3 The Break up

Suddenly Nancy's life was spinning like a top. A part of her wanted to stop but another part knew that if she did, she would fall and get hurt. Self preservation told her to let the events unfold by themselves. Another part of her was elated by the possibilities and excited with knowing the unknown and unexpected. That part of her was flying and did not wish to touch ground. Still another part was praying, praying hard to God, that she could just wake up.

She was sitting in the Mercedes, looking at him while he poured into some documents. Was this real? Was she really crazy to accept his proposal? Did she accept his proposal? Nancy never said yes but she knew that didn't matter to this man. Only her saying no would have mattered and she had nothing to refuse him for. She knew he was right about Rohan. A big contract would remove his anguish at losing her. She was just an asset to him, rather a property he owned. Yet he was to her what her parents could not be, her sense of belonging. Time and again she had really felt that she was cramming herself in Rohan's life. Would Sebastion feel the same way if she ever needed him to comfort her?

She blinked her eyes to shake off all illusions. Here was a very successful, powerful, eccentric and whimsical man who would do as he pleased as he has since they have met, yesterday. How funny it is that they do not know each other for more than a day and yet know more about each other than Rohan could have ever known her.

Sebastion looked up to catch Nancy blushing. "'Caught you staring."

Nancy smiled. She knew he didn't mind her looking at him. She had been looking at him for about half an hour, since she took seat in his car. He only looked up as they halted. They were stuck in traffic. A driver was at the wheels and Gomez sat beside him. Sebastion was in the passenger seat with her. This was a road Nancy knew well, road to Rohan's office. That didn't matter much. Sebastion would handle Rohan well. This much she knew. He could handle any one well. He was master of the world.

A boy knocked at the window beside them. Gomez's eyes were at him immediately. He was selling flowers at the signals. He was wearing a threadbare t-shirt covered with years of sweat. Yet on his face there was a smile, maybe a little forced, but a smile. In his hands there were a few dozen roses. Gomez was alert. He had known Sebastion far more than Nancy had. Sebastion would open the window. Nancy never did, not once. "What are you doing?"

"Buying flowers for my fiancée" was Sebastion's simple answer.

Nancy couldn't help blushing. Gomez shook his head in frustration. He had grown tired of Sebastion and his eccentric ways. Nancy wondered if she would too. Sebastion handed the boy a thick bundle of money. The boy looked in wonder as he handed all the flowers through the window. There were about a fifty red roses. The money was for far more but the traffic lights were cleared and he couldn't return the change. He wasn't supposed to.

The cabin was filled with the sweet intoxicating smell and the velvety smoothness of the blood red flowers. She loved roses. Always she had loved roses. Rohan loved lilies though. She hadn't smelled a rose in a long time. She closed her eyes and took in the smell. Her face filled with the glow of satisfaction. When she opened her eyes she was blushing. This time Sebastion was staring at her, amused.

"Roses"

Nancy knew he could still read her like an open book. She was glad. It was nice, not having to direct every action, divulge every fact. It was really nice to be understood for a change. "Red roses are my favourite flower." She simply confirmed slightly nodding. Sebastion smiled. He felt smug to get another thing right.

Sebastion couldn't believe himself. He didn't know what her favourite flowers were. How conveniently this girl's mysteries unravelled themselves before him. It was effortless to be with her. But still he knew marriage was something very big. But he was the one who proposed and he would keep his word, no matter what. Her eyes demanded it off him and somehow he felt compelled to fulfil.

The rest of the journey was smooth and in ten minutes they were alighting in front of a ten storied building. Nancy was nervous. This was odd. She had never gone inside Rohan's office before. The first time she was going, she intended to call off their relationship. Sebastion reached out and held her hand. She felt self conscious. A lady in a crisp salwar suit came forward to greet them. They were expected.

The lady was new to the office and did not recognise Nancy. Nancy had only met a few of Rohan's colleagues. The lady led them to the fourth floor conference room. Nancy was nervous and shaking. In the elevator Sebastion held her hand and squeezed them. The last time Sebastion held her hand, Nancy had jerked them free. Sebastion's touch was brief and Nancy felt oddly comforted. She breathed deeply telling herself that all would be right once she met Rohan. She still hadn't told Sebastion a yes. Accepting flowers did not imply accepting a marriage proposal, she told herself. She wanted to know what she wanted, for herself, and not to show off.

As the two entered the conference room Sebastion turned to her. "We still have few minutes until the meeting. Isn't there something you would like to deal with first?"

Nancy looked at him, as shiver ran down her spine. She had to make a decision, Fast. She turned to the hostess and asked her where Rohan Chatterjee's office was.

"Fifth floor third room down the front aisle"

"Thank you" and she left.

Nancy knocked before entering. Rohan's voice pierced through the door. It was not nearly as deep as Sebastion's. It sounded as the shrill voice of a male opera singer having a case of sore throat. Yet he had the firm hold on her heart that it skipped a beat as he asked her to come in. What it was, she wondered. Fear that she might hurt him, apprehension as if her actions were misguided or panic as to whether she could really hand her life over to a stranger, she could not make out. She knew she had loved Rohan, had loved him when she had met him. Yet she knew that it was not possible to love a man who only thought of her as a physical possession and nothing more. Nancy realised that Sebastion or no Sebastion she wanted out of this.

She entered gently, peeking stealthily through the door. Rohan did not look up. Clearly he was expecting someone else. "Is Mr. Mornington seated and comfortable?"

"Yes"

Nancy's voice made him look up. He was surprised and irritated at the same time.

"You, what are you doing here? ....Wait....What do you know of Mr. Mornington? What are you doing here now? Do you work for him? When did you change jobs? You should have told me. It might have helped me. Whew Nancy.... It's a big break."

As Rohan paused for a breath Nancy saw how good Sebastion is at reading characters. Even now what mattered to him was a business deal. Nancy had to clear her throat of the chagrin and the hurt before she could speak. She had to speak before he got a chance to catch his breath. "Can I answer one by one? I came here to talk to you. After you abandoned me last night, I had dinner with Mr. Mornington. He is a nice man, insanely arrogant and extremely sensitive. I did not change jobs. I am still with Khanna Pharmaceuticals." She intentionally omitted the part where Sebastion had taken over the company. "I am here to call off our engagement because I am tired of getting the second hand treatment from you. Do you mind taking this back? I find it ostentatious."

As Nancy said it she held the ring for him to see. Rohan stared at it with wide eyes for a few moments as if Nancy's words had fallen in deaf ears. Then he smirked and looked away. Nancy placed the ring on his table. "Found someone better or richer?" he sneered at her.

That was a territory Nancy was still not ready to reach. She did not know what to answer Sebastion. "That's none of your business, not anymore at least."

"Are you doing that boss of yours now...what was his name...yes Khanna?"

Nancy heard the malicious intent in his voice and cringed from it. This hideous face of Rohan was always hidden from her or perhaps she had refused to see it in her blind adoration of the person she had once loved. "He is like a father to me and he loves me as a daughter. How dare you even think otherwise?"

Rohan held a serious face. Perhaps the snide remark was a slip of character. Maybe he was in pain. Nancy wished to take back the words if it would do him any better but she had realised that their relationship had started to rot months ago. Sebastion had only pointed out what she already knew. Rohan was the one cheating. Yet she felt guilty. Calmly Rohan spoke. "My mistake, of course, he is like your father. How could I forget? Like your step father perhaps."

Nancy could not stop her hand as it went up to slap his face. Nancy never knew she had any violence in her. She stood still with shock as the face she once loved showed the reddish mark of her assault.

Rohan stepped forward with rage in his eyes. Nancy could not understand what to do, where to go or where to hide. At the very moment the door creaked open and both turned as Sebastion entered frowning at the intense scene within. Nancy rushed to him in relief and wrapped herself around his warmth. Tears streamed down her cheeks as Sebastion fingered through her hair. It was a sign of possession. She now belonged to him.

"Mr. Chatterjee, did you just make her cry? That is a not very chivalrous thing to do now, is it?" Sebastion's voice was moist and warm melting Nancy's anxiety away as it flowed through the air around her.

"Mr. Mornington", Rohan was surprised and overwhelmed by the man's presence, "Please do not bother with her petty tears. She is just too melodramatic for my taste. This is just a scuffle between us with nothing for you to witness. She is just my fiancée who needs me to pay her bills."

Sebastion eyed Nancy sceptically for a minute. She hid her face in his shoulders and his eyes drifted to the table where the ring lay. He pulled Nancy away and pulled her face close to his, clasping her chin and held her head up pouring into her eyes. Nancy saw a great confidence in his eyes, whether it was for her or not she didn't know but Sebastion knew that he could be confident of her. She had no way of knowing that but she really felt good, really good.

She looked on in wonder as he spoke and blushed at his words. "I believe you are mistaken on one assumption though. She is no longer your fiancée as from this morning onward she is engaged to be my wife and the ring on your table is a testament to the fact that you are well informed of this."

The turmoil of emotion on Rohan's face was evident. There was horror, disbelief, confusion, torment and regret.

"Mr. Mornington" a shrill voice sounded on the outer side of the half open door. The voice was unfamiliar to Nancy but Sebastion was not surprised. "I found the conference room empty and Steffi, my secretary, told me you requested for my CEO's office. Is everything alright?"

Nancy rubbed her tears away and steadied herself as Sebastion turned half away to answer the woman of authority. "Your CEO has offended my fiancée and under such circumstances I don't think it will be possible for us to do any business. It was a waste of my precious time." Sebastion ended the discussion in a calm grave voice and made to leave. Silently Nancy followed.

In the elevator Nancy finally looked into his face. His expression was closed.

"You never told him about me, did you?" Sebastion sounded serious, not like himself, confidence waning.

Nancy felt guilty again for an action which was well meaning in itself. "I thought it better to let him digest the first part of the news first. I was breaking off our engagement."

"You were going around to it?" He sounded incredulous.

Nancy couldn't believe the note of faltering confidence in his voice. Could really this man suffer from petty feelings as doubt. "Yes of course I was." She tried to mirror his tone, and then added, "Why do you ask?"

"I thought you hadn't decided yet." His last word was emphasised with a forced smile on his lips and Nancy found that it hurt more than Rohan's insult.

"I hadn't. It's true. I was feeling guilty for hurting Rohan. I guess my feelings were misplaced."

Sebastion nodded, humour and pain absent from his countenance. The elevator opened and he silently walked out. Nancy couldn't brace herself to ask him what he surmised. She did not know him well enough to gauge his mood.

Back in the car Sebastion finally looked at Nancy. His eyes were sparkling not with moisture but mischief. "Wow that was easy."

Nancy eyed him suspiciously. What was he talking about?

"Two things happened. Firstly you are not committed and I loved the look of disappointment on the woman's face. Yeah! Yeah! That woman: I hated her on the phone. She is too full of narcissism. I really wanted to show her, her place. I wanted to do that so much." Suddenly he was bouncing with joy like a child. This man was an impossible puzzle.

"But, the meeting ..." Nancy managed to mumble.

"What about it?" Nancy had to swallow to speak as those wonderful green eyes widened in amusement.

"Wasn't it important?"

"More than you, nah"

Nancy couldn't believe the casual tone in his voice yet the meaning it implied. She could not believe that she could mean more to a man than anything. To Rohan work always came first. Suddenly she felt he was trying to say something but he only leapt forward and grabbed Nancy in an endearing embrace.

Nancy almost stopped breathing.