The Object of your affectio

"You have to get up." Anmol tried to get the blanket off her head. "Oh no." she groaned mid-sleep. Anmol pulled off the blanket, "It's been a week and you're sulking."

"I am, aren't I?"

"What's with the edginess?" Anmol asked worried, It was hard to get her talking, she wasn't ready to discuss whatever went down that morning, all she saw was Veer leaving the building followed by Pratha after a whole fifteen minutes, she just sat in the car, her eyes bloodshot, which she was quick to hide with her huge glasses.

"I am not being edgy." She said sitting up, "I'll not sulk." Pratha threw the papers under her pillow in front of Anmol, "He's so damn happy."

That's all Anmol got, in the whole week of her being shy and quiet, it scared her to see her friend this way, like something was eating her up. She looked down at the newspaper from yesterday, the headlines read "Kavya Oberoi's pregnancy."

Pratha clenched her teeth looking at the pictures, "Look at them, acting like it's all real." She held the newspaper. "He thinks he can do a story and I can't?"

"Pratha."

"Anu, I want to announce my departure from this company, whole shady interview thing you do- do it, I wanna see frown lines on that pretty face of his." She started breathing rapidly. Anmol huffed, "I don't think that's a good idea Pratha, why fight with something that-"

"Can you not start with your 'Pratha's delusional' speech Anmol, because this is not some shit I am making up." She could remember his exact words, no one would believe her because he was so damn perfect, he acted like he loved everyone and everything, that not a single particle of him believed in hate like he was smiling in all these pictures, looking so in love with hardly a month pregnant wife, like this was the life he yearned.

She clutched the paper tighter tearing it, it didn't satisfy her, she tore it more, more till it was just pieces of paper. Anmol swallowed the lump in her throat, "What did he do?"

Her voice was so soft that Pratha was tempted, tempted to tell everything, she just looked at Anmol's pale face, she saw Pratha's eyes pooling in tears with each passing second, she pursed her lips, "He broke my heart, Anu, he tore it into a million pieces."

Tears started running down her cheeks as she dragged herself forward wrapping her arms around Anmol, "He hurt me so much."

"Pratha." Anmol cupped the back of her head and slowly patted it, "It's going to be okay."

She shook her head against Anmol, "It's not going to be okay because he isn't coming back."

"You don't need him." She tried to calm her down. Pratha looked up at Anmol, "I was so stupid Anu, I thought-"

"Was he really with you?" she asked doubtfully.

Pratha nodded her head, "For the past two years- he is not what he looks like Anu."

"So why didn't you ever tell me?" Anmol cupped her warm face, Pratha swallowed thickly, "Because he didn't want me to, that would ruin his image."

"Pratha you wanna announce the departure? " Anmol huffed after a few quiet moments. She nodded resting her head back on Anmol's shoulder, "I want to hurt him."

"Do you think he'll do anything about it?"

"He's Veer, as much as I know him, he will."

Two years ago.

"Did I mess up?" Pratha asked as Mahek kept a blue folder on her desk. "Yes, you sent wrong invites and these are still not signed, you didn't give them to Khosla?"

Pratha palmed her forehead, "Oh God I am so sorry Miss Brar, It's just that I've been studying for finals all night."

"Miss Gujral I understand, but this can cause huge consequences, our company has a reputation to keep." She almost scolded, but Pratha nodded, "I'll do it in thirty minutes, Please don't tell Mr. Oberoi about this." She requested with her tired eyes.

"Okay- oh and if you'd go check the storage too Miss Gujral." Her tone was not snarky now. Pratha nodded, "Sure thing."

She tied up her hair, drank her remaining Coffee in a gulp, picked up the Blue folder, "Aisha have you seen Mr. Khosla?"

"Downstairs."

"Thank you."

The receptionist didn't reply to her, to which she shrugged, everyone in this company was so snobby for no reason, she pressed the Elevator button, "Hold that Miss Gujral."

She stopped the Elevator from closing when she saw Veer followed by Mahek approaching it, "Your coffee sir." Mahek gave him his cup, "Just get the plane back Mahek, arrange something for Kavu okay? I have to go."

"But Mr. Parihar-"

"I know Mahek but I already made commitments. After I come back from Mumbai, I'll meet him first."

Mahek nodded backing off as the Elevator door closed, Pratha held her breath, as he pressed the ground floor button, then smiled at her, "Good morning."

"Good morning." She smiled nervously.

"You look sleep deprived, has Mahek exhausted you?" he narrowed his eyes a little. Pratha felt so disappointed, if she would have known that she'd bumped into him, she wouldn't look this way, not today, then she slapped herself mentally, why should she impress him? He was just her Boss. "Oh no she's very nice to me, I have my finals going on and I hardly studied the whole semester with all this running around."

"You can always take a day off." He said then looked down at his watch, "Oh my God, I am late."

"Mr. Oberoi, Your coffee." She shrieked seeing how turning his hand had made it spill down, he clenched his teeth, "Damn it."

"I am sorry – I am so-" she said looking for tissues in her bag.

"Why are you sorry you did nothing." He said looking down at the big stain on his shirt.

The Elevator door opened and she followed him outside, "You don't have to go home and change, I can help you clean it in five minutes."

"You sure?"

"Yes, come hurry." She led him to the bathroom, he closed the door behind him as they entered the large restroom on the ground floor.

"Take it off." She blushed a little saying that, he hurriedly took off his coat, Pratha turned away to the side avoiding his perfect Greek God-sculpted body – of course, he had an amazing body, everything about him was unbelievable, as if the man got up daily to impress and make anyone feel less and insecure without trying. She wished she could remove the blood-red blush in her cheeks before he'd notice, she couldn't help looking a little every two seconds.

"Here." He handed her the shirt, she took it with a huge nervous gulp, unzipped her bag, taking out a box.

"You have detergent in your bag?"

"Baking soda." She replied turning on the hot tap water, "I don't usually do DIY stuff but this works, with vinegar – it's just magic."

"You have vinegar in there?" he peeked into her bag.

"No- pfft I don't carry a whole kitchen, but I do carry this, my mom taught me this and it has saved me at tons of dinner parties." She looked at him after a sigh, "See all clean."

"Wet." He pointed out.

"Well-" she looked around and then walked over to the hand drier, putting her hand in front of it, when it started, she let it dry the shirt, "Now, I didn't DIY this, it's just some common knowledge." She chuckled, when she turned back he was right behind her, his wide eyes boring into hers, "Shirt."

He broke her daze, and she handed over the shirt unable to look away from it, He chuckled, "We can't be around Miss Gujral and Coffee, because at the end"

She zipped up her bag rolling her eyes, "I didn't ask for this to happen, maybe you shouldn't be drinking Coffee."

"Maybe I shouldn't." he pinched the bridge of his nose, "But on the bright side, I'll be depriving myself of seeing your hidden talents." His eyes darkened for a second, there was this silence she didn't want to end, "You're getting late."

He wore his shirt looking at her as he buttoned it, "Good luck on those Finals Miss Gujral."

She put out a smile nodding as she left the room, heading for the storage like Mahek had told her.

Present

He didn't have her new number, and he couldn't call her but she bet he was desperate to reach her, anxiety and worry must be gnawing at his soul. She didn't know why, but she felt satisfied – so satisfied for the first time in months.

Her statements like, "My morals weren't allowing me to endorse the brand." Or the one where she said, "I support a company which is run by fair play, not something that is alarming to our safety and draining the economy." They must be making him scream in frustration, reporters were asking him questions and all he was doing was being the man he loved pretending to be, smiling, saying he didn't know why his warm and homely company was being pointed out so harshly. Acting so oblivious to the point where he could be given an IFA, at least a nomination.

She was replaying the interview videos on her laptop, the smirk not fading for a second, he looked composed and calm, so polite, but she could read his eyes, after all, she loved the man, she knew what he thought, how he scratched his temple when he got anxious, how his fingers shook in between a frustrating conversation.

"Pratha?" Anmol walked into the room, "Sameer Khosla has called, Mr. Oberoi wants to talk to you."

She smiled getting up, "Just text him my number, tell him that Veer can call me." She couldn't help but jump with joy as she accomplished what she wanted, and that was to get a reaction out of him, Anmol nodded, doing as she said.

Pratha sat on the stool in front of Anmol's vanity brushing her hair, as her phone started vibrating she giggled, "One."

"Pick it up?" Anmol said, handing her the phone.

Pratha shook her head, "Oh let him suffer a little, I suffered didn't I ?"

"Pratha this is so unnecessary."

"Seventy- times more and I'll pick up." She flipped her hair away and reached out for the moisturizer as her friend looked at her like she didn't recognize her. "That's how many times you called?"

Pratha nodded, putting the cream all over her face and her arms, "And you know what he did Anu- he never picked up. He could have picked up and said, I can't make it Pratha, there's an emergency, but happy birthday."

Anmol could see Pratha's voice breaking.

"If you hate him so much, why are you crying?"

Pratha looked at the phone vibrating, "Because I don't hate him."

"You're still gonna go back to him?"

She shook her head, "Anmol, there's no going back, because he left me, I didn't."

The phone kept ringing and ringing. Veer knew her game. He knew she loved the payback game. On the exact Seventy-third call, she picked up, "Hey baby."

"I don't want to talk over the phone."

"So that's why you called seventy-two times, let me tell you Veer when someone doesn't pick up Seventy-two times, they just don't want to talk."

She heard him hiss. Which made her smile wider.

"Pratha you're going to regret this?" his voice doing its best to stay composed. She laughed, "Are you threatening me? How stupid of you- when you know how the inner journalist in me just wants to blurt out every fucking detail of your life."

"What do you want?" his voice down from its fake composure to what Pratha knew. "Money?"

She threw herself back on her bed, "Why would I want the money? Last time I checked I am still the most wanted model in Landsdale."

"You can be unwanted as fast as you want, I made you the woman you are today." He said in a low growl.

"Whatever, I'll be moving to my hometown with my brother, do a 9 to 5, but God I'll love to see you ruined." She played with her hair.

She heard him sigh, "Why are you doing this?"

"You know why." She flipped on her tummy. "You know how to stop me."

"I-I Pratha, why don't you understand?" he tried to clutch onto his previous composure, talking softly. She frowned, did he think this would work on her? His fake concern. "because you don't understand, because it doesn't hurt you- you don't care." She shouted at him.

"I do care." He tried to calm her down. "Fuck off Veer, it is far too late for you to relapse, I know you, if you didn't have the guts to carry this relationship, why did it take you two fucking years to decide?"

"If you go on doing more interviews, I know how to deal with you – my way." He warned, back to his actual, real tone. "You told Anmol, didn't you?"

"What are you going to do about it? I don't care about anything anymore, not the fact that I love you or that you broke my heart a million times, not that you-"

"I made no promises to you that I broke Pratha, I've told you that you were a pit stop." He said harshly. The words sliced her once more, that was what he had said before, her eyes pooled in tears, mascara running down her face, She looked at Anmol who was watching her with a sympathetic look, she wiped her face off the tears, "That's what it's all about, not about Kavya, the baby or the money- but the fact that you're done with me."

"Maybe I am."

"I can't wait to hear your remarks on more of my interviews, don't shake your fingers too much baby, it gives away the calm demeanor you're going for." She snapped hanging up the phone.

"I can't believe this." Anmol shook her head, "He was- he just-"

Pratha nodded, "Oh you've seen nothing, Anu."

Anmol made her way to Pratha, sitting by her, she wiped her tears, "Pratha, I don't like this, he sounds deranged, hell you sound deranged, please – let's just stop this."

"I am not going to stop Anu, I just need him to beg me – to go back to him." She looked up, "I know it sounds pathetic, it sounds desperate."

"Pratha- you have to accept this and move on."

"I can't Anmol, every time I let it sink that- that we're over I want to die." She pursed her lips. "That's a breakup process, Pratha, I promise you'll get over it. Come on, go wash your face."

After a whole half hour of sulking she made it to the bathroom to wash her face, stains of Mascara, and lipstick all over her mouth, she turned on the tap, splashing water on her face.

"How much more time?" his voice boomed in her ears.

"Just a couple more minutes – I am not done with my hair yet."

"Remember the lowkey tag baby." He warned.

"I know. Just a little signature Pratha Gujral hair updo."

"Na-uh, hair stays down- I like it that way." He requested.

"Veer! Just go get in the car."

"Hair down." He said once more before going away.

Pratha cleaned her makeup, dabbing her face with the towel. She looked like herself again, the non-ruined version of her. Tucking her hair back, she closed the light going back to her room.

Two years ago

"I can't check them?" she asked the tall manager of the storage again, and he nodded. "But I have been given orders by Miss Brar to inspect it."

"Well, I have been given orders by Mr. Oberoi."

"Listen Baljeet I need to check it, Mr. Oberoi will be fine, I am sure." She progressed to a box, the man held her arm almost pushing her back, "Ouch, that's not very nice."

"Miss Gujral I suggest you don't meddle in things you have no authority over, this is my area." He said harshly. She pursed her lips, "Baljeet- Miss Brar will not be listening to excuses."

"I don't care either." He shrugged. "I am not driving an hour back to confirm."

"Then just get out, an assistant to Mr. Oberoi's assistant has no place here." He seethed. "Why are you being so rude? If you don't stop misbehaving, I'll have Mr. Oberoi talk to you."

"Why don't you try." He didn't pay her attention.

Pratha came back from the storage to her place, she was exhausted, and studying made it worst, before she knew she was out of bed.

The beeping of her phone made her get up, she rubbed her eyes and reached for her phone, "Hi Swarna."

"Pratha di, how are you?"

"I am doing well Swarna – what's up in Mussoorie?"

"Pratha di I miss you. Could you come back for a while- the place feels so weird."

Pratha sat up, "Swarna are you okay? Look I am still giving my finals- but after that, I'll take a break, travel hours to see you." Her sister sighed, "Di I just have this crazy feeling like some crazy thing is going on with you – are you okay?"

"I am fine, I have the shittiest job ever – but I am okay." She sat against the headboard, "I will come over the summer and then we'll go see Tina- she's probably missing us too."

"She is, she calls fifteen times a day, and you never call, both these things are annoying."

Pratha immediately felt guilty for ignoring her only family, "Swarna I've been so busy, I am so busy I delay peeing sometimes." She chuckled, "Thank God you called because I have to study and I just slept."

"Prathna di – don't tire yourself." She then chuckled, "I don't want to sound like mom and be all like are you eating?"

"Okay, Mom." She rolled her eyes, "Just focus on school, don't play all the time and please don't fail at anything."

"Yes Ma'am yes"

She looked up at Mahek as she stood in front of her table, arms crossed across her chest, "We need to talk."

"I swear I told him that I needed to check but he just kicked me out, Miss Brar." She explained before even asking. "Baljeet told Mr. Oberoi that you misbehaved, Pratha the man who has been working here for fifteen years, Mr. Oberoi doesn't disrespect the workers."

"He pushed me out." Pratha got up, "I was everything but rude to him."

"Mr. Oberoi said that he will talk to you about it when he returns from Mumbai."

"Miss Brar, the whole reason I talked to him was because he told me to." She said in a pleading voice, Mahek narrowed her eyes, "Are you pointing fingers at me Pratha Gujral, you've been working here for a month and you think you can point fingers at me?"

"No, you're getting me all wrong." She felt too trapped all of a sudden, "Okay- okay Miss Brar I am sorry, I'll talk to Mr. Oberoi, I'll explain myself to him."

"You should because he's not happy." Mahek huffed.

They both turned, seeing Sudha coming inside, she nodded at Mahek, and Mahek gestured towards Pratha.

"It's Mrs. Oberoi, right? She doesn't want me to work here." She asked understanding their interaction.

Mahek turned to her, "You think everything revolves around you? Mrs. Oberoi has a lot more to do with her time than doing numbers on you."

Pratha shrugged sitting down, "Okay Miss Brar whatever you say."

"Miss Gujral just because Mr. Oberoi has been generous to offer you this job that you do not deserve, doesn't mean you own this place and that you'll go around misbehaving with workers unchecked. You are no exception." Sudha scolded her.

Pratha packed her bag, "I am already done for the day so I'll just take off and it's okay I don't need the kick out from Boss, I am done working here."

"This is so unprofessional," Mahek muttered. Pratha sighed, taking her bag and dialing a number on her phone as she walked outside.

She was resting against her headboard swapping channels, her hand digging into a popcorn bowl in her lap as she stuffed them in her mouth. When Anmol called her she picked it up, "Where are you, Anu? I am going to Mussoorie tomorrow."

"Pratha, I've been looking for you all over the campus, you're home?"

"Ahuh." She stuffed more popcorn into her mouth, "I got fired -again." She huffed.

"What?" Anmol gasped, "What did you do?"

"Oh just got manhandled and then thrown out for the fact that I quote Miss Brar 'misbehaved' with a worker." She ranted on the phone. Her bell rang to which she groaned, "Don't tell me you invited Rudra over Anu. I just need one night of self-pity."

"I didn't."

"I am just done with Landsdale Anu, I am done with Landsdale, the harder-than-algebra routine, and my freaking failing jobs, I swear it has nauseated me." She opened the door and her jaw dropped seeing her Boss standing in front.

"Hello, Pratha?" Anmol's voice broke the silence for a solid minute.

"I'll call you back Anu." She hung up, then looked down at her ugly gray sweatpants and her graphic T-shirt in disgust, then up at him, "I'd invite you in but it's a mess."

"I'm sure I've seen worse." He shrugged carelessly, Pratha looked around to see if he had someone else with him.

"Just me."

"Come in." She gave him way, then closed the door after them. The music from the TV filled the silence, so she went ahead and turned it off, "I usually don't keep this place like a rat hole but I was – not in the mood to clean up." She cleared up space on the sofa dusting the cheese crackers off it. "Sit."

It was amazing how today she wasn't feeling attracted to him at all, maybe because she was hell-worried about her future. She was questioning her abilities every second in her brain.

"Can I get you something? Tea? Un spilled Coffee?" the way she said it made him chuckle, he held her arm making her sit with him, "You look bummed."

"I was reported of your expression of displeasure over my professional misconduct." She kept her tone stable, ignoring the goosebumps that her body experienced with his proximity. He rolled his eyes, "I don't know who reported that, Mahek told me over the phone that you left, seeing how badly you had wanted it, giving it up like that didn't suit you, I can't say I wasn't disappointed."

She nodded looking at the one crack in the wall in front of her. She was so embarrassed by this place, herself, that crack that she wanted to fix so badly but she couldn't, she didn't have time or energy. "I know I am just- so sorry Mr. Oberoi, I thought I was eligible."

"You being sorry but you never do anything to help that." His voice was firm as if trying for her to look at him, she didn't. She was busy looking at that crack in the wall. She would never be able to fix it, she could never replace her parents, and she could never live like that again. The feeling nauseated her, the spice finding its way to her eyes, she covered her face with her hands, hiding how she was finally facing the music, not denying the situation and believing that indeed she was doomed.

"Pratha." His voice was soft, she felt his hands on her shoulders, "Look at me."

She shook her head leaning over her lap, "I didn't know what I was thinking, I am not experienced enough to balance it with my studies, it just got out of hand Sir, I am so sorry." He moved her hands away from her face, her cheeks were red, eyes puffy from where tears were rolling down her cheeks, and she was biting her lip to refrain from crying out loud, "I am moving back to my town, things are easy there- I can't make it here, it was easier when Papa was alive."

His thumbs wiped away her tears, "You're just being too responsible for your age, once you balance-"

"But I can't balance, I didn't have any idea how this is going to be this hard, no one wants to talk to me, and everyone acts like I was scammed to get a job or something, it's so frustrating- I swear I didn't even misbehave, I just did what Miss Brar told me to, to check the boxes."

"That's what she said?"

"Ahuh- and when I did, Baljeet got rude for no reason- I told him I'll tell you and he just kicked me out of there." She said between sobs. He sighed, "Oh that's okay Pratha." he got a little ahead wrapping his arms around her, she rested her head against his chest, crying into his fragrant expensive shirt as he patted the back of her head, "You didn't need to quit the job- I was going to clear things between Baljeet and you."

She shook her head, "I don't want to clear anything, I just don't want to work there, I am so sorry Mr. Oberoi, I am not what I claimed, I disappointed everyone, but I just don't want to go back, I just want to go back home to Swarna."

His fingers massaged the back of her head, "Okay even though it seems like a kindergarten fight- if you wanna quit, you can, but at least stop crying."

"I am sorry."

"Stop being sorry." He said softly, "You want the driving job or something?" he chuckled to lighten her mood, and she looked up at him, "I lied, I don't know how to drive." Tears filled her eyes again, "I just got so worried I blurted it out I can't drive."

He pursed his lips, "Well that's what I thought, okay stop with the crying, you go get a break and when you feel okay, you can call me and we'll see if we can fix this problem."

"I am not coming back."

"You are." He said firmly, "Because I'll be waiting." She parted from him with most reluctance and wiped her face, "I am-"

"Don't say the word." He hissed. She bit her lip, "I annoyed you with my apologies?"

"That's enough of that word I wanna hear in one lifetime." He got up, "Pratha I'll be waiting for the call."

"Why are you trying to help me?" she blurted out. He shrugged, "Because I care." He walked to the door, and she asked him again, "Why do you care?"

He turned around, he eyed her from up to down once, his eyes rested on her puffy red innocent face, "There's something about you."

Four freaking words and it started it, rekindle that flame, or she could say fire deep inside her skin that she knew only he could put off, he was the water she required.

Present

Hot water showered down on her body, as she washed off her conditioner from her hair letting her fingertips massage her scalp when she heard her friend's far voice, "You might wanna come out, someone's here to meet you."

Pratha felt a smile creep up her lips, she quickly turned off the shower wrapping a towel around her body, gently squeezing some water out of it. Not bothering to put anything on other than her towel that ended above her thighs, she opened the door to the bathroom, following Anmol's voice to the living room, she frowned seeing her visitor, "What are you doing here?"

Anmol gasped seeing her, "Pratha."

She ignored her friend, looking at the brown-haired man on the sofa, sitting as if owned the place. He smirked, raising his glass a little, "Get me some more sweetheart."

Anmol took his glass, Pratha cocked her head to a side sitting on the sofa in front of the table, "Ritwik, what do you want?"

He held up his finger, reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a folded newspaper, "I read your recent interview, the last time I saw you, I had doubts about you and my brother, but it turns out, I was right all along." He held the glass that Anmol handed him and she sat down on Pratha's side.

"What are you talking about?" she narrowed her eyes. He chuckled humorlessly, "Do you think I am stupid? I am sure of your affair with him. If you were not this petty little girl I wouldn't be so sure, but now I am."

Pratha bit the inside of her cheek as he continued, "I am not here to know details of your vomit-inducing relationship, but I am here for a deal."

"What kind of deal?"

"You want revenge because he dumped you, I can help you with that, and make a lot of money in the process." He took a sip from his drink, "I have his stupid wife wrapped around my pinky."

"You. It's you!"

"Damn right it's me, I was the one who knocked her up – my bad." He grinned shamelessly, "She has a dream, me and her- the baby, huge house to ourselves, so much money we can swim in it and the only thing that stands in between is Veer."

Anmol swallowed thickly, "So, Pratha can't do anything about it?"

Ritwik rolled his eyes, "Anyone who wants to hurt him as bad as her can help." Pratha leaned forward, pouring herself a glass, "What's your deal?"

"I don't want Kavya, I never did my father wrote off everything to the eldest, the smartest he presumed, I fooled around with Kavya to afford my lifestyle, I got her to make Veer sign an agreement that if Veer is the one to dissolve the marriage in other words cheat or anything – he will lose sixty-seven percent of the company shares to Kavya, I own a total fifteen percent in the company- which leaves us eighteen percent to Veer himself, three percent of the profits from that go to our late father's trust foundation"

Pratha leaned back sipping her drink, slipping her one leg over the other as he continued, "You help me reveal Veer, I trick Kavya into writing the money to me after the divorce, let's be honest, Veer is not coming back to you."

"We." He pointed to the space between them, "Can be where they are, my brother will be stuck with the unaffordable child support of my baby, while you and I-"

She got up, "You and I will get the money, all that Veer yearns for, that fucking company." She leaned down sitting on the arm of his chair, "Is that what you want?"

He looked up at her smirking, "Well it's what I expect."

"Pratha this guy is a bigger fuck up than his brother." Anmol squealed, "Don't make a deal-no!."

Pratha turned her head to Anmol, "Shh, you wanna live your life in this excuse of a house or do you want to join hands with your friend Anmol, your pick."

"Pratha he's not making you a fair deal, he hates the woman he made a child with for God's sake."

"He hates her because she is a whore." She seethed, then looked at Ritwik, who was looking at her brows raised, "A whore who has no concept of protection."

"Don't be so harsh on her, you're no better." He raised his glass at her, and she clinked her glass with his, "Just shut up and tell me what you want me to do."

Golden lights, divine fragrances, beautiful and classic clothing. Pratha eyed everyone entering the Industrial Gala, draped in a skin-tight strapless white dress, hair in polished curls, her arm around Ritwik's arm as they entered the party, flashes of the cameras on the Carpet. Ritwik pulled her in whispering something which she couldn't understand from all the shouting, People called her name, and she beamed at the cameras, waving at people, giggling once or twice to Ritwik's witty jokes.

"Pratha here Pratha!" Reporters calling at her, she waved at them, "I am listening."

"Didn't you just depart from the Oberoi companies recently?" she never saw the face from all the flashing, she turned to Ritwik giggling, "I did depart from it, I am no longer an ambassador."

"Why is Ritwik Oberoi escorting you?" a female shrill voice asked, Ritwik acted all innocent and flustered, "Come on guys, she's not endorsing me."

"He's not a product." Pratha put her arm around him, "Sorry guys date night!"

"Pratha one more question!" more calling. Ritwik, like the perfect gentleman guarding her against the swarm of paparazzi towards the hall.

So many models looked at her enviously too, she was the 'trend talk' on the daily, she nodded looking at Kavya eyeing her in the distance, her body wrapped in a mustard dress, her eyes smoked out, and intense curls in her hair. She was gnawing at her perfectly manicured nails seeing her with Ritwik, she smirked at her, leaning close to him, resting her head on his shoulder. In a second her smirk faded slightly seeing her weakness, the man himself appear, leaning down on his wife's chair, handing her a glass of water. Seeing Kavya's stuck stare, he looked in that direction, their eyes locked, Pratha felt her throat going dry at his intense eyes, she recomposed herself in a second, the smirk reappearing on her red lips. She turned her head away from him turning to Ritwik, "Don't you think you're drinking too much?"

"Helps with the puppy's eyes." He chuckled and pressed a kiss to her temple, his hand pressing her shoulder, "You know, pretending you're the only woman in the room."

She narrowed her eyes, "Huh- is it that hard?"

"It's not." He licked at his lips briefly, "You don't think Veer's your bitch for no reason?

"He was my bitch." She rolled her eyes. Ritwik cupped the side of her face, "I can be your bitch, it's easy." His thumb stroking her red lower lip, "I mean any man with a working and functioning penis would want to be your bitch."

She held the glass from his hand, "You should stop drinking now."

"I would-"

A cough interrupted them and Ritwik turned his eyes to hers. "Bhai, you're here." Ritwik is good at pretending.

"You'd know if-" he looked at Pratha then stopped, "I see you're enjoying being with our former ambassador."

"Very much if I must say so." Ritwik looked back at her, "We just met last week and we ran into each other at the gym. I guess I don't need to introduce her to you myself."

"I'll let you guys talk." Pratha got up from her chair, "I am gonna use the restroom."

Ritwik pressed a kiss on her palm letting her hand go as she picked up her purse, giving Veer one last look, he clenched his teeth. She gave a light shrug heading towards the restroom.

Ritwik smirked, watching the whole reaction on Veer's face. He sat in Pratha's place, "What are you doing with this whore?"

"What do you mean?" Ritwik acted surprised seeing Veer's collected behavior slide off. He closed his eyes as if keeping it together, "Ricky, look bhai, the girl has crazy ideas in her head, she tried to harm the company one too many times- she wants to tarnish my entire reputation, what did she say about me to you?" his voice was almost desperate.

"Nothing, she told me nothing, is there something to tell?" Ritwik acted oblivious.

"So why would she leave the company, give those interviews, she wants to grab at something here." Veer narrowed his eyes. Ritwik frowned, "But she never said anything like that, she just said Brar, Khosla – bothered her enough to leave, just said everyone was getting sick of her fame outside the company."

Veer could not believe, Pratha would spill beans about him, and their relationship, he wasn't stupid enough to ask questions, "That's what she said?"

"Mm-hmm." Ritwik reached for his glass, "So now that I have your blessings, cheers, lighten up bro- stop worrying about work for a while."

Veer tried to smile, then got up, his eyes looking everywhere – he quickly walked back to Kavya, "I have something to do- just ask Mahek if you need anything."

"Where are you going? The media is here, and everyone's clicking pictures, I don't want to look like an old pregnant trophy wife sitting all by myself." She snapped

"Kavu- I have to go, you'll be okay, we made an appearance together, nothing is going to make you look bad." He touched her shoulder, and she moved back and out of his touch, "Fine, go!" he leaned in and kissed her temple. Then he turned to find the restroom.

Two years ago.

She sat up in her bed, lips parted, chest heaving, her hand moved to her hair in between her rushed breaths, trying to fix her hair, it was wrong, it was wrong to think about him like that, to fantasize that he was in bed with her, doing these sinful things to her tiny body. She stepped out of bed heading to the bathroom, getting out of her clothes, her breasts covered by her ruffled hair, but she could see the nipples poking out. She stepped underneath the cold water of the shower, her skin starting to get numb against the cold water, every time she'd close her eyes, all she would see was that body she had peeked at, his contoured chest, his defined abs, his strong arms, just the whole image of his perfect body. Unable to control herself, her hand reached to help the urge till it finished.

Anmol threw her bags on the sofa heading to the shared bedroom, on entering she found her friend plopped on her flat tummy on the bed, wearing lacy boy shorts, the white crop top she never wore anymore, wearing ankle lengthy furry socks, hair wet, flipping pages on a magazine with one hand, her index finger in between her lips.

"You look-umm very comfortable for a person who was fired and miserable the past week."

She threw the magazine under her pillow, "What? When did you – can you at least knock."

"Well I did close the door pretty hard, I thought you heard me, what's that you got there?" she gestured to the magazine Pratha threw under the pillow.

"Nothing, I was bored." She sat straight letting her feet over the edge of her bed, reaching for her sweat pants, she put them on, getting up from the bed. Anmol jumped to get the magazine, Pratha shrieked, reaching for it but Anmol got it first, "Eww what is this? The finance magazine?"

"It's a business guide too." Pratha snatched the magazine out of her hand, "With complete Investopedia – which is like an encyclopedia but for businessmen."

"Why are you reading this?" Anmol scrunched her face, Pratha rolled her eyes, "I told you I was bored- now can you please stop judging me." Pratha huffed her relief, stuffing the issue poster inside, Anmol would judge her for walking 6 kilometers to get the business journal for a damn poster, for a certain forest greenish-brown-eyed man's poster. Pratha put the magazine in her bag, her phone's annoying ring made her growl, she reached for it, "Hello."

"Pratha- Miss Gujral, it's me."

With that deep velvety voice of his, she felt like she'd slip in two seconds flat.

"Remember me?"

Of course, Pratha screamed inside her head, unable to find her voice, she swallowed thickly, "Mr. Oberoi, of course, sorry I-" If she had checked before picking, she wouldn't be that surprised.

"That's fine- actually, I hope you are back by now?"

She never went away, things weren't just wrapping up – she hadn't even left.

"I am home."

"That's swell- you see I have a four-day business tour, Mahek very conveniently got food poisoning that to today- I know it's stupid of me to ask you to assist me, I have so many people working here, but maybe – you'll want to give us a chance then?"

She blushed, "I don't know- I mean" she curled her hair around her finger in nervousness, "I'd love to, but I am so bad at assisting – I don't want to mess it up for you, disappoint you further."

"That won't be a problem, I'll make sure you have a nice experience – come on, the guy's asking you to work for him?" he chuckled, "I want to help."

Her heart grew warm to his tone, "You're so kind."

"Just because I know you can do this, you deserve this." His voice was encouraging, "If you don't want to let me down- you know what to do."

She pursed her lips, ignoring how fast her heart was racing, if she kept on with the call, he would hear her erratic heartbeat.

"I'll come." She leaned against a wall, supporting her jelly legs, "to help."

"That's what I expected.

Present

Pratha tapped her hand on her warm neck, closing her eyes as the water calmed her nerves down, everything seemed such a scheme. She didn't know what she was doing. Destroying the man whom she still very much loved, he'll close all doors on her, but didn't he already? When she opened her eyes, her brown eyes widened locking with the intense greenish brown in the mirror, she turned behind only to have her neck clutched in his hold, she gasped holding his hand, "Ouch- leave me!"

"Leave you? I left you but you had the nerve to meddle in my life." He seethed. She coughed, "Veer I'll scream – you don't want people to, ahh, know about this, or Ritwik!"

"What's your game Pratha?! " her leaned forward, his face inches from her, "Why are you here? Why are you here with Ritwik?"

She pressed her nails in his skin, "Veer- can't breathe."

"You should have thought about it before you decided to be a whore for my brother." He left her throat, she fell back coughing from the pressure, his hand slipped around her waist, "You feel like you're going to die right? Because I felt that way every second you were this close to him." His hand clutched her chin, "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

She looked up at him with fearful eyes and held her tight to him, "Earned some money and you think you can raise your brows at me? the person who brought you here?"

"I'll be a whore for whoever I want! You chose already." She spat. He shook his head, "Oh no you don't, I see you around Ritwik again, I will make you sorry."

"Veer you don't own a particle of me anymore, so go back to your snobby wife and let me and Ritwik be – you had your share of the 'perfect couple' photos, it's time the public knows that I am too capable of carrying a trendy pop culture relationship." She elbowed his chest , getting him off her , she grabbed her purse , picking out her phone , she ignored his presence , she zipped her bag whilst dialing a number, her arm held by the man , she gasped as he pinned her against the door she was heading for , his lips crashed into hers roughly , his body pressing so hard to hers that she couldn't move from it to rid herself , but she didn't know if she wanted to, his hands cupped her silky puffy hair propping her head up to him as he processed her lips , she could feel him biting her lower lip , forcing her to open her mouth for him, his tongue coming in contact with hers when she did , once he was sure she wouldn't move , his hand left her arm tracing down her body to under her thigh , he lifted it , spiraling it across his waist as he pushed into her , letting her feel his arousal , she moaned , as he left her bruised mouth attacking her jawline with his wet kisses , she let her head fall back , "Oh-oh my God!" she moaned closing her eyes , "Veer p-please stop ah." She managed to say between her raced breaths.

"See? You can't be his- you're mine." He said in a low growl as he pressed a kiss to her swollen lips taking her lower lip between his lips. She gave in again kissing him back, till he pushed off her leg, moving back, parting his lingering lips from her, she pressed her hands on her chest, trying to catch her breath, he moved forward holding her elbow to move her out of his way, she held his wrist, "You were the one who suggested to we forget about it and move on."

"I said nothing about moving on." He rolled his eyes. She clenched her teeth, "What do you want- you don't want this relationship, you don't want to give it up, you don't let me go, and at the same time you act like this as if you loathe me."

He shut the door with his hand pushing her against it, this time his eyes firm, "Don't question me, you will do as I say, get it?"

"You can't expect me to not want a future- to not want more." A film of tears covered her eyes making them look like melted chocolate, "If you don't give it to me, someone will."

"No one will." He said in a warning, "Understand? Now clean all this mess up and go tell Ritwik you're extremely sorry for cutting the date short, you'll be going home now."

"But-"

"No buts, go home now," he said sternly. He moved her out of the way, she pursed her lips as he ran a hand in his hair to fix it.

"Will you call me?" she hated asking this every time, every freaking time she had to ask him this, she had to wait hours and hours. He didn't say anything, just fixed his collar looking picture perfect like he had before coming here, She held his arm, "Damn it, answer me, Veer, are you going to show up to see me- like I had expected you at my birthday."

"Pratha don't you have anything to do with your life?" he held her hand on his arm removing it, "Veer stops behaving this way, either you say yes or no, I swear Ritwik has much to offer." She muttered quickly seeing him leave.

"You'll not go with him." He said firmly, She fixed her hair, cleaning the corners of her mouth as she adjusted her dress, "Try and stop me."