32 | seal the deal
chapter : 32
seal the deal
━━━━━━━❅━━━━━━━
n o o r
━━━━━━━❅━━━━━━━
"What the hell are you wearing?"
Sana is so stroked that she literally loses her footing, stumbling on the plain floor. I help her stand upright. I don't actually have an answer to give her but I know why am I wearing this.
In my four years, I have always stuck to wearing jeans and a kurta or on the days I am feeling too professional, I would opt for trousers pants and a shirt. But today, because my husband challenged me I don't own even a single traditional attire that was suitable for office.
"Sana just messaged about traditional Friday." I had recited her message while lying in bed with Kabir.
"Why is she messaging you about that?"
"What do you mean?" His tone had gotten my full attention. All my sleep draining away.
"You never participate. I doubt you even own one."
"You don't too."
"But I am the boss, it's for the employees. A way for them to feel at home."
"I had worn that saree," I claim. He only smirks pulling me to his chest, preparing for sleep.
"Baby, it's okay. Let's sleep."
"You think I don't own any Indian attire?"
"You wore torn jeans and a kurti on our marriage. I was at least in formal."
"Kurti is traditional." I was fighting at this point.
"Yes. Okay, let's sleep now."
It's a chided taunt, he still doesn't believe that I have traditional clothes. If my husband thinks that way, let him get the biggest shock of his life.
I had been skipping traditional Fridays religiously since I started here. Wearing Indian attires always reminded me of home, so I never budged. But today, my dear husband is in for a shock.
It was a reminder, a haughty taunt—compelling me to accept their rules and their beliefs. It's something I consciously avoided like a plague because it suffocates me. Drags me back to the deep end, one where the winds are too gushy and strong and have the power to overpower me, very easily.
I had shocked him once with a saree, today, I'll throw him so off guard. I had told him to leave first as I would be late. He had offered to wait for me but I pretended to be in the shower till he left, and practically forced him out.
Today once he sees me in this outfit, I am sure he is going to be so stunned and I am going to make him confess his feelings for me, right here, today.
While I was shifting, he didn't realise that there was this one suitcase, never opened. It was just moved from that house to this. Even now it is carefully tucked in my previous room.
It's been three days since I shifted to Kabir's, our, bedroom. I had decided to only get some necessary clothes to this room and left the others there, making it my extended closet.
"Tradition Friday?" I sheepishly offer. Sana blows a kiss at me, telling me how pretty I look.
"I am so happy that I finally got to see you in something like this."
We walk further to my floor, everyone is dressed in their attires. Some are in sarees, some in salwars, and guys are mostly wearing a kurta set. Fridays in the office felt like Diwali. There is happiness and joy around, everywhere.
"Blue suits you so much." My friend isn't over my choice of clothing. I had worn a navy blue Anarkali set. It had some very subtle shiny work on the kurta but the dupatta was highly embroidered. It had a black pant below it, I had other options that included Sharara or other sets but that would have just been a little over the top for office.
I had not held back in getting decked up though. My eyes were outlined with inky black kohl, eyelids with a swift stroke of eyeliner. I had spent a good hour searching for my nose pin, and boy, it was a good decision. I am wearing large oxidised Jhumka earrings, that feel too heavy for my ears but very pretty. Worth the pain.
My lips are softly painted with a nude brown. I could have gone for the maroon, a shade my husband loves so much but I needed to keep my outfit professional for office work.
My hair is braided and resting on my right chest, with a loose strand tracing the left side of my face.
Kabir Sood, I am going to leave you so speechless.
Sana collects her hair clutch from my desk that she had left yesterday and leaves for her cubicle. We decided to meet for the tea break once we had started and settled into our work.
I switch on my desktop, seeing the schedule for today. We have some meetings and some leftover files to work on for today. I need to also start preparing for the client meeting that is scheduled for later this week.
"Is Noor here?" A voice breaks me from my planning spree when I realise that they are talking to me.
"Sorry?" I raise my head, getting a clear view of the man standing before me. If I am not wrong he works in HR. He looks baffled upon realising that it's indeed me.
"N—Noor? I didn't think—I didn't see you— I mean, I didn't know it was you." He stutters in shame.
I tell him that it was okay and asked him why was he searching for me.
"It's been a month for the recruits. Here's their work review." He hands me the file.
"I'll hand it to sir," I assure him, dumping the file on the stack that has to be taken to Kabir.
"Uhm. Thank you." I smile at him, wanting to get back to my work but he stands there.
"Is everything okay?"
"Uhm. Uhm. You look pretty. I mean beautiful. Bye." With that, he rushes out to his section. I stifle a laugh, going through the planned topics for the meeting.
The rest of the morning passes away in a blur, Kabir is busy with his work inside and I haven't gone to his cabin even once since I arrived. He hasn't called me, as well. When the numbers on the screen start jumbling a bit, I realise I need to give my eyes some rest.
I check my phone to find a text from Sana, received a few minutes ago, asking me to come down to the pantry. Everyone's enjoying the tea break, I raise my head from the mobile and notice that indeed the floor is mostly empty.
I save my work, shutting the computer, and I make my way to the floor downstairs. The clutter of people comes into view as soon as the elevator door opens, I had to take the lift to avoid any accidents that could have been caused due to my high heels.
I would love to see Kabir's reaction to my outfit whilst I am hale and hearty, don't want him to see me on a stretcher being towed to the hospital. Please. Thank you very much.
"You are here." Sana saunters my way, I smile at her. We head to the pantry and make our cups of tea. Being a Friday, the tea break is extremely celebrated. Many of the employees don't work on weekends, but some poor souls like me are forced to labour for the boss.
It's just a twenty-minute pause to our hectic routine. Some other colleagues join us for the snacks, we begin sipping on our tea and discussing some pieces of gossip.
"You won't believe who we saw in the theatre last week!" Tia ushers our way. Her lehenga set sweeping the floor as she joins our table. My eyes widen at the news she brings along.
When I thought of gossip, I didn't hope it was about me and Kabir. I hope not. No one can know. They shouldn't. It's bad. Worse.
"Who?" The table goes silent, and more people from around are added to our group.
It's such a lovely day for catching up, it seems. Most of the employees gather, assembling in a circle.
"Kabir sir and Jay sir." Tia jumps on the spot, her hands moving frantically.
Oh. Well...
"So? They can't go to movies?" One of the spectators' questions.
Exactly.
"No! They were whispering something. And! They were standing. So close." She shows us her pinched fingers, denoting the lack of gap between my husband and his best friend.
Interesting.
"No way."
"Yes! They were at the entrance, looking so cosy and relaxed. Do you think they have something going on between them?"
I feel so bad at her enthusiasm as it shines off her face. She is smiling wickedly, a glint of mischief. She thinks she has conquered the greatest price, the hottest gossip of this season.
I stifle a laugh of my own, I could correct her but...
"It's none of our business."
"I always thought they had something going on between them."
"They spend hours locked in his cabin."
Good point. I'll have to make sure they don't lock the door behind.
Everyone adds their inputs and the conversations flare up in an extremely comical route.
"But they don't look like they swing that way."
"But they can."
"Obviously. Everyone's allowed to choose their love partner." I finally speak up. I think it's time to neutralise these blazing rumours.
"And why is my love life being discussed on a tea break?" And the demon is summoned.
The entire floor suddenly drowns in silence, gaping at each other and trying to avoid looking at the boss, who stands near the elevator, his hands dipped in his pockets.
He is the only one wearing Western attire, his eyes only on me. Even if it's just a small giveaway, I can feel the heat of his gaze, and the twitch of his jaw muscles.
Someone has been proven wrong and how.
"What were you all discussing?" He strides confidently, and the thud of his shoes echoes in the hall which is now dripping with a pin-drop silence.
No one replies, but I decide to seize the moment.
"Well, we were discussing how cute of a pair Jay and you make, sir." Yet another twitch.
People around me whip their heads to look at me, some narrowing their eyes and some stifling their laughter.
The truth is even before our marriage, Kabir and I shared the same mouse-cat bond. Everyone knows how much I enjoy getting on his nerves, and how much ever we banter, and yet Kabir has always tolerated me, all because of my good work.
Today, he'll tolerate me because he loves me.
I enjoy riling him up, have always. Having banters with him was how I felt relaxed at work. It is such an unprofessional way, if I think about it but thankfully he always used to take it healthily. My husband wasn't as much of a demon as I always claimed him to be.
I have been at fault too.
"Everyone back to work. Noor, my cabin. Right now."
"Why do I feel that today might be your last day at work?"
"Uhm, happy holidays?" With that, I follow my husband's order and leave for my work floor.
━━❅━━
"Care to repeat what you said downstairs, Mrs Sood." I am pinned to his cabin's door, my arms held captivate over my head with his tight grip.
"Well...you and Jay make a good couple, you don't agree?" He pinches my waist with the other hand, and I yelp out loud. My eyes broaden at the sound.
I had decided to skip my glasses and opted for contacts today, sometimes change's good.
"We are at the office, Mr Sood," I whisper, panicking that anyone could hear us even if they are standing near my cubicle.
"You think I give a damn about it when my wife looks so fucking ravaging?" He breathes those words into my ear.
His sentences would be contraindicating but I love him for respecting my fears. I know he hates to hide our relationship but he still does it, for me.
Can this man get even more perfect?
He cooks for me, and lets me sleep the extra twenty minutes while he is getting ready—those last minutes are the real bliss, he cares for me so much, loves me and spoils me.
Some days, I'm grateful my husband was hesitant to love before I bulldozed into his life. I can't imagine anyone else getting to see this side of him.
Possessive?
Yes.
Selfish?
Kinda yes.
Madly in love?
Definitely.
He has me under his spell, so alluring and mystic that even his normal words bring me on high alert, my body sings his tunes the moment he is nearby. As if it's attuned to act that way, to lose control and surrender.
"I remember someone saying that I wouldn't ever wear a traditional outfit to the office." I bite back. It turns me on to get on his nerves, to bicker and challenge him.
"I shouldn't have said that."
"So you agree.."
"Because I would have turned into a serial murderer on a killing spree, to remove anyone in the path who dared to look at you, the way they were doing, today. I am so thankful you never dressed up this way to the office. My work balance would have gone to shambles."
"We wouldn't want that now, would we?" Our voices are just hushed messes, fusing and mixing in the air, only to dissipate and combust.
"You look so beautiful, Mrs Sood." I can yell all for pro-feminism as much as I want, but him calling me beautiful gets me weak in my knees. Melting and pooling, threatening to puddle on the floor.
It evokes a whole damn zoo in the lower pit of my abdomen, tickling me.
"Did my beauty enchant you enough to confess something?"
"Not so easily, wifey. First, I'll have to do something with your bawdy mouth."
"Well. I think you should kiss and seal the deal before I start shipping Jay and —"
Well, bosses are always particular about their deals, aren't they?
━━━━━━━❅━━━━━━━
Hey!
thank you for reading.
royally yours,
meethi.
Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: Truyen247.Pro