Shehnaaz looks around for her bag and pulls out her clothes from it. She freshens up and gets ready and leaves the Mittal house.

She stops an auto and takes ride home. While she gets down the auto, her 21 year old cousin, Riya looks at her and happily runs inside the house to inform others.

"Mummy, Papa, Taaya, Taayi, Daddu.. Shehnaaz di has come", she screams in joy.

When Shehnaaz enters the house, she was surrounded by her family members who hugged her and greeted her one by one.

"What a pleasant surprise! You were supposed to come today evening right. You are home early.", Says her mother kissing her forehead.

Shehnaaz plasters a fake smile on her face and thinks
Yeah, nobody knows that I had come yesterday evening itself to give them  surprise but instead got a shock of my life when I heard daddu speaking on his phone with Mittal's daddu. Look at my daddu, acting so innocent by displaying his dentures. The horror trailer I saw few minutes back at Mittal house gave me chill, how do I watch the whole movie? Daddu surely hates me else he wouldn't have asked me to marry into that haunted house.

"Okay Shehnaaz, freshen up and come. Will have lunch together.", Mom declares.

Shehnaaz nods and go to her room. She goes to have lunch where her entire family was present. While they were all having lunch, Shehnaaz's phone rings.

(Phone Rings)

Shehnaaz looks at her phone, it was an unknown number. She receives it.

"Hello", she answers.

"Hello, Am I speaking with Ms. Shehnaaz Saxena?", A lady asks.

"Yes, you are", Shehnaaz replies

"Good day Ma'am. I am calling from Mittal Lights. You have an appointment with our CEO, Mr. Sidharth Mittal today evening at 6:30pm at Taj. I just called you to remind you the same.", The lady spoke.

Shehnaaz rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I know. Thanks for the reminder.", Said Shehnaaz before disconnecting.

God! Did I really agree for this crappy arrangement? Argghhh.. seriously these were suppose to be dates but now it sounds like some business meeting. There are 0% chances of me falling in love with a person like Mittal.

She bangs the phone on the table in frustration and looks up to find all others staring at her.

"Whose phone was it Naaz Beta?", Asks her grandfather in a teasing tone.

She narrows her eyebrows and clenches her jaws but then remembered that he was her own grandfather so she gulps the anger and speaks.

"Daddu, got a reminder for a job interview today evening.", She says.

"But beta why do you want to work now? You are getting married into Mittal family in 15 days.", Says her uncle.

"Yes Chaachu, I know I am getting married. But I am not growing horns in 15 days that I stop functioning normally in my life after marriage. I would continue to do what I am doing even after marriage.", Says Shehnaaz.

"Fine Beta, but you should start discussing it with Sidharth before taking any decisions from now on.", Says her grandfather.

"Really daddu? As if you discussed with me before fixing my marriage with him.", She says super annoyed.

"Shehnaaz! Is this the way you speak to elder's now? Start behaving yourself, you are soon going to be part of Mittals. You will have much more responsibility after marrying big people.", Her mother scolds.

"Stop chanting Mittal Mittal and glorifying him like God Vithal everyone.", She gets up from her chair annoyed after picking up the half paratha in her plate and leaves.

Post lunch, Riya comes to her room.

"Di, I am getting bored at home, shall we go out for window shopping or a movie?", She asks.

"Riya, I am tired. Plus I have to leave for the interview if you remember.", Shehnaaz says.

"Common Di, I am not others who would get convinced with such excuses. It's weekend and plus who interviews so late in evening?", She asks.

"Smarty pants! I work in entertainment industry, so I need to be flexible hence the odd timing.", She says.

"Okay di, atleast can we watch some movie together on Netflix?", She asks.

Shehnaaz agrees and they both start watching movie.
.
.
.

"Sir, are you expecting someone or can I take your order?", Asks the server at Taj.

"Unfortunately, I am waiting for someone but can you get me a glass of wine please? This one here.", He says pointing at the menu.

"Certainly Sir.", The server goes to get the order.

Sidharth looks at the watch. It was 6:46pm. He was frustrated since he had reached exactly at 6:30pm sharp and had been waiting for her ever since.

"Hey Mittal!", Says Shehnaaz tapping on his shoulder from behind.

He turns around and glares at her.

"Ms. Shehnaaz Saxena, do you realise that you are late?", He asks.

"Yeah, I know. I am sorry.", She says.

"What? Look, I know for you time means nothing but for me it means money. Mind you! I won't give you more than an hour if you are late. I have other important commitments.", He said.

"Dude! You talk so much! Aren't you get tired of saying money money whole day? Relax, I won't ask you for extra time. I know nothing can happen between you and me. I, simply don't even feel motivated to meet you.", She said.

He stared at her being speechless. The waiter serves him the drink. She looks at him in surprise.

"Are you going to drink?", She asks.

"Why? Do you have any problem? Don't worry I know my limits unlike few who drink and act insane.", He says with a smirk.

"Yeah, people who are not used to drinking often go out of limit but I am sure your experience must have made you pro in behaving normal even after drinking.", She gives him an intense stare.

"I am not an alcoholic. I am a social drinker.", He says.

"I am not an alcoholic. I was a first time emotional drinker.", She says.

He couldn't hold back but chuckle at that sentence. She stares at him.

"What would you like to have?", He asks pushing a menu infront of her.

"Nothing!", She says.

"Huh?", He raises his one eyebrow in question.

"There are two reasons for it. One, I can't afford to eat at this lavish place. Two, we just have 31 minutes left.", She says while looking at her watch.

"I can afford to pay for you as well and about time, I will leave at 7:30pm, but you can sit here even until 10:30pm.", He says.

"No, thanks. I don't believe in taking favours from strangers. We aren't even friends yet. Plus, you care so much about money that I don't want to waste any of yours.", She says.

"Hmm.. So will you continue to be like this for the remaining 14 days?", He asks.

"I don't mind changing myself, if I am wrong. In this case, I don't see anything wrong. Am I?", She asks.

He shrugs.

"By the way, how much did you pay for the auto yesterday?", She asks.

"Huh? Why?", He asks.

"I want return it back to you. I don't want to keep any favours.", She says.

"Hmm.. Rs. 500", he says.

"What? Bloody rascal! He charged way to high for the ride.", She said angrily.

"Hey, no he had asked for some.. hmm... Rs. 340.. but I didn't have change so I asked him to keep the change.", He said.

"What? That's Rs. 160 extra. That's equivalent to buying a 9 Watts LED bulb of your company. Huh!! I am not paying you that 160 extra. I will only pay you Rs. 340.", She says by searching her purse for exact change.

Sidharth starts laughing uncontrollably. She narrows her eyebrows and looks at him.

"What's so funny in it? Huh?", She asks.

"Ms. Saxena, are you serious? You said that I talk about money, but from the time you've entered, you have been the one talking about money here.", He says.

She frowns and pulls his hand and placing 3 notes of hundred, 1 note of 20 and 4 coins of 5 on his palm. He shakes his head in disbelief looking at the money.

"Looks like you swept your whole purse for this money. How would you go home?", He asks.

"I swept purposely for the change so that you don't end up paying more next time. I still have money for my transport. For your kind information, I am not money minded, I am thrifty. I haven't acquired money from my forefathers to spend it lavishly. I work for every penny and have to account for it as well. I earn in few thousands hence I care for paises. You earn millions hence you don't mind wasting few thousands.", She says.

"I was thinking that you were irritating when you are drunk but you proved me wrong. You are more irritating when normal.", He said.

She smiles sarcastically.

"Thank you! So, why don't you reject me then?", She asks.

"I would have, if my grandfather had just taken a promise by keeping my hand on his head but instead he chose to write a conditioned will.", He said sipping the last sip of the wine from his glass.

He kept his credit card into the bill file and the waiter takes it.

"I bet! Your grandfather knows you better. The kind of money minded person you are, he chose to use money to get his work done.", She says staring into his eyes.

"And your grandfather knows you better. The kind of emotional fool you are, he chose to emotionally blackmail you to get his work done.", He says equally intensely staring into her eyes.

None wanted to give up in the staring game hence they were silent and continued staring until Sidharth's phone rang. He looked at his phone. He had set a timer for an hour. He picked his credit card and pushed it into his wallet.

"See you tomorrow, Ms. Saxena", he said as he left the table and walked out.

"Huh!! See you tomorrow", she mimics him in frustration.

"My foot!!!", she stomps out in frustration.

___________________________

To be continued.. ❤️❤️

That was the first hour guys, full of anger, frustration and taunts. Ab aage kya?

Vote bhi kar lo.