Par7...

Pooja baulked at the idea of having to accept Kabir's offer to drive her home .

But then she realised she had no other choice. The property he had shown her was too far across town from where she lived. She would have to take about two buses before she reached home.

She had not actually agreed to his so called 'proposal' yet. Her brain was busy working overtime, trying to figure a way out of it, and make Kabir Mittal see reason as he drove her home in his car

"Would it be so awful if your stepmother and her son had some of the shares in your fathers company?" she then asked, "I mean between your father's hotel Business, and the fact you have your are rich on top of that with your own property development thing, isn't there enough to go around for you all?"

"It is not really about the money where I am concerned," Kabir attempted to explain, "My grandfather started our hotel business from a young man. My father expanded it, and made it a greater success, then he passed it onto Jay and I. We have continued to make it grow. The fact I have expanded into the property development side has only enhanced my fathers company further. But we have all worked hard and made sacrifices to get to where we are today. For me to let my stepbrother and his mother to have any say, would be a disaster, because money and power is all they are interested in. They wouldn't care if it meant destroying all we built, to get it," Kabir frowned as he concentrated on the road ahead of him

"My father is getting older and frailer, I have lost my brother and my mother. This company will soon be all I have of the family, and I am not going to let my stepmother take it from me. I will do what I have to, just to make sure it doesn't happen," he stated resolutely

"Well you must have learned a few tricks from your stepmother, because you fight pretty dirty yourself Mr. Mittal." Pooja retorted

"You can call me Kabir," he reminded her as he glanced over at her

Pooja decided to ignore his request, finding herself reluctant to let his first name pass her lips, feeling it would be a sign she had somehow given into him.

"What you are doing to me is emotional blackmail," she continued, "But I guess you don't care about my feelings or those of the women in Haven, just as long as you get your own way"

"I will admit, I do like to get my own way," Kabir replied easily, "And most times I do.. But come on Pooja, its not like I am being ungenerous in return. I could have chosen another property; one which was not particularly great for the Women's Refuge. And you probably still would have been happy with it. But I went out of my way so that they will have the best of everything. Surely that would make you happy knowing you could help them in a way you never dreamt of before?" he then pointed out.

"That is not quite the way I am seeing it," Pooja replied stiffly, "All I can see is a man welding his power and influence and manipulate people, to serve his own ends. It's all about control, just as Dhruv thought he could control me with violence and threats, you think you can control me by blackmail," she finished in disgust

Kabir was not pleased with her comparing him with her former boyfriend, his expression hardened a little.

"I do not need to hit a woman to feel good about myself," he informed her, "So don't class me in the same category, I can assure you, as my wife you would not to have to live in fear of being beaten or threaten with any sort of physical violence. I would make sure that I would take very good care of you,"

"I don't need anyone to take care of me, I can take care of myself," Pooja stated defiantly

"I am in no doubt you can," Kabir replied, sounding a little exasperated by her

argumentative stance.

He then paused, glancing across at her smouldering expression as she stared out the car windscreen in front of her, "I take it from your attitude, your answer is no, seeing you find me so disgusting?" he queried steadily

"You have backed me into a tight corner, what way do you expect me to react?" Pooja fired back

"Well perhaps if you think a little more rationally, instead getting all uptight; you would realise the opportunity I am handing to you on a silver platter, and the benefit we will all derive from it. Surely that it far outweighs this personal crusade you have going against all men," Kabir said

That is not what this is about!" Pooja denied heatedly.

"Is it not?" Kabir raised his eyebrows questioningly, "I have had the clear indication from you since we met, you don't trust men, and you think we are all monsters... Understandable I guess under the circumstances after what happened in your past. But it's time you realised you can't tar us all with the same brush."

"Well you are a hardly shining example," Pooja shot back, "And if you think I am such a 'man hater,' why do you still insist on wanting to marry me?"

"Because, not only do I like getting my own way, I find I also like a good challenge," he returned easily

"You are a smug arrogant bas-"

"Careful my dear, that's no way to talk to a potential husband," he drawled tauntingly

Pooja clenched her hands into fists on her lap to keep control, so she would not rise to the bait. She realised with irritation he was having too much fun at her expense. She was not going to give him the pleasure to see he could get to her so easily

She was relieved to see they had almost reached her front door. Unable not get out of the car quick enough when he brought the it to a halt.

But before she got out, she had gathered herself together enough to face him with icy calm, "Don't worry Mr, Mittal, you will have my answer before the week is out," she informed him deciding he could sweat it out for a little while longer, and see how much he enjoyed it.

Then she got out of the car, not waiting to see if he would reply, slamming the door shut behind her before heading for the block of flats where she lived, Not looking back, even when she heard his car drive of

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"Sooo, what did he say?" Mandira demanded over the phone, "I thought you would be over here at the Refuge to let us know how it went.. And seeing are not, it must be bad news" she realised astutely

Pooja had been sitting on sofa, chewing her fingernails down to the quick, trying to figure out what she was going to do about Kabir Mittal's offer. A big part of her wanted to tell him to go to hell, she still fuming about the way he had spoken to her.. Yet if she did, it wouldn't help the cause for the Refuge one bit,

She cursed Kabir Mittal for putting her in this situation, and now how was she going to explain it to Mandira?

"Well its not exactly bad news," Pooja replied thinking of the fine building Kabir Mittal

had shown her around, which had been more than ideal, "Its just very complicated"

"Complicated in what way?" Mandira asked in bewilderment

"He would be willing to help us, even offered us new premises to move into tomorrow if we wanted to. But there is am unusual catch"

"What sort of a catch?" Mandira then asked warily

So Pooja found herself explaining Kabir Mittal's offer, and what he wanted in return. At first Mandira thought Pooja was having some sort of joke at her expense

But then realised she was serious, and like Pooja's first reaction was still filled with disbelief

"So he really wants you to marry him and have his kids..? Oh Lordy that's a tale and a half to tell everyone here, it will keep them fascinated for weeks!" Mandira exclaimed

"Its crazy that's what it is," Pooja replied, "But what am I going to do?" she then wailed in frustration

"Would you want to marry him? I mean apart from his offer for the Refuge?.. " Mandira asked, "After all, he is not a bad looking man, he not that much older than you, no more than ten or twelve years anyway, and just think you would never have to worry about money problems again"

"He is an arrogant sod though, I don't know if I could stick living with him," Pooja admitted

.

"Well if you don't think you would be happy, then its best you tell him the answer is no," Mandira told her

"But Mandira, you didn't see the premises he offered for Haven.. It's everything we need and more," Pooja pointed out on frustration

"It doesn't matter, I am not having you sacrificing yourself into an unhappy life just because of the Refuge. You said we have another extra two weeks it may not seem much. But we will just forget about Kabir Mittal, and try and get help some other way" Mandira told her firmly

"Do you think we can?" Pooja asked doubtfully, torn between being relieved that Mandira was letting her of the hook. But at the same time feeling she was letting them all down

"I am sure something will turn up, don't you worry about it, you did what you could," Mandira soothed her, "So you can phone Kabir Mittal, and tell him where to stick his proposal"

Pooja couldn't help giggling, "Thank you Mandira, you have made me feel a little bit better she then admitted gratefully

Once she hung up, Pooja savoured the idea of phoning Kabir Mittal to tell him the answer was no. Now that Mandira had helped her with the decision, after all the whole idea of marrying him was ridiculous..

Surely he had to realise that. She was not the answer to his problems with his stepfamily... he must have really been desperate to even consider she would make the right wife for him under the circumstances.

Finding his phone number, she started to punch it in, intending to point all this out to him. But then she suddenly pictured his face, and his reaction to her news.. he would not be very happy, and most probably disappointed that she had decided to turn down his generous offer. Pooja felt a twinge of guilt. Was she doing the right thing?

If she said no, it would mean a certain finality. The premises he had shown her earlier would no longer be an option available to them. What if the Refuge didn't get help from any other source and had to close down...? She couldn't live with that.

Strangely she found herself realising she would also being letting Kabir Mittal down. He had pinned his hopes that his offer would force her to say yes, he must have been really desperate to keep his Company from being ruined by his step family..

She realised she had the power to help make two things right. Although she was a little more uncertain about the wife thing. But Kabir seem to have complete faith in her. Why the hell she cared she wasn't sure, but suddenly her conscience bothered her, and the idea of telling him 'no' suddenly had lost its appeal. It left her in a bit of a fluster when she suddenly heard his voice on the other end of telephone line.

"Hello Miss. Sharma," she noted he had formally reverted to calling her by her surname, "I wasn't expecting you to ring back quite so soon. But I think I can guess what your answer is going to be."

His tone sounded flat, almost defeated, and she felt another twinge of guilt, feeling she was letting him down somehow and now she couldn't reply.. but Kabir continued, talking hurriedly now,

"I suppose I can understand. And I apologise if I came across insensitive and uncaring, that was not my intention. I guess I just wasn't too happy being compared to your ex boyfriend. But I can understand that it was wrong of me to try and force you into a situation you were not comfortable with.. I thought I was killing two birds with one stone, and I had hoped my offer would have some appeal, but I-"

"-Mr Mittal," Pooja now interrupted him, unable to listen to his apology without feeling even more guilty, "Please, it is ok, I do understand in your own weird way what you were trying to do. And you have to understand, your offer came to a bit of a shock to me. It's not everyday I get proposed to in that fashion," she pointed out, surprised to find there was a tinge of humour in her tone, "My mind has been turmoil trying to figure out what to do for the best all evening, and after speaking with Mandira.. my initial response was to still say no, in fact I was going to happily tell you where you could stick your proposal"

"I see," Kabir replied, "And is that what you are doing now?" he then asked uncertainly

Pooja found she was unable to reply. Suddenly she was not sure what it was she intended to do

"Miss Sharma?" Kabir queried as the silence grew longer, he wasn't sure if she was still there

"I am sorry Mr Mittal," she suddenly apologised, "Perhaps I was a little hasty not giving your offer more consideration in the beginning, I am realising now that it could be of great benefit to both of us, and perhaps it would be foolish of me to turn you down"

This time it was Kabir's turn to remain silent for what seemed forever.

But finally he spoke up, "Does that mean you are saying yes?"

She could almost feel the tension through the telephone line, her own heart was hammering in her ears. She didn't quite believe she was doing this, it all seemed so surreal. Only ten minutes ago she had been so sure her answer would be no. But now it had come to the crunch, she realised how much was at stake..

Becoming Kabir's wife would open lots of opportunities for her, that would not be available otherwise, Had he not said that himself. It could be worth it.. Being his wife may not be such a hard burden to bear, when faced with all the benefits that would occur for both of them. All he asked for was someone he could trust, and he felt he could trust her completely. She would prove him right in that

"It seems so Mr. Mittal," she told him hoping her voice sounded steadier than she felt, "It appears you have a wife, if the offer is still open?"

"It is indeed," Kabir replied sounding relieved and pleased at the same time, "Thank you," he added gratefully

"Don't thank me yet, Pooja replied as the enormity of what she had just committed herself to, started to hit her. She just hoped they wouldn't end up regretting this night