Page 21 of Forbidden

‘You look gorgeous in white, Jaan. Though I prefer to see you more in red.’

How dare he!! I look around, my eyes scanning the party hall to see if I can trace him. He’s somewhere here, keeping an eye on me, and it scares me for sure. A server reaches us, and Mohit picks two glasses of mocktails for us and a glass of champagne for himself. Ever since morning, Mohit’s mood has gone for a toss. I never saw him this short-tempered like he is since I came back to India.

I purposely chose this long white gown for the party and tied my hair in a bun, leaving only two small strands hanging loosely on my face. Dressing up for a party was never a problem, but today I knew Aarav Raichand will be around and I didn’t want to give him any chance to gawk at me. That’s why I wore this dress which covers me up completely, only leaving my arms bare.

“Hello, Raichands.”

The unknown voice startles me. I turn to my left with Daadi and Mohit and see an old man walking towards us, in a black tux. I have never met him before, so I think he is someone from their business side.

“Mehtaji” Daadi shakes hands with him and that name sounds familiar. He is the same client who is now working with the AR group and not ours. “You changed the team,” Daadi taunts.

Mehta chuckles at her accusation.

“Durgaji, you know this is how business runs. No one supports a drowning ship. People flee to save their lives and that’s exactly what my company did. The market is not having good vibes about DG group anymore. I didn’t want to take the risk. Please don’t be annoyed with that. I am sure you too would do the same had you been in my place.”

Mohit laughs.

“We would have given an intimation before,” he adds. “Not what you did. Aarav bribed you to join his company, didn’t he? How much did you sell yourself for?”

Though Mehta’s temper rises equally at Mohit’s charge, he doesn’t lash him out as someone else joins this conversation. It’s Aarav.!! And the moment his eyes land on me, my breath quickens. He is dressed in a two-piece black suit. I shiver at the memory of our marriage, breaking my resolve to be strong and indifferent to his presence. As if he reads my mind, Aarav talks to me first, leaving the other three baffled.

“Are you okay?”

Mohit immediately stands between us, blocking Aarav’s gaze on me.

“Don’t you ever talk to her again.”

Oh my God. This is what I feared. Aarav laughs, and that’s not a simple laugh. I know he is laughing at Mohit because no matter how much Mohit tries to keep me away from Aarav, the truth is, I am Aarav Raichand’s wife, and no one yet knows.

His laugh fades as he takes another step closer to Mohit. “Let the woman speak on her behalf, Mohit.”

“Enough,” I finally interrupt. Mohit turns to me and I’m once again in Aarav’s view. “I need to use the washroom. I will be right back.”

That’s the only excuse I could think of to get away from both of them. My mind is no longer helping me to be calm. With unsteady steps, I walk away from there, letting them continue this verbal fight however they wish to. I can’t stand their enmity any longer, though I have hardly witnessed it.

I take some time to compose myself in the washroom, looking absentmindedly at the mirror and the other woman I see in myself who is so timid and fragile that she has no control over her own life. Am I really that weak? Has Aarav Raichand’s nasty game plan to destroy Mohit and Daadi made me so helpless that I cannot even stand for myself?

Before I look for these answers, the door opens and gives me another shock I am unprepared for. It’s Aarav again!! I wipe the corner of my eyes and throw the tissue in the dustbin.

“You have lost it completely. This is a ladies’ washroom. You are not supposed to enter a place like this,” I snarl.

“I wanted to make sure you are okay.”

What? His cool, unaffected voice annoys me and I decide to blow all my anger out at him. He landed me in this problem in the first place, didn’t he? Crossing my arms, I give Aarav Raichand a loathing look.

“Have you left anything to be called ‘Okay’ in my life? Ever since I have met you, Aarav, you have glued to my life like a bad omen. I am done with you and your tricks-”

I’m so lost in venting out my frustration on him I don’t realize when he pins my body to the wall behind. The casualness vanishes from his face and is overtaken by his dark, domineering side.

“We have a lifetime to spend together, Jaan. You can’t be done with me until I die. And even after my death, I will make sure to haunt you in your dreams.”

“I am not afraid of ghosts,” I snapped. “And you don’t need to turn a ghost to haunt me. You already do that every single night ever since we have met.”

I expected him to be annoyed, but his gaze on me softens.

“Glad I am part of your dreams now,” he mocks. “Because you surely come in mine. A LOT.”

My heart literally pounds in my ears. Aarav Raichand is the man I hate and even then, at times the way he speaks to me, with so much concern and desire, the way he gets close to me as if he is the only man supposed to have that right, the way he looks at me as if I am the most beautiful woman for him to possess and the way he shows his obsession on me as if I’m a priceless antique he wants to keep for himself, forces me to have second thoughts.

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