they looked very pretty. And those were also the reasons behind this gesture of mine to give him flowers as a friend.
Flowers should be normalised. We should give it to the people who matter to us. It's not a rule to buy flowers romantically.
Okay, but why am I over-explaining myself? Let it be. I do sound like I'm trying to convince myself my intentions are friendly. Well, they are. Maybe.....not.
Not after I just dreamt about him last night. It was very nice, dreamy....and a little freaky. Although we don't talk about that. Let it be a secret I hold in my heart even in my grave.
"If you want our company to market something for you then you would have to book an appointment. I fear I can't let you meet the Marketing Director directly." She later replied after speaking with someone over the call.
"You're misunderstanding it. I'm his good friend." She nodded in understanding after hearing my reply.
"My bad. What's your name?" She asked me.
"Preet Randhawa." She looked into her MacBook and her eyes searched for something for a short period of time. Later she exclaimed,
"You're on the list of people."
"Sorry, what list?" I asked, not being able to under what she was referring to.
"All the main directors here give us the names of people who are family or friends or important, and we allow them to go to their office if they do not pick up the intercom." She explained leaving me amused.
Why would I be on his list? This is the first time I've been to his office. And that, too, he never told me where it was, but I found the address through Rushaad.
"Oh. Alright." She told me the way to his cabin which was on the second floor. I felt a few eyes on me as I climbed the stairs. Ignoring them, I smiled to myself remembering the list thing.
Somewhere, it made me happy.
Walking out of the elevator, I went towards the left to the last cabin, as she told me. I read the silver nameplate, Deven Mehrotra.
As if all my confidence left my body, the nervousness kicked in. Am I supposed to knock or just give him a call?
What if he laughs in my face for doing this?
I noticed the door was slightly open; I took a deep breath and pushed it a little. My smile fell as soon as I saw the scene in front of me or more like the woman in front of me leaning towards Deven, who was sitting on a chair.
He couldn't see me as I was facing his back and the woman didn't notice me as she was busy purposely flashing her cleavage on his face. Her posture was seductive.
For a second, I thought it might be someone else, and I misunderstood it, but I remember Deven leaving wearing the same light blue shirt. I chose that for him when he asked me to.
Damn. That's some nice shit here.
Immediately after closing the door lightly, making sure I didn't disturb them, I went back to cascading the stairs. I wonder why a pang of hurt with a wave of anger hit me hard and I wished to laugh at my stupidity.
What I felt was unreasonable because nothing was going on between me and him. But seeing him with someone like that did hurt me.
He should have at least told me about her.
Why would he flirt with me and then romance with some pretty girl in his office? And that is why he wasn't picking up the call from the receptionist.
Fuck it. Fuck it. Fuck it.
I reached downstairs back to the reception; my expression contradicted the one I went in with.
It shouldn't affect me.
But it is.
I stormed out my way back and heard the receptionist speaking to someone. It was my name which caught my attention. "Yes, I sent her to your office...Umm her name, Preet Randhawa."
Okay so now he knows that I was here.
Way to embarrass yourself.
"Ma'am, sir asked you to wait." I heard her. Shaking my head at her I walked out of the building. I'd cry if I had to face him right now. I don't want that.
"Preet." I heard my name being called out as soon as I took three steps outside his office building, and I knew who exactly it was. Pretending that I didn't hear him, I increased my pace.
I heard loud footsteps as if he was running, and within seconds, I felt him stopping me by holding my wrist. I turned around only to look at him panting, trying to catch his breath, his hair all messy and a worried look on his face.
"Yes?"
"Why are you leaving?" He asked.
"You could have at least told me that you were with someone," I replied in a low voice trying hard not to sound jeal-nevermind.
"No. No. Whatever you're thinking is not what happened." I scrunched my brows to look at him. A part of me was dying to know what his explanation was and to believe it. "Let's go back, and I'll explain everything, okay?"
I hummed in response and he didn't leave my hand yet but rather caressed the back of it. I stole a short glance at him through the corner of my eyes.
He looks pretty today. Boy pretty.
"By the way, what are you doing here? I mean how do you know where my office is?" He asked me.
"I asked Rushaad." I gave him a curt reply. "Looks like I made a mistake."
Ignoring me, we went back towards his cabin while the receptionist just chuckled, looking at me. I was about to question why she did the same, but then I noticed her eyes on him, holding my hand and leading my way, not caring that we were in his workplace.
I didn't care either. Let everyone see and talk about it. Let that girl hear about this.
"Is she still here?" I asked after we reached in front of his cabin again. He passed me a stern look with a straight face while I just shrugged. I could see that he was pissed at my taunt. Let him be.
"No." We entered his cabin and it was huge and aesthetic. The type of cabin I could only dream of. It was mostly cream-coloured, but some parts of it had shades of brown, making it look way better. I was in awe looking at his office.
While I was busy gawking at his office interiors, he pushed a photo frame into a drawer with two fingers and immediately closed the drawer.
I suspiciously looked at him and he didn't even notice me see that. His actions told me that he didn't want me to see that.
What if he had a wife the whole time, and the photo frame was of his wife and kids?
Not possible. But then, what was the photo frame?
"Here, drink some juice." He said passing me the untouched glass of orange juice. I folded my arms below my chest and kept staring at him. He raised his brows and I didn't bother to reply.
"I will tell you everything. Drink it first and calm yourself. You look so mad that you will pounce on me and eat me any second." This angered me more.
"I'm not mad," I said.
"And I'm Karan Johar."
I gave him a side eye at his choice of person and he muttered ."Where did that come from?"
I accepted the orange juice as it was way better than hearing his bullshit. I accidentally banged the glass too hard on the desk and he flinched at that.
"Madam, chill." He held my shoulder and made me sit on the same chair where he was enjoying himself with that woman.
"Sure," I murmured sarcastically. I didn't know why I was feeling this way, so pissed and irritated. Let it be anything but I wasn't jealous.
He kept quiet for a while and I could feel his gaze upon me. I tried to distract myself by picking up the unique paperweight of a Chinese doll. I wonder where he got that from.
"I got that from China. I visited there for some work." I nodded.I was impatiently waiting for the moment he started with what was happening as I was very curious. And my heart wouldn't get peace if I didn't get to know about it.
"Speak!" That came out as a yell unintentionally after my jar of patience filled up, and my eyes fell on him, making a puppy face.
"Sorry. First of all, I am not with her. I don't even like her. No, ew. I can't imagine being with...yeah, so what happened was that she is the secretary of the CEO who keeps flirting with me and giving me those bad stares; I swear I start to feel uncomfortable whenever she lays her eyes on me." He started with something else and a glare from my side made him start the main topic.
Everyone who sees him wants him.
"So, she came here to tell me about a meeting and later started getting closer, which made me sit on the chair, then she acted like she tripped on the surface and hovered over my face, chudail kahiki. I don't know which part you saw exactly but I also told her 'Behen maaf karo na mujhe.'" He explained the whole situation animatedly to me.
[Witch/Sister please leave me.]
"Why do you even deal with her? Complain about her unprofessionalism to someone." I said.
"Arey, she keeps threatening me that she'll file a fake case. But anyway, I waited patiently to see what extent she could go to so that she would get recorded in the CCTV and I'd have proof against her. But then you entered at the moment thinking that I was with her and banged the door. I called the reception to ask her who it was and then she told me it was you. I'd not like her even if she was the last girl alive on the earth. Trust me." I squinted my eyes trying to detect if he was lying.
I know he wasn't. But my anger was taking over my senses.
"How do I know if you're not lying?" This came out of my mouth before I could comprehend its meaning. I was questioning him like I was his wife.
Preet Deven Mehro- Shut the fuck up.
He clicked his tongue in irritation. And whether it was my built-up fuming anger or what I don't know, I pulled his black tie, causing him to lean towards me. I again did the same until his face was dangerously close to mine in the same way that that woman's face was to his a while ago.
"You were this close to her, Deven. This close." I said. The bold lioness inside me died when his wide-eyed, shocking expression turned into a soft, cunning smirk.
"So? Were you jealous, wifey?" He asked and kept his hands on the hand rest caging me in between.
"I was not." Now I was the scared cat who tried to meow. What the hell did I just do and why? The tables turned real quick.
"I see." He said in a low voice, and I touched my back to the chair, leaning backwards, trying to maintain some decent distance.
You brought this upon yourself. Now enjoy.
Suddenly, the air turned cold, and I felt goosebumps all over my arms. His collar button was open, and the tie was messy because of me, and I could see the tattoo trying hard to peep. It's suddenly hot in here now.
"Are you sure you are not jealous?" He made a way to my ear, almost brushing his cheek with mine and whispered.
"Yes. I was not jealous." I replied trying to sound firm. I could smell his cologne which was enough to drive away all my senses and make me go crazy.
Why did I not think twice before pulling him just like that?
"You are bold when you're not jealous." He said and touched his nose with mine causing me to blink. And he brushed his nose against mine with a smile lingering on his face. I could feel thousands of butterflies in my stomach. "And also super cute."
He tucked a few strands of the hair falling on my face behind my ear and scanned my face, causing blood to rush to my cheeks. "And super pretty."
"Also either breathe or leave my tie if you can't do that in this state." I immediately left the tie and took a deep breath, biting my lips in nervousness. He was correct, I was holding my breath.
I got quiet and found my peace and betterment in silence. It's risky when I let my emotions flow. Now, because of what I said and did, he would one hundred per cent think that I was jealous. I don't want him to think that.
I don't even know why I reacted that way. Although I tried my best to convince myself that I wasn't jealous, I slightly was. I couldn't figure out why and how he had started affecting me so much.
I'm just sure that it's from that night when my head was wandering around in guilt and regrets, and he and his arms were the ones to provide me solace.
Before that day, I didn't even see him in that way, but now suddenly I couldn't stop. It felt nice being with him. So much more than just nice.
As if he understood my awkwardness he changed the topic and asked, looking at my hands. "Who gave you these flowers?"
"Aniketh," I lied, just to tease him. He raised his eyebrows at me and I passed him a half shrug.
"Oh, show me." I hesitated and passed him the flowers I got for him. He took a nice 360-degree look at them and walked somewhere. Before I could understand what he was doing, he threw them in a dustbin and all I could hear was the sound of it closing. And this genius rubbing his hands pretending to dust off the dust.
"Ayeeee," I said, standing up from the chair and gazing at him, face-palming myself. "I got those for you, Sir. I was joking."
His jaw dropped, and he immediately went towards the same dustbin and picked them up, brushing them lightly to remove dirt, if any.
"Sorry, sorry." He said and I gave him a side eye. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Luckily, there wasn't any garbage in the bin. It was new and fresh."
"Oh." I chuckled at him. I was going to bring the now who was jealous thing, but I feared that it would backfire on me again. So I let it be.
"But why would you bring flowers for me? Did you come here to confess your love for me or something? " His tone was teasing and playful.
"Dream about it."
"Then? Can I get to know the reason?"
"No." I replied bluntly and he stared at me. "Be happy that I gave you flowers or return them to me."
"Okay, Tigress. I'm the happiest." He turned his head towards the flowers and smelled them with a wide smile on his face.
"I'll keep these flowers with me forever as proof that someone called Preet, who was my fake wife, was not jealous but was going to burst like a volcano after seeing me with someone else." I just rolled my eyes at him.
"First, show the CCTV as proof and get the woman fired."
"Done, anything else ma'am?" I shook my head. "Also, you look very beautiful today I must say."
He said after eying me from top to bottom. I had worn a long grey pencil skirt paired with a white crop top. I loved my today's outfit, it made me feel way more confident.
"The outfit looks pretty good today, I know. I'm proud of it." I said and twirled around happily. He smiled looking at my antics.
"No, not the outfit. You look beautiful."
"Thank you." You look hot too.
I've no idea where did that come from. But something major had changed in my perception towards him. I feel attracted towards him and it is very sudden, because few days back If someone told me I'd get so jealous over him, I'd be laughing on their faces.
I feel different for him now. Or more like I've started to feel something for him.
â§
A chapter after a very long time. I hope it was worth the wait.
So what are your thoughts on their equation right now? Preet getting jealous was not on the plate right now, was it?
Does it feel too rushed?
Don't forget to click the start button and leave your reviews on it. It took a lot of time to get out of the writer's block. I wish not to get demotivated now. ð¥²
Quick question:- are you the jealous type like Preet?