perturbation

/ˌpəːtəˈbeɪʃ(ə)n/

Origin

Late Middle English: from Latin perturbatio(n-), from the verb perturbare 'disturb greatly'

NOUN

1  [mass noun] Anxiety; mental uneasiness.

'she sensed her friend's perturbation'More example sentencesSynonyms. 1.1 [count noun] A cause of anxiety or uneasiness.'Frank's atheism was more than a perturbation to Michael'More example sentences

2  A deviation of a system, moving object, or process from its regular or normal state or path, caused by an outside influence.

'these shifts and swings in wildlife populations are possibly related to climatic perturbations'

  2.1  Astronomy A minor deviation in the course of a celestial body, caused by the         attraction of a neighbouring body.

There was a tenseness to my muscles that made me more like a mannequin than a woman of flesh and bone. I, so wanted to dissolve into the ground yet my brain was a violent whirl of stupidity, trying to organise the chaos in my life. High above was an eagle; the sultry air being beaten by colossal black feathers, darker even than one would like it to be.

I shuddered somewhat seeing Randhir step out of his car and in the next moment, I knew he was  highly intoxicated because there wasn't a single step he took without losing balance. Wrapping arms around my waist, I kept watching his every step; rerunning every conversation in my mind that we last had. He wasn't only bringing back those harsh words he said to me that haunted me for a long time but also flashes of that unfortunate night when I was this close to losing the man I ever loved.

In order to make sure Manik wasn't covered in blood like that time, I turned my head a little and there he was standing by his car holding his position but unlike me, his eyes weren't meeting my worried ones. As if, he had a thousand things going inside when his fretful eyes were watching Randhir trip closer to me.

Why were we both so afraid? Of what? Why did it seem he was afraid of losing me when he himself wasn't mine? Why was I afraid of him being afraid of losing me when I knew I had nowhere else to call my home? Why were we so timorous? And, why couldn't we just be a little more brave and read the answers in another's eyes? Maybe, he was timid that he would read something he was hesitant to and I, skeptic that I would read nothing at all.

Here, I was standing in the middle of two important men in my life who hated one another; worries dwelling in both pair of eyes. I let out a jagged breath when I felt Randhir have inched quite closer and his intoxicated breath was ruffling my senses.

"Nandini...." He stretched his arms, white sleeves rolled till his elbows and I stood rooted lowering my eyes. As per the situation, I anticipated him to engulf me in his embrace not knowing what was I supposed to do next but it was weird when few seconds passed and I was untouched.

Muddled, I opened my eyes which travelled to an irritated Randhir standing with his arms still stretched gaping at his abdomen and as my eyes followed his, I found Manik's palm there keeping the drunken man a slight away from me.

"Are you going to keep me away from her?" A very irritated Randhir questioned a very calm Manik.

"Especially when you are this wasted." He replied, poised.

"Nandini?.." Randhir asked helplessly as I looked down at my feet "Are you going to need someone to have yourself protected from me? Me, out of all the people? D-do you think I can ever harm you?" I felt a sudden guilt in my chest. He was there for me every time. Every time, when this city gave me nothing but pain and he was the only friend sitting silently beside wiping away my tears.

Manik's confident eyes descended to his palm placed flat on Randhir's guts and I could say that he was losing a battle in his own mind as he felt my fingers crawl upon his; moving them off Randhir. To some extent I believe, I saw devastation in his eyes when Manik pulled a soft frown questioning me if that was really something I wanted. Receiving assurance in the form of a faint nod, he withdrew his hand completely.

"Nandini," I faced Randhir who held my hands in both of his palms. "Is it too late?"

I wanted to tell him how his words have shredded my soul and how much he was absent when I needed his friendship in the past one month, I wanted to ask him to get the hell away for leaving me in the middle of the road but I settled for looking away somewhere not particular into the horizon.

"I know I have hurt you. I.. I wasn't myself that day. For-g-i-ve me for not hearing the cry of your heartbeats over my stupid rationality." He hiccupped. "Forgive me for leaving you behind like an option. Forgive me for having you and yet losing you whereas in reality the loss was never yours..or perhaps it was.. but it was me who lost everything when I decided to walk out on you." He enjoined his hands resting his forehead at the tip and I exhaled shakily feeling my throat choke.

I wanted to tell him lot more than I planned to but this sudden lump in my throat was messing everything up. In the last one month, I always thought what would it be like to come across him suddenly one day and not being able to look into one another's eyes because of discomfort caused by the ghost of our past actions and that to be true, made me feel miserable. He was a friend. And, I realised his importance only when he was gone.

I took a step back feeling my knees turn liquid when my heart suddenly picked up its rush feeling Manik interlace his slender fingers with mine. Tearfully, as I turned to him I read his eyes asking if I was okay and helplessly, I nodded a no..because I was not. His fingers tightened around mine as if he wanted to provide the comfort to my veins.

"You-" I cleared my throat once feeling a trembling tone come out of me "should go home, Randhir."

"I was mad that day, beautiful. I wasn't looking where I was going until I sat inside my car only to realise I was walking away from you. I-I... how do I make you understand... I have lost a lot of precious things, Nandini and I don't want you to be one of those. There wasn't a single night in this span of 30 days when I have closed my eyelids not wanting to see you on the other side. I..." I could see the way he choked mildly and tears blurred his vision. My eyes moved to his appearance and one wouldn't be able to recognise the charming and proper Randhir Shekhawat standing so fragmented and disheveled.

"You are drunk. You need to go home and rest." I sniffed taking in his scruffy image.

"I am so sorry.." His voice trailed off as he out of nowhere pulled me into his muscled arms having me jerk a little ahead at the intensity.

My heart broke at the way he was shattering into pieces and I lifted my right arm to place on his back. Something felt odd as I wasn't able to wrap my left arm to comfort him and realisation hit me like a bullet train that Manik was still holding it.

The way Randhir locked me tight as if assuring him I really was there provided me with very little room to rotate my head but as I managed to, from the corner of my eyes I could see my left arm hanging in the air locked in someone else's grip. Life was so awkward and unpredictable to say the least because I was there sticking my head to my friend's chest with another arm locked into my love's lock who was looking away from the two of us.

"It means..there is still hope. You-you still care for me, don't you?" Randhir's words went unheard as my eyes were glued to the veins in Manik's neck popping up.

Randhir shook me a little by my shoulder and his height was towering over me when he cupped my cheek with utmost endearment.

"You still care for me...right?" He asked, petrified of my reaction and I hated to see the hope die down in his eyes when I was taking lot more time to answer the question than I should have.

Lowering my eyes, I bobbed a feeble yes processing his words in my mind when I felt a string of my heart tear apart as my left arm started feeling the cold air touching the skin. I twisted my neck only to find Manik walking closer to his car but he didn't leave; rather he stood there resting his hands on the roof of his car staring at the closed shutter of a grocery shop.

Randhir grinned registering my yes in his drunken mind, "I-I was waiting for you over here the whole night. Are you-are you all right? Why do you look so pale? Have you not been eating or sleeping or-"

"Randhir, I think we should talk." I freed my clasped fingers off his grip.

"Will you give me a chance to explain everything and make it up to you? I- I won't need more than fifteen minutes, I swear." The drunken man started hauling me towards his car when I shrieked.

"Yes. Yes, I will give you the chance to explain yourself as I too have a lot of details to hear out myself. But-but not now." I shrugged.

"But you said..."

"I said I will hear you out, Randhir." I repeated. "But only when you are sober enough."

He sighed, "Fine, then. Today at 5 at Waterside Cafe?" I moved my eyeballs to comprehend.

"Today?" I frowned.

"I don't want to waste a second later. Please. Please, Nandini. I beg you this time." He clutched my palms and my lips quivered as I pressed them hard.

"Only if you remember when you get up in the morning." I breathed out squeezing his shoulder.

"I won't forget a thing like this, beautiful." He moved closer placing his lips on my forehead and my nervous eyes moved to Manik who still stood having his back at us.

It was quite a tiring job to get that wasted man slip into his car and instruct his obnoxious driver to take him home who was of no assistance.

"Go home and rest." I breathed out leaning before his rolled down window in the backseat where Randhir already have sprawled comfortably.

"One minute? We are meeting today, right?" He asked shoving his head out of the window in a hope that I couldn't turn down.

"We are." I smiled seeing him close his eyes as relief washed over his anxieties.

Soon as the car drove off, I tiptoed to Manik who turned around looking at me like nothing happened at all.

"Still want me to drive you to Aaliya's?" He asked.

I smiled dully, "It all depends on you."

He smiled but that was equally dull as mine when he bore into my eyes. Damn those eyes. Something in me always understands the voices of his eyes deeper than a cut of a thorn.

He gulped, "Get in."

He quickly opened his side of door, slipping into its comfortable seat waiting for me who was leisurely walking towards the passenger side. Quietly as I buckled the seatbelt, he ignited the car fixing the looking glass as he reverted.

❁

Do you hear that?

Do you know what it is called?

I will tell you.

It's called silence.

Dead silence.

The silence - that sometimes give comfort and most of the times simply madden you. I was sitting in his sedan car swallowing the silence that was hanging in the air in between two seats whilst he kept driving in silence.

His rousing cologne which danced on my nostrils was making me miss his voice more. Aching, I rested my forehead on the glass observing how fast the metallic road was rolling under the wheels. It was too much for my brain to take in. I went to his mansion to work, witnessed his bitter conversation with his father, had him become vulnerable before my eyes, had him push me against the wall and then kneel down pleading me to not become distant, he kissed my wounded back then took me out for a milkshake; I got drunk and punched someone bad and it was a just a matter of an hour that I was sharing my intoxicated stories with him. He laughed. He was happy. We both were. Then, I became homeless within a night not knowing where to live other than at people's mercy; Randhir popped up out of the blue and begged me to forgive him and now I was inside Manik's car travelling somewhere off with an awkward silence making its nest amidst us. What a night!

"Take this left and stop before the third house on your right." Quietly, he followed my direction and halted the car giving me a moment to resist. Still not a word.

"That's the house." As I pointed, he ducked his head observing the pretty house.

To say the house is pretty would be an understatement. It wasn't posh or luxurious but it was warm enough to call it a home. It was a single floored white coloured house with doors and windows painted red. Behind the front gate which would reach my upper abdomen opened the pathway to the house; the path laid with stones with little patches of greenery on both sides of it.

I noticed how impatiently he awaited me to get out of his car for the way his finger constantly swirled the key. Unbuckling the belt, I mouthed a faint thank you turning to unlock the door.

"Wait a second" My finger working on the lock paused as his voice wanted me to listen. As I turned, he studied my expression like I was book written in foreign language; impossible for him to decipher.

He cleared his throat, "How bad has he hurt you?"

I sighed, "In a way you shatter a glass by throwing it against a wall." His eyes stiffened.

"Did he..." his fingers which were loosely resting on the gear wiped his face before he shot me an interrogation, "Did he raise his hand on you?"

My eyes met with his and a blind would see how he was just a confirmation away from strangulating Randhir.

"No. No no no. Absolutely not." He read me well for a second to scrutinise if my dismissal was really honest.

"He would never do that." I reassured giving him an opportunity to exhale that breath caught in his throat.

"And moreover, we are meeting today to get things sorted which hopefully will..." His eyes never left my face for a second while mine flickered between everything other than those hazel ones.

"Will you be all right?" Concern oozing out of his husky tone.

"I hope so." Corner of my lips plastered a faint plastic smile as I unlocked the door.

"One last thing?" Hurriedly, I turned again. "Are you sure you are going to be comfortable sleeping on that porch of that house?" My brows creased softly.

"Because no sane mind would open a door for you at.." he glanced over his wristwatch "4 in the morning."

I shook my head in denial, "I will tell you about the mortifying story later at office."

"You know you could really stretch your back in my backseat because I know you are so hell bent to not stay at my mansion. You could do that." I promised gratitude with my smile stepping out of his car.

"I have troubled you enough for a night." He stayed silent with a bob in his head waiting for me to enter past the gate.

Locking the gate behind, I waved at him. No, he didn't exactly wave me back but his lingering eyes spoke volumes before he sped off leaving a storm of winds as his wheels stormed off.

❁

"Words will fall short if I start to thank you for last night, Aaliya." I smiled receiving my coffee from counter.

"Morning, technically. And shut up all right? You don't need a reason to stay at my house. I live there all by myself anyway when my brother is not in town which is like most of the time in a year. But, what is interesting me more in this is that.. Manik Sir drove you to my place last night, eh?" Her eyes sparked as if she read a new gossip column.

"Uh.. I know that crooked smile of yours, okay?" I grabbed me a chair at the cafeteria.

"I didn't even say anything..." She chuckled sitting on a chair beside. My eyes went to her who occasionally kept giving me stupid notorious smiles stirring the coffee.

"Tch! Okay, fine! He dropped me there because we were working and when I told him about my situation he thought letting me go with such a messy mind would not be okay. He had been chivalrous and nothing else. Now stop cooking up stories in your useless head." I think I managed to lie smartly this time without having possibilities of getting caught.

"Working till 4 in the morning?" She sipped on her coffee whilst I coughed because in mortification, I gulped a huge portion of that hot coffee burning my tongue.

"Fine. I am not going to ask anything anymore but you don't have to choke yourself to death." She rolled her eyes while I fanned sticking my numb tongue out.

"Nandini, could you go and give this file to Manik Sir at his cabin?" My head snapped to Kanika who held out a file towards me. "He has a meeting regarding this script, so he has to prepare." Sensing my obvious question that why couldn't she do that, she huffed.

"I am taking care of his outdoor dates. Now go, will you? Because anyway you are sitting unproductive right now." I wanted to argue with her on this but a ridiculous giggle made my head snap towards Aaliya who took the file from Kanika already.

"She will be more than happy to work with him till late, isn't it Nandini?" She giggled again and I swore to God had I not been staying at her place, I would have thrown all the fries on her plate into that dustbin.

"Whatever." Rolling eyes, Kanika exited leaving behind a glaring me and snickering Aaliya to deal with the rest of it.

"I will go give this file and then come and get you. Understand?" I threatened pushing the chair behind as I stood up but in the force it toppled backwards making the entire cafeteria gawk me.

Embarrassed, I stood it up glaring at Aaliya who God knew why was pretending to cough. Shaking my head, I grasped the file shooting daggers at her when she started humming some stupid Bollywood lyrics under her breath. My cheeks were on fire as I decided to stomp out of the goddamn cafeteria listing ways of murdering your new housemate when you are staying at their house only.

❁

Thirty seconds passed since I knocked on Manik's cabin and I supposed another thirty would pass in the process. Knocking once more, I shoved my head in only to discover his cabin was empty. Keeping the file down like a good employee, I could leave the scene but no.. nothing is ever easy my way.

His entire cabin even in his absence smelt like him; that same cologne that gets me dizzy every second I inhale it. The cabin was so empty without him although things were screaming about him. His headphone was kept at the corner of the table with ruffled wires, maybe because he was in a rush. The paperweight that he always rotated whilst plunging deeper into his thoughts; that pen which his fingers grip around when he signs a paper. Even though Manik wasn't present there, his existence dwelled in everything he touched. I wondered if his existence dwelled in me too.

Without much thinking, I stood by the humongous glass window or wall whatever he calls it gasping at the beauty of the entire city he sees everyday simply by rotating that chair. Since the day I walked into this cabin, I always have wanted to feel how is it like to stand in here and watch the entire city like watching some television, all functioning in mute.

My index finger drew a line on his swivel chair where he rests his neck and spinning it around, I sat on it. I laughed at my choices. Sitting on your boss's chair in his absence is an effective ingredient to ruin your career, Ms.Murthy. But I laughed off the warnings too.

I spun it happily like I was on a carousel grabbing the hand-rests as if the warmth of his skin still lived there. I sank my back into the chair closing my eyes as the comfort of the soft material took me to clouds giving me a picture of me resting my back on his chest. Felt good. Felt real. Exhilarating, actually.

"So where are the contract papers of ENB News Channel?" I imitated Manik Malhotra for a second stoning my eyes in the same way he would whenever he talks about work.

"Too bad." I started imagining replies too. Maybe, I was this close to losing my mind. "Do you realise how big of a loss would Grey Petals suffer if you cannot finish by the deadline? Are you really this unprofessional, Ms.Murthy?" I scribbled something on a blank pad holding the pen, like he would.

"No, hold it there! I don't need excuses to run my production house here, Ms.Murthy. I need results." I tried sounding as husky as him periodically laughing at my antics. "How many mistakes do you think I can overlook of yours? One? Two? Three? How many?"

"Tell me, do I pay you a bundle of notes to only think about yourself?" I kept drawing squares on the pad.

"No, but to look ravishing, Sir." The pen slipped from my grip on the table as I heard the same husky voice I was imitating. Or, at least attempting to.

I gulped wanting an earthquake to happen anyhow because that would be far better than facing him. A tiny little shake would do, Ayyappa.

Swallowing my embarrassment and preparing myself to get fired, I looked at the door by which Mr.Malhotra stood leaning, arms crossed across chest. Oh shit.

He stepped into the cabin 'intentionally' banging his head against the wall and rubbing it, "Ouch! I'm so sorry, Sir. I am so so sorry. This stupid wall. Why do people build walls, I don't understand!"

I bit my lips trying to not smile that much learning how good of an actor was he to imitate me accurately. Was I all that only? Hitting my head here and there? Maybe.

I cleared my throat maintaining my posture on his chair, "File?" I asked stretching my hand taking him on a major exhilaration by continuing our little play.

He came forward to hand me the file when he again 'intentionally' dropped it on the floor, "I am again terribly terribly sorry, Sir. I totally didn't intend on dropping this file on the floor." Picking it up, he placed it on table clumsily knocking few others down .

"Remind me a why I hired you in the first place, Ms.Murthy." I shook my head in irritation just the way he would. He bit his lower lip hiding that precious smile.

"Because Sir, I am good." He mumbled fidgeting his fingers.

"At creating disasters? Yeah, we saw that multiple times, haven't we? Now, why are exactly standing on my head, Ms.Murthy?" I eyed him the chair opposite the boss's which was occupied by me then.

Faking a nervousness, he sat on the chair and I giggled under my breath wondering how could a boss sit on the other side. I pretended to study the contents of the same file I brought with me for him to study and he anxiously looked here and there.

"Sir, I got you some coffee?" He pushed an empty pen-stand towards me.

I glanced over, "Don't you even know what kind of coffee does your boss drink?" He raised one of his brows feeling my sarcasm.

"This coffee is with froth and I don't like my coffee this way." I rolled my eyes getting back to reading.

"What are you thinking about? Ms.Murthy, what has possessed you? Go and get me a fresh coffee?" He pinched his brows while I immediately turned my volume a little low looking back into the file.

There was a second time he shoved the same pen stand towards me pretending its a fresh one.

"Ms.Murthy, this coffee is cold and I don't remember asking you to get me a cold one." I clenched my jaw knowing the mischief rising in his eyes. As if, he could too play the scene in his mind.

"Sir, I got you a hot coffee only. You were on phone and thus it.."

"Cut your excuses, will you?" I snapped. "I was talking business over phone and not gossiping." I smashed the file on the table trying my best to not drop other things. He seemed amused enough to quit playing then why should I?

"I will ask the peon to get you a fresh one." He murmured looking at his shoes.

"No, wait. Grab that chair, I need to have a serious word with you." I scowled seeing him turn vulnerable.

"Sir, p-please don't fire me." He acted.

One hell of an actor!

"Who's the boss here?" I pointed the finger at me and he seemed to have bit the insides of his cheeks.

"You....Sir." He gulped as I gestured with my eyes to get seated as directed.

His panicked eyes noticed the way I was spinning the paperweight just the way he does and they turned a little darker; not with anger as if I have turned something on in him.

"So, Ms.Murthy...." I stood up from his chair faking to fix my blazer which I wasn't even wearing and he inhaled and exhaled just the way Nandini would.

His smirk grew sharper as he gaped at the way my index finger was sliding over the table drawing an invisible line as I kept walking towards his chair and no matter how hard tried to keep his eyes off my advancing frame, he failed.

"So," I leaned over very very slowly locking my eyes with him grabbing the hand rests of his chair just like he blocks my way out of his arms. He leaned back giving me a little more space to lean better and I was breathing in the same air he exhaled. "Why do you think, you are so troublesome?" For a minute, I too thought Manik possessed me because I was acting in an absolute way he would.

"You mean, why am I full of surprises?" His counter question made me blush.

"I don't like that smart mouth of yours, Ms.Murthy. No matter how better you think of that." I drew my thumb over his jawline staring into his eyes which kept turning darker with desire.

"But I doubt," he gulped "there's nothing you hate about it, Sir."

My side vision peered at his nails which were digging into the chair on his sides probably cursing for the only time for not staying Manik Malhotra who would have wrapped his arm by now.

"You are sitting on a throne of illusions." The pointed nail of my index finger drew a line on the side of his face.

"Goddamn it!" He whispered closing his eyes.

We were absolutely acting insane. I was touching my boss in his own cabin at office hours but there was something crazily exciting about it and stopping, was an option we left back.

"Well, you are touching this illusion then." He smirked and I could read the hunger in his eyes.

I leaned over a little more surprising myself when he inhaled my fruity cologne as if his life depended on it.

"So what do you think of it?" I danced my brows.

"You mean, what do I think of you seducing me?" My jaw dropped.

"I am- I am not seducing you!" I exclaimed immediately withdrawing my hands from his sides.

"Then what do you call it? Mhm?" Grabbing my elbows, he dragged me closer to him and my palms held his shirt on his shoulders tightly.

"I call it exaggeration." I reasoned.

"Fancy" he mouthed tucking a stray strand behind my ear burning my whole body with that sensation. "You know there are sometimes when I like that smart mouth of yours."

We were snapped out of our reveries when we heard a knock on that door. Swift, he stood up straightening his clothes and making his way to his swivel chair, the one I claimed up till and having cleared my voice, I sat on the chair he was sitting on seconds back.

"Get in." He instructed and we saw Abhimanyu entering with his hands full of red boxes.

"Uh, Ms.Murthy, I think..we should really continue the meeting from your point of view the next time. Ah, yes Abhimanyu?" I lowered my head hiding that stupid blush.

"Sir, I got what you asked me to." Abhimanyu informed placing the boxes on the table. I pushed my chair aside a little making him more space.

"Ah, yes. Show them to her." He dictated eyeing me.

Ahead on the table, flashed and blinded my vision plenty of diamond studded jewellery. Some were beautiful glittering necklaces studded with sapphire, some magnificent bracelets elegantly designed with rubies and crystals, and the rest, heart melting earrings with stunning diamonds that would perfectly go with any outfit. I gawked at Manik who was immersed into the file.

"Select one." He uttered seeing me cluelessly staring.

"What? What are you saying? You know, Sir I-"

"Can you not ever obey me without protesting much?" He scoffed. "I asked you to select, you will select. How hard is it to understand?"

I gulped, "But why me?"

"Because I am saying so." He brightened his MacBook pressing the power button and I sat there in a dilemma.

He knew I was never in favour of receiving such luxurious gifts from his side and did he anyhow think whatever I did or said or behaved like was only because to get something in return? Yet he wanted me to do something which he knew for sure would hurt my self respect.

"Select, I repeat." He uttered gluing his eyes to the screen.

Sighing in frustration, I placed my finger over a beautiful pair of ear stud. It had a floral outline dazzling with diamonds together with sapphire adding to its glory. Although I refused to glance at it properly, yet I couldn't help but admit it would make any ordinary woman stand out in the crowd. It looked pristine.

"Isn't it a bit simple?" His remark made my jaw clench.

"You asked me to select. I did." I replied like a robot. Abhimanyu chuckled which soon died because of his boss glaring.

"You like it?" Hesitantly, I stared at the burnished, lightweight, princess cut ornament which was intricately beaded that for sure was a timeless treasure in anyone's collection. Inhaling through my teeth, I bobbed squeezing my eyes shut.

"Cool. Gift wrap it and keep it in the car I would take to meet Maya this evening." He commanded Abhimanyu who affirmed readily packing up the boxes.

"A what?" My mind went blank.

Repeating the same sentence to me a couple of times, I couldn't come to make peace with it that he made me undergo this. Just as Abhimanyu left, he found me shaking my head dubiously with words that died on my lips.

"Your expressions are horrible." He smirked.

"Are you kidding me? You are going to meet her? Maya? But why?" I stood up seeing him stand up and button his white checkered blazer.

"How else do you think I coaxed her to suppress your little stunt last night?" He turned his MacBook off appearing to leave. "You bloody punched her, goddamn it. I still don't know how many nose jobs she is going to need for that." He chuckled and I pulled the sides of my knee length skirt in shame.

"And you made me select her gift?" I went blank seeing him shrug.

"Your fault, your punishment." He smirked.

"At least, you can tell me where you are going to meet her?" I requested and he picked his phone up from the table.

"Na na, Ms. Murthy." He ridiculed inserting it in his pocket. "Do you think I am an insane? Who knows you will reach there too to brush your punching skills again!"

"She called me your sister!" I tapped my foot throwing my fists in the air; fully frustrated.

"And you called her boobs plastic, mind you." He walked towards the door not caring if I was fuming. "Jesus! That's such a mean thing to say especially coming from a girl." He fuelled my distress purposely.

"So is it only a dinner?" I kept following him as he walked ahead of me towards his exclusive elevator. He nodded his head periodically to his employees rotating the keys in his hand while I kept following him like a lost puppy.

"I am not sure yet, you see." But I was sure that he enjoyed troubling me then and there.

"Yes, of course. It's you we are talking about here, after all." I shrugged spitting sarcasm.

Pressing the button, he chuckled turning to me. "I will pretend like your last comment was a compliment."

He caught me imitating him when he looked over his shoulder and I froze. The ding sound of the elevator saved me from disgrace, if you can call that even and he walked into his elevator playing that mischievous smirk on his lips.

"You can at least tell m-" The elevator closed right to my face and I screeched in my heart tugging few hairs from my scalp.

To my astonishment, the door to the elevator opened again revealing the ever so smirking Malhotra Boss standing pressing the parting switch on his side. He smirked and only smirked while I cleared my voice fixing the messy part of my hair by running fingers on it.

"I can tell you where I am going with her but on a condition." I frowned knowing how twisted his brain worked round the clock.

"Who answers a question in reply to a question?" I shrugged moving my hands in a questioning manner.

"We are doing it my style. So yeah, if you want me to tell you where Maya and I are going, I can tell you that." I frowned gazing at him from head to toe waiting him to reveal the catch.

"No, really I mean it. Buuuut..only if you tell me where is Randhir taking you." My face fell as his wicked brain.

I grinned keeping my hand on his chest pushing him further into the elevator, "Don't worry, Sir. I think I will live with my questions."

His smile faltered, "So you are not going to tell me?"

"Bye" I waved grinning wide.

He pressed the button again to open the doors, "What is it with this secret? The way you are thickening the suspense, I won't be surprised if I see you tomorrow married."

"Life is full of surprises." I exclaimed which irritated him all the more.

"I hate surprises." He grimaced.

"With all honesty, your expressions are horrible, Sir." I laughed throwing my head back as swiftly I dashed into the staffs' elevator bang opposite his.

I waved at his direction one last time when my doors were close to kiss each other until a strong muscular arm entered in between keeping them apart.

"Don't think I will never find out, Murthy." He sniggered darkly.

With that as he removed his hand, the door closed making my back hit the mirror at the back, pensive.

❁

My heart pounded as my hand began to feel clammy against my throbbing chest as the manager at Waterside Cafe started guiding me to our reserved table. I half expected Randhir to be present there considering how drunk he was but he made it and I was glad. The very act of watching him sit having his back at me was hurting my eyes and my heart still threatened to burst forth from my ribcage.

"Randhir" Softly I touched his shoulder and he flashed me a relieved face catching my hand in his; immediately up on his feet.

He looked much better, cleaner and composed than morning getting me able to recognise my old friend. Pulling the chair for me, he stood there holding it until I was fully sat.

"I am glad you came." He sounded content.

"I am glad too." I cleared my voice hearing myself unclear.

"What will you have?" He shoved the menu my way.

"Water" My voice was extraordinarily turning dry. Maybe, because confrontation with him was one thing I never thought of.

"Get us two glasses of water, please." He ordered the server who looked little unhappy with what we ordered.

"...So?" God, it was so awkward as I never had to measure my words with him ever before. And, now I was thinking before speaking and I hated it to my core.

His hand touched mine over the table, "I understand you are nervous. Even I am, trust me." That sounded a lot like me coming from him and I nodded staring still at our fancy table.

The pool beside us had a fake cascading waterfall; the sound of which was somewhat untangling my thoughts.

"That day-" I interrupted.

"That day, you didn't give me a chance to explain." He nodded closing his eyes.

"I know, I know I had been a complete douche to you ever since and I am sorry to have hurt you which I know I did. Trust me, hurting you is the last thing I would ever want to do. Hell, I always wanted to protect you from everything evil and God knows when I started turning so harsh on you." He withdrew his hand leaning back on his chair; looking away into the pool.

"I just.. I just wanted you to not become one of those. I mean, you knew about Chetna. You got to know that she is alive but what did you after that? You chose to be seen around Manik all the more. Nandini-how do I make you understand? They will never care for you. They never have for anyone. It is just a game to them for which they can toy anybody. I don't know why like a fool I keep telling you this one thing when I clearly know you hate hearing it again and again but I want to protect an innocent girl like you because your innocence is something they don't give a damn about and I know what it feels to get played..to get used. It made me question you when you started unseeing whatever is true and taking the path of darkness. And- and I didn't know what to say or do to get you back to light. That's a very bad excuse for being such a jerk, I agree but that's all I have to offer on my plate." I heard Randhir. I heard every word he said but flashes of a vulnerable Manik pleading me on his knees last day came playing before my eyes like a movie. Manik cared for me and my heart believed that.

"I was hurt by your words. Wounded rather. Because I hoped and prayed for you to be the only person to never misunderstand me. In this little span of time, I don't know if this wrong for me to say like this but ... I started depending upon you." He pressed his lips with a faint smile leaning over to wipe that tear off my face.

I sniffed, "You thought I chose to give up on truth but no, I didn't. It's not right for you to think that since I stopped you from disclosing everything to Aryaman, I will forever keep this as a secret. No. That's just not what it is. But, I believe..it's Manik's truth who has kept this buried for so long and there must be some reason behind it. Manik Malhotra is anything but illogical and even you know that. I have seen the way Manik cared for Cabir- the man who betrayed him at every step and trust me, he still could go to any extent to have him saved and this Chetna too was his friend. What if all he is doing is saving her but we are misinterpreting it for the way he is doing so. I will have my answers, Randhir. I will do the right thing but not before giving him a chance to explain, I won't deprive him." He wiped my tears again silently.

"I just want you out of this rivalry mess. I want you happy and safe, that's all." I smiled as he cupped my face.

"I will be." Squeezing his forearm, I blinked.

❁

"Thank you for dropping me. You really didn't have to." Shutting the door of the passenger seat behind, I stated offering him a genuine smile.

"It's nothing. But how long are you going to stay at Aaliya's?" He straightened his shirt stepping beside me.

"Till I arrange my next residence." I coiled my lower lip.

"Nandini, do you want me to..."

"Definitely not, Randhir. I can handle such a crisis and moreover, I have applied for lodging today at the office quarter. Let's see what happens now as these official things absorb some time." I rubbed my palms.

"Okay then, we are good right?" His bottom lip trembled.

I nodded blinking hard, "We are."

"All right, I shall see you soon then. And if any trouble, don't think before dialling me up." His fingers ruffled my hair earning a shrill cry from me.

"See you soon." I smiled just as he turned to unlock his car. His eyes screamed that he didn't want to leave that early and truly, I had a lot of catching up to do. He deserved to know all that was happening in my life.

"Um Randhir?" I called out not knowing what I was going to say next.

"Yeah? Missing me already?" And with that ladies and gentlemen, we get the old Randhir Shekhawat back.

I rolled my eyes, "A coffee?"

"Winsome coffee, you mean?" He corrected having me throw my head with laughter.

"Yeah that. Come inside, Aaliya makes great coffee." I gestured with my hand.

"Will she prefer having an uninvited guest at this hour?" He hesitated.

"There's nothing she can do about it. Come on!" Touching his upper arm, I tugged him.

"All right, all right. Let me lock the car, first." He pressed the button on his key before shoving it in his denim pocket.

"Will she be home?" He asked glancing over the beautiful plants Aaliya keeps on both sides of the stony pathway.

"It's 8. What do you think?" I replied quick.

"Strange because you are never home at 8." He chuckled earning a hit on his arm.

"I can cancel the coffee anytime, you know. And this mee-ouch!" I held my toe springing up and down.

"What happened?" He fretted holding my waist offering me some balance.

"I stubbed my toe." I cried squeezing my eyes.

"God, I thought something bad happened to you." I pushed him in his gut with my elbow.

"What do you think has happened, something good? Randhir, I hurt my toe and it hurts and if anything hurts that's bad. Isn't it what supposed to sound like?" I blabbered bouncing up and down.

"Okay, now stop jumping and let me see it." He made me sit on the doorstep opening my wedge.

"Ouch it hurts." I screamed as he rotated my toe.

"Just relax. Keep moving it." He rotated it further softly as I dug my nails into his shoulder.

"It hurts so bad!" I yelped.

"God, my ears." He sat back on his butt rubbing his ear as the two of us started chortling.

"Shut up." I slapped his shoulder making him laugh harder.

"Now let's go inside." I stood myself with his help wincing slightly at the discomfort.

"Do you want me to pick you up?" I scrunched my nose.

"Do you want me to punch you?" I wriggled my eyebrows.

"Fine. Keep limping." Rolling his eyes, he held me better providing me the support.

"She will be surprised. She loves unexpected visits." I muttered inserting the spare keys she gave me this morning.

"I am sure her definition of love is not as worse as yours." He remarked earning a cold glance in return.

I giggled pushing the door ajar as everything soon turned slow and mute for me. The living room was occupied by few people who seemed like guests Aaliya invited over with there no sign of Aaliya...oh except that she was at her open kitchen counter getting brownies out of the oven but what exactly turned my vision black and white was a particular man sitting on the couch holding a drink in his hand.

Manik.

Manik's eyes met mine and they shone with lights of a hundred stars until his muscles flexed as he clutched the glass tighter descending his stony eyes to my hand which was locked in Randhir's.

**     **

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Edward Cullen
Bella Swan
Jacob Black