CHAPTER 18
ABIR'S / MR. DIXIT'S POV
I sigh as I place my pen back on my desk. I am currently working in my office, with a big head ache making me want to rip my head off. Deciding to have a cup of coffee, I get up from my chair and walk towards the lift to go to the respective floor. But when the elevator doors open, I regret my decision almost immediately.
Because the person standing in there is Lina Sehgal, the person who has been flirting with me since the moment I stepped into this office more than four months ago.
I take a deep breath and get into the elevator. Once I step into the elevator and the doors close, I feel anxious as to what she is going to try this time.
Almost immediately, I feel her come close to me, trying to close the gap between the two of us. I edge myself towards the corner, trying to put some distance between us.
She slowly placed her well-manicured hands on my arm and gave me a slight squeeze.
"Hello Mr. Handsome", she tried to speak seductively, which made me want to bang my head on one of the walls.
I turned to her and gave her a tight-lipped smile.
"Going to have some coffee now Dev? I'll join you and we could bond over some nice coffee.", she spoke as soon as she noticed the floor number that I had punched in the lift.
"It's Mr. Dixit for you and no, I do not want to bond with you. So please consider this as a message and get that idea out of your head that I would actually want to talk with you. Thank you."
"Geez De- I mean Mr. Dixit. Calm down. But you would soon realize what you are missing out on", and she gave me a once over that made me want to pluck her eyes out.
The ringing of the phone interrupted our disastrous conversation, making me want to thank the caller with everything I own.
I took the phone out of my pocket and as soon as I saw the caller ID, a huge smile spread across my lips.
I would definitely thank her with everything I own. Including my life.
Mishti.
I picked the call and immediately I was treated with her melodious voice calling out my name, "Hey Abir!"
I immediately felt relieved as soon as she called me 'Abir'. I am slowly getting pissed with people calling me by my fake identity, 'Mr. Dev Dixit'. This is because I want to work in the Rajvansh Enterprises as a normal person, without being treated specially by everybody only because I am the heir of the company. The fact that all the old employees had not seen me in at least 12 years helped me fool the people quite easily. And convincing my mom for this was a huge task, but she consented eventually. Me and mom act like strangers anyway, so people did not get suspicious. Only the people who were my schoolmates or college-mates and recognized me, were informed of this identity change and they have kept the secret well as well. For almost four months now, people have been calling me Dev Dixit for the majority of my day. Only once I reach Maheshwari Sadan or my house, people call me by my real name and slowly now this has started frustrating me.
"Hi Mishtipie. Why are you calling now- ", I checked my watch quickly, "-at 2 PM? Are your classes over already?"
"No Abbi. The class at 1.45 got cancelled. So, we are sitting here simply. I have the next at 3.30 only", after a short pause, she continued, "Wait, am I disturbing you?"
"No, not at all. You would never distu- ", I wasn't able to complete the sentence as my phone was snatched from my hand.
Lina started talking rudely into the phone, "Hello Miss", she removed the phone from her ears and checked the caller ID, "Mishtipie? Yeah whatever. Please shut up and do not disturb us. Thank you.", saying so, she cut the call abruptly making my insides burn in anger.
I snatched my phone back and tried not to bark at her, "Stay within your limits Ms. Sehgal. You do not have any rights to talk to her like that. It would be nice if you could keep that in your mind."
I walked out of the elevator as the doors opened. A few steps later, I turned back to her, "And one more thing. I am not interested in you. Get that into your head. It would be great if you could do that."
With that, I make my way to the canteen and place an order for a coffee. I wait and collect my order, before paying the cashier and take a place at one of the empty tables. I sigh as I think about my life here. I wouldn't say I didn't like my job. I am good at it and it is nice in a way, but this does not excite me in a way photography does. It has been my passion and I have loved taking photos since a young age. My interest into photography came along with my father, who always taught me to enjoy all the smallest things in life. So naturally, I loved clicking pictures of the most miniscule things in the world. And the most favourite picture taken by me is that of Mishtipie's eyes.
It is a very tight shot of both of her eyes, with minimal lighting, illuminating her slightly brown eyes. In that picture, her eyes look as if they are conveying a message to the world. Whenever I look at them, I get lost in them, trying to find answers to the soft and heart-warming look in them. And whenever I felt upset or tensed, that picture managed to calm me down.
It gave me peace.
I took that picture around 5 years ago, when she was around 13-14 years old. I decided that I would take a whole photoshoot with Mishtipie as my model and let me tell you, each and every picture that I clicked of her was a masterpiece. All of them are my treasures, that I would preserve till my last breath. I remember being super nervous, asking her to be my model. She was too taken aback at first, but she gave me a yes. She looked like a fresh flower in her flowy white Anarkali, and I couldn't take my eyes off her. I clicked almost 400 photos that day, all of them are safe in my laptop.
I suddenly realize that I need to call Mishti back. I quickly pick my phone and dial her number. She picks it on the third ring, "Hey Mishtipie I am so sorry about what happened I- "
She interrupted me, "No Abir. I am sorry, you must have been busy at office. I don't know what I was thinking. Sorry Abbi."
"Mishtipie what are you apologizing for? In fact, I was going for a break to have some coffee. That stupid Lina's fault not yours."
She chuckled slightly, "Stupid Lina?"
I chuckled back, "Yes, stupid Lina. She doesn't take this hint that I don't like her. Torturing me again and again"
She laughed, "So she's heading 'the Abir Rajvansh Fan Club' at your office, huh?"
I smile crept on my face, "No, more like, 'Mr. Dev Dixit Fan Club'."
I could her the confusion in her voice, "Mr. Dev Dixit?"
I hummed, "Oh yeah. That's what I am here", I spoke lowly, checking if somebody is listening into my conversation.
"Oh, I get it. Got you.", I smiled at her response. Most of the time I do not need to explain all my ideas and actions, because she understands everything I do, without me explaining myself.
"So, any particular reason you called me?"
"Actually, yeah. I just realized it now. It's Kunal's birthday this weekend. So, I thought the two of us could go to Mumbai and give him a surprise. I know I could have talked to you in the evening or even tomorrow, but I was too excited to keep it all to myself. So, what do you think?"
Once she told me, I actually realized that time ran so fast that it is already mid-December now and Kunal's birthday is indeed coming up this weekend.
That means...
Mine comes up two weeks later.
My birthday coincides with New year. While the whole world celebrates New year with pomp and joy, I celebrate it sulking in a corner of my room. While people take happy and positive resolutions, the only resolution I take is to not hurt anyone and not give them grief.
Like I gave my mother.
Mishti brought me out of my thoughts, "Abir, are you there?"
"Huh, yeah. I mean, yeah I'm there. Yeah, I think the plan sounds good. We could do that."
I could feel her grinning on the other side, "Yes! That's settled then. We could do all the planning tonight then! See you then! Bye!". I could feel the excitement in her voice, in seeing her brother after around four months.
I chuckled slightly to myself.
This girl makes me melt every time.
***
Hey guys! This is Chapter 18! Hope you guys liked this one!
So yeah, Mr. Dixit has made an appearance ; )
And Mishbir are going to Mumbai soon! <3
Thank you!