22 - Spectator and Odd Men

Diya pov

"Come on dream bird, snap out of your dream" Yaashvi dragged my attention toward her.

I looked at her as she spoke further, "hope you don't forget that we are going to attend a meeting in an hour" she said placing a Pen drive on my table taking the seat beside me with a frown look.

"What happened to you?" I asked her.

She raised her eyebrows, "shouldn't I be the one to ask that question?"

I heaved a sigh and started to play with the pen in my hand as my thoughts again went to Arjun's face yesterday night the way he keeps on looking at my blood strained hand without averting his gaze apprised me something about the shrouded pain in his eyes.

There is a hell lot of things behind those emotionless eyes and his brother's anger that is bothering both of them to an extent.

What is they both are hiding? Why am I not getting the broken pieces together? How can I get into their problems?

"Again flew away into yo..." she stopped as a surprised gasp escaped her lips, "Diya, what happened to your hand" I quickly pulled my sleeve down to hide it but am already caught, "nothing just cut my hand while cooking"

If she knows the reason she would definitely bury me deep down the ground, "stop fooling me around, will you cut vegetables keeping them in your wrist" she took my hand and removed the band to examine the wound, "Vi, someone might see" I said keeping my hand hidden under the table looking my surrounding.

"Spineless creature" her voice filled with anger as she stood up quickly to walk away taking her handbag with her, she is definitely going to do something stupid, I caught her hand stopping her, "where are you going?"

"To kill someone" she was already out of the office without even informing our project lead, having no other choice I followed her taking my bad with me.

This will make the situation worse is she went to meet Arjun, she will definitely kill him with her anger. When I was outside the office I already saw her getting into the cab, I shouted her, "Yaashvi stop" but she is gone by now. So I followed her hiring another cab. Once we are outside his office, my body shivered unknowingly feeling an intense gaze on me.

"Yaashvi" I ran to her stopping her before she enters into the building, "have you gone crazy?" I tried to drag her but she is a bull out of reach to be in someone's hand for long, so I hold her with both my hands while the harsh act gave a sharp pain to my bruised hand, "Ssh" I moaned in pain as she stopped quickly, "come" she took me to the nearby small park and tied my hand with her kerchief silently thinking something very deeply.

"I am waiting," she said out of nowhere, "for whom?" I asked looking around as if we are waiting for someone, "for your explanation" I gave a confused looked while she gestured at my cut, "nothing big" I lied nervously looking at the grass.

"Spill. It. Out or I will do something that you might regret"

Having no other option I told her everything excluding the party, she again stood up to walk out of the park but I again hold her hand stopping her, why can't she control her anger, "stop being like this" I said.

"Stop being like what?" she shouted, "as you can fix it," I said calmly.

"I can't but you can get out of that hell hole. Fight for yourself" she paused drinking my expressions slowly, "it's like you have no shame and self-respect for you, why can't you oppose him? why can't you fight for yourself Diya?"

"I can but..."

"You are becoming more weak Diya, your blind love is making a brainless human" she shouted, "get out of your dreamland, he can't ever make you happy, he can never give you love, he will destroy you completely" I cried hearing the truth again and again.

"I know that my love won't succeed but"

"don't use them but he is keeping you with him just to get his father's business" she wiped my tears, "these tears won't matter to him" my heart pained beyond words.

"He was never like that before Vi, he was never like that. He loved me, he never let me cry..."

She slapped me hard on my cheeks as my eyes went wide in shock, she is breathing heavily in anger, "can't you see the truth? It's all an illusion in your eyes, he just acted, he is like a blood-sucking vampire slowly drinking your life" I shook my head, no he is not like that.

Reality strikes me, blood...

Blood.

Wiping my tears I took the paper I found in my father's study and Arjun's face while seeing my blood crossed my mind.

"this" the paper was out of my hand, "Vi.." she tore that paper into pieces before I could react.

I sat on the ground trying to take the tore papers as they are flying in air due to the air, "What have you done Vi?" tears rolled down my cheek. This is the only hope for me to know the problem in my life.

It's the only lead for me to know about my father.

"stop getting into trouble Diya, live your life peacefully, stop acting like a mad person," she said trying to get me to stand, I pushed her hand harshly, "why the hell you care?" I yelled at her, anger in me is making me blind, "okay, I will leave him. Happy?" I can feel my heart in an enormous pain uttering those words as tears flowed down miserably.

"Diya, I don't..." she said softly with teary painful eyes. I never said anything like this before, I am always calm and composed person but now I am losing it completely.

"Oh please stop it, I will leave him but not before discovering the reason behind this" I wiped my tear, "I don't need anyone's permission to do what I want to do. And I want you to be away from me" I took the tore papers and walked out of the park without glancing in her direction.

Lashing out on her is the last thing I want to do, I am slowly losing every important person in my life.

I went to his parent's house and started to examine the papers slowly trying to find some clue there not having any other choice, I went inside the wardrobe I took Arjun's comb and find two hairs in it.

The next day I gave the blood sample paper and his hair in a laboratory to do the DNA test, this will definitely give me some clue to move ahead in this situation.

While I moved towards the lab exit I saw a paper on the door pasted to it with a single word, the same word which made me stand here.

Blood

Tearing the paper I looked at my left and right to confirm that no one is around, fortunately, after finding none I felt fear surging in my heart.

And the feel of some intense gaze on my back confirmed someone is clearly watching me from yesterday after visiting Arjun's office.

Quickly I started walking towards my office which is 15 minutes walk. While crossing the road I felt someone grab my upper arm and pushed a paper in my hand and vanished away before I could register that face except the black hoodie covered his face

I stood paralyzed on the center of the street looking around here and there to see if anyone wearing a black hoodie.

My eyes widened in unmentioned thunderbolt and fear struck in me.

There are not just one but many more like ten to fifteen men walking in a black hoodie covering their head walking and prowling haphazardly.

Some gave me glances now and then, I took a step back and hit someone, "careful young lady" I gasped in fear and whirled around hearing a soft whisper and saw a woman, "i think we are blocking the road"

Her brown eyes shined under the sunlight giving it hard for me to read those eyes but the smile on her lips is normal.

Coming out of my thoughts I hear the roars of the horn sound tearing my ears, she holds my elbow and dragged me away crossing the road.

"Oh dear, what happened to your cheek, blood?" She wiped my cheek as I felt warm in my cheek.

But how come I have blood in my face?

I never hit anywhere nor I have pain there.

I looked at my mobile to see any traces of blood, but there is.

There is blood on my cheek, it seems wet by now.

What's happening around me?

I am sure I have never hit anywhere nor I had blood while leaving the laboratory, who put it on my face? What are they trying to say? Why is this confusion?

"Thanks," I said coming out of my confused state but stopped when I saw that women not near me.

She disappeared.

The black hoodie men's too disappeared out of air.

Reality struck me, she did it on my cheek.

I took my kerchief and wiped my cheek controlling the fear and tears ready to burst out of me.

"What are you doing here" I jumped in my place in fear hearing the voice from my back, quickly I turned around and saw Arjun standing there.

Handsome as always in his muscle hugging tight white shirt and the dark blue blazer fitting perfectly in his shoulder clinging to him like a flawless gentleman, the black hair gelled perfectly adding beauty to his look. A strange feeling of 'I am safe' spread all over me seeing him and the situation is being on his side at this time.

And I saw his bodyguards following him mainly looking at his surroundings rather than him. He saw ahead of me to my back and gestured his bodyguard something and he nodded going away with another one.

"You have unshed tears" his emotionless eyes drank me little by little as i blinked my lashes to get back the tears.

Turning around to walk away I stopped in when he spoke again, "stop visiting your father"

Did he say about my father? I am not in the mode to argue with him.

Come on dude, a girl can meet his father whenever she needs who are you to question me.

He can live with his revenge but I am not going to be a plaything between them.

But wait how come he knows about this? Glancing at his side, "are you following me?"

"Why would I?" His expression was desolate.

"Cause you like being dominant and fearful" I stated the truth what I felt, he wants everyone to be in his control.

"If you ever had the idea to visit Raghav, then I will be accompanying you" he started to walk into the building right in front of us. I ran to him and stood blocking his way while throwing me a blank look.

"Always giving another question to my question. You are definitely stalking me, Mr. Verma, why are you doing it? I want you to be away from my personal life"

"After you become my ex-wife" my body froze in his statement.

Controlling my pain, "then let me be free" I blinked my eyes, "from you"

He took a stride towards me with a straight look, "take a cab and go to your office" he just left just like that.

I stepped in front of him blocking his way, "how is Advik?" Seriously Diya?

Is it what you really wanna ask now?

"Would you like to accompany me to my business meeting?"

Failing to read those business eyes I stood paralyzed on the floor, "wash your face and meet me at the 13th-floor conference room, I think you will love to be there"

Apart from those shrinking eyebrows, I saw a slight smirk on his face which made me follow him.

He knows I have been trying to find about his past with my father and he wants me to find it rather than telling me by himself.

The arrogant nature on him is making his big fat ego much big than seeing the truth around him and I am going to break it into pieces.

Once stepping into the elevator, I promptly messaged my leave for the day to my project head, "I am going to prove you are wrong and kill that monster sitting above your brain"

"You don't have to listen to the meeting like my PA but be a spectator as not everyone will be getting your chance" I frowned in irritation and walked out after reaching the 13th floor.

"Tight up Ms. Diya"

Is he mad? Asking me to not listen and asking me to be a spectator, come on I am not as bright as him. I decided to be patient to see what he is trying to reveal.

We both entered into a conference hall as he walked in like a king of the country not minding the tonnes of men and two women looking at the almighty Arjun Verma walking on his own style indicating his powerful aura silencing the whole crowd.

I saw all of the most of them stand seeing Arjun except two men where they both just saw Arjun and me and then again to Arjun with a funny look which made my eyebrows shrink in dubiety sea.

"Hello, all" Arjun sat down on the only seat which is empty by now, having no other choice I stood there not disturbing them and also I look out of place.

I don't know who these peoples are.

I don't know what matter this meeting his held.

The two uncanny people's stare gave me confusion.

"Chair" Arjun's firm voice echoed in the hall as a waiter came with a chair placing it next to Arjun and opposite to a mid-twenties female girl who refused to avert her gaze from him like a piece of candy.

Thanking the waiter I sat down and looked at other peoples, most of them were middle-aged men, one lady in her early fifties while the two odd men one is in late forties and the other one is the late twenties. I don't know why the look that young man giving is irritating the hell out of me.

Upon noticing the peoples I forgot to register the king's gaze on me, quickly I turned to him as he seemed to be waiting for my single look, "let's start" he said looking straight at the projector as the lights went off when the women, I mean yeah the girl, sorry she looks old to her normal age.

She got up after getting consent from Arjun moved near the projector screen, "Morning gentlemen, I am..."

"Introductions apart, Miss, straight to the presentation" Arjun's rude conduct galled me, his world won't collapse within a second she introduces herself.

Gravelly laughter was heard in the crowd, "being grumpy already?"

I bet this voice definitely belongs to those two odd men, but who they are talking to, "get going Miss" Arjun's voice definitely sounded like a kingpin in his deep throaty voice.

When she started to do a presentation, I began to concentrate on the people rather than her words.

The man beside me started to note the points in his notepad with full concentration on the meeting, while the person opposite to him is playing with his pen looking down at the notebook as he now and then looked at the door like waiting for something.

I tried to watch him deep but he is not trying to give me any clue what he is waiting for except few stealing glances to his mobile now and then.

The man next to him is just looking at the presentation and asking frequent questions to her regarding the presentation.

Next to one of the odd men, the younger one. Rather than getting the presentation he is looking at her continuously smiling now and then, he definitely came here to play. He looked down at the table as his mobile quite visible in the dark indicating he got a notification.

He looked at it for a second and then his eyes conflicted to mine with fire in it, my breathing stopped for a second until he withdraws it with difficulty.

I looked at Arjun who sat as usual in his cold attitude. He then forwarded me a paper.

Sharpen your eyes

My eyes moved back to the young man, now his behavior seems to be totally abnormal as his concentration fall on the presentation.

Then the old man averted not his eyes from the projector.

The slight sound of the door opening made me tear my gaze to there, the same waiter came with some coffee cups in a trolley and started to place the cups to everyone with small notes under Arjun coffee when he placed it to me he smiled and said, "thank you mam"

My confusion reached another level, what is he thanking me to, I never did anything to him, "but..." my voice stopped when I heard a voice, "impressed" one of the men said shaking his hands with her.

While turning back to the waiter he was long gone to the next person, "Mr. Verma, who is this lady?" the old lady asked Arjun, he took a sip of tea, "a friend of mine" said giving his tea his full concentration.

"Won't she tell our business to others Mr. Verma" I literally rolled my eyes, like i am interested in this stuffs.

Arjun shrugged, "I don't care" seriously? Can't you even just say 'she won't'.

"well, you never cared about any of your business and personnel life" Mm this is getting out of topic.

Arjun leaned back on his seat and took a document in his hand, "from when onward my life became your concern Mr. Gurjar?"

Gurjar? I have heard this name somewhere. I turned to look at that old man to look into his features which were now in a playful smirk, his sly smile, "since your marriage" he hissed, "oops sorry just willing to know when will your marriage be?"

My eyes widened at his statement, now I can grasp the look that young man gave me, but how?

"For a second I thought this girl is your loved one," the young man said earning a glare from me.

"Oh, pardon me Ms. Diya on behalf of my son," Mr. Gurjar said how come he knows my name? I saw Arjun even utter a single word but he is still in his cold gaze on the little stunt they are pulling.

"How can I marry someone when I am in love with Meera Gurjar?"