~Unsaid Warning.~

"It was nothing but sand in my heart,

(रेत ही रेत थी मेरे दिल में भरी,)

filling my life with thirst."

(प्यास ही प्यास थी ज़िन्दगी ये मेरी।)

************

The welcoming party was over, and all the invited guests had already left the grounds of the Maurya estate, including Tarush's best friends.

This morning, Tarush's room looked like an organized chaos --- wrapped-up gifts lay scattered across the floor and his study table, consisting of things like books, antiques, paintings, and bottles of wine and vintage whiskey.

But one gift that stood out among the rest was a cat. A female Siamese lounged inside a big wooden cage on the same table.

It had been Robert's parting gift, accompanied by a sly grin and a remark about how 'every gentleman needs a companion.'

The creature's blue eyes stared at Tarush cautiously as he stood before the large oval mirror, adjusting the cufflinks on his shirt; he was getting ready to leave for a business meeting in Delhi.

The lifeless object not only reflected the cat's cage but also him - a man of poise and rigor, his sharp jawline clean-shaven and hair slicked back in perfect evenness, while his cold grey eyes peered at the cat's reflection.

He had always been a man of practicality, one who valued purpose above all else.

Every piece of furniture, every accessory in his life, had a reason to be there. And yes, he doesn't take in nugatory animals as pets. He likes the ones who can serve their purpose and are actually needed by him.

In every possible outcome, a cat doesn't fall into that category.

A sharp pang of annoyance scraped at his composure. Why had Robert thought to gift him such an impractical creature?

"This is absolutely useless," he muttered under his breath. But still, he couldn't take his eyes off her.

He turned to stare at the creature directly, his gaze lingering on the feline's cream and brown colored fur before moving to her piercing gaze; her blue eyes were unsettlingly familiar.

Their color reminded him of someone - Kanak. Her eyes, he realized now, are the same shade as the cat's.

He knew it was totally absurd to draw parallels between a woman and an animal, yet here he was --- curious, annoyed, and befuddled at the thought, wondering why he even remembered that.

Seeing the cat stretch languorously within the cage, he shook his head slightly, as if to dismiss his thoughts, before turning his attention to the small stack of letters on the desk.

Next to them lay a velvet-covered box - a gift from his father. Not for him, but for Kanak.

Inside the box were a pair of golden anklets, beautifully crafted and meant as a gesture of appreciation for her performance at the party.

He hadn't decided why, but he couldn't bring himself to give them to her personally, even though that's what his father had asked him to do.

The cat let out a soft meow, breaking his abstraction. He let out a sigh before silently walking towards the cage, his leather shoes making a soft tapping sound against the floor.

Inside the cage, the cat watched him warily, its tail swishing once before it settled into stillness as he unlatched the cage and slid the small door open.

The little animal hesitated for a moment before leaping out and clawing at his extended hand, leaving three angry red lines across his knuckles.

Tarush inhaled sharply but didn't flinch. He merely drew his hand back and stared at the small wounds. "Wild, just as I thought."

Then, his eyes moved to look at the feline who had darted into a corner, her fur bristling. "From today, you're mine."

His lips curled; he liked this creature. And he is keeping it. "Your name will be Jasmine."

Defiant, the cat hissed when he took a step closer to her, but before he could take another, a knock at the door stopped him.

"Chote sahib, your car is ready," a servant announced from the other side.

"Tell the driver I will be down in a moment," Tarush responded, pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket while his eyes remained on the rebellious creature.

"Jasmine, you've got spirit," he said softly, almost approvingly, while cleaning his wound. "Lekin, tumhein tameez seekhni padegi."

(But you'll have to learn manners.)

With that, he grabbed his coat from the stand by the door and gave one last glance at the cat before stepping out of the room.

"Take care of the cat inside. It's my new pet, Jasmine." Outside, he ordered the waiting servant. "Also, I want her claws trimmed by the time I return."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Didi, it's good you finally agreed," Sudha spoke cheerfully, her shawl snugly wrapped around her body to keep the wintery cold at bay. "Bahaar madam ji is right. Two pairs of salwar kameez won't do. It's time you have more, something new!"

"New clothes aren't exactly necessary. My old ones are just fine," Kanak, who was walking beside her, sighed as she tugged her own shawl above her head, covering her ears.

For the first time in days, she was leaving the Maurya estate. All because Bahaar wanted her to buy some new clothes as the ones she had currently were quite few and not appropriate for the weather.

"You're not just anyone, Didi!" Sudha exclaimed, her voice light yet pointed. "Don't forget you're Bahaar madam's niece."

"And let's not forget about your performance last night at the party also," she continued, wagging her eyebrows. "You were looking so beautiful, so graceful. Everyone had their eyes on you, watching you, including-"

"Quiet, Sudha. Don't talk about that," Kanak interrupted, her tone hesitant and brows slightly furrowed.

"Oho! Someone here doesn't know how to handle compliments." Sudha smirked but chose to drop the topic.

Her teasing words stayed in the cold air as they continued walking, their steps crunching softly against the path of dried leaves and damp ground that led to the front gates of the Maurya Kothi.

Kanak's cheeks warmed at her comment, and she quietly bit the inside of her cheek, eyes focused ahead.

Last night, as soon as she was finished with her performance, the applause she received had been stentorian, but among all, one pair of eyes had unsettled her, making her nervous the most --- those of Tarush.

His gaze had been piercing and unfathomable. And to her dismay, the memory of that lingered in her mind even now.

As they moved ahead, the low hum of an approaching car sounded, shooing the quietude away that had settled between both the girls.

A sleek black, and undeniably expensive model of a car was soon seen, coming to a stop beside them. The window rolled down smoothly, revealing Tarush seated in the backseat, a book resting in his lap.

His charcoal grey eyes, inquisitive and sharp, fell on Kanak immediately, though he spoke to Sudha first. "Are you both going somewhere?"

"Yes. To the town market for shopping!" Sudha said, her excitement apparent.

"It's far from here," Tarush spoke, glancing at the empty seat beside him. "It will be uncomfortable walking all the way there. Sit inside. My driver will drop you both."

Kanak's heart skipped a beat, her fingers unknowingly tightening around the edge of her shawl. "No, thank you," she softly replied, trying to mask her unease. "It's okay, we'll walk there."

Tarush leaned back into his seat, a subtle smile playing on his lips as if her polite refusal had amused him.

"It's alright. Bahaar ji wouldn't mind me dropping off her niece." His eyes flicked to Kanak. "After all, you also belong to the estate now. Get in the car."

Before she could protest again, the driver had already stepped out and opened the car door for them.

"Thank you, chote sahib." Sudha eagerly slipped into the front seat without hesitation. "Come on, Didi!"

Kanak frowned, already knowing after seeing Sudha's smile that she had no choice now. Reluctantly, she climbed into the back seat, settling as far from Tarush as the space allowed.

"Thank you. I hope we're not troubling you," she mumbled. The scent of his cologne didn't take long to fill the enclosed space and the air she breathed, making it impossible to ignore his presence beside her.

"Don't worry about me; I was just on my way to the station, so I won't mind having some company for a little while." Tarush peered at Kanak; the very sight of her sent a quiet, strange wavelet through his chest, his breath catching ever so slightly --- it was weird.

She could only nod meekly, sitting stiffly, her gaze fixed on the scenery outside as the door was clicked shut and the car began to move.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The atmosphere in the car was silent, weakened occasionally only by the gentle hum of the engine.

Throughout the journey, Kanak's eyes had peeked at Tarush's book quite a few times.

Although she didn't know much about English literature and authors, she did manage to catch the title of the book.

It was Room at the Top by John Braine.

Meanwhile, Tarush noticed her gaze but said nothing. Instead, his thoughts wandered to another book---her book---which he still had on his table, in his care.

He is yet to give it back; another encounter with her will be required to do so.

"What is your name?" He asked suddenly, turning a page in the book, though he wasn't reading anymore.

Kanak looked back at him, startled. For a moment, she wondered if he was mocking her. Surely, he already knew her name.

"Don't you already know?" She asked, confused.

"Do I?" Meeting her gaze, Tarush allowed himself a small smile. "I actually want to hear it from you."

Her mouth curled in disapproval, but she answered nonetheless. "Kanak. My name is Kanak."

When he whispered the name under his breath, she quickly turned her attention back to the window, her heart beating faster than she would ever like to acknowledge.

As soon as the car approached the outskirts of the town and the driver stopped the car, Kanak wasted no time in pushing the door open.

"Kanak."

Just as she had stepped out, he called her, and she turned to look at him, blue eyes slightly widening in surprise. "Yes?"

He didn't speak at first, simply letting his eyes take in the details of her profile --- the delicate structure of her jaw, the soft waves of her dark locks, the way her fingers fidgeted with the end of her shawl, and her baby blue eyes at last.

"The markets here are quite good. I hope you find what you're looking for," he said instead of saying what he actually wanted.

"Hm. Thanks for the ride," uttering, she stepped out of the car, Sudha following close behind.

Don't appear before my eyes again. Having my attention wouldn't turn out good for you --- that's what he wanted to say but didn't.

His warning selfishly remained unsaid.

If you like the chapter then please follow me PanchiVerma (for Instagram, check out the link in my bio)

Q - How was the chapter, people?

Q - Thoughts on Tarush?

Do note that he isn't a green flag 😂

And yes, I had cut it short, because we didn't reach the target. 24 comments instead of 40 🥲

So please, complete the target this time and I'll update on this Saturday ;⁠)

Till then, take care. I love you all ❤️