Chapter 3: The Reunion

Ellie's POV

Nervous would've been a very polite way of putting it, because my gut was writhing bad.

One, because this was my first business party as an employee.

And two, because her sweet little brother would be here too.

Someone I've heard not very kind remarks about.

The thought itself wrecked a complete havoc on my insides and yet I was all here, in flesh and bones.

I was well informed about the severity of the situation and the importance of the party.

My thoughts? This was freaking insane! It was just a deal.

Though, one with thrice the amount others offered.

Alright, fine! It was darn important.

Never have I ever, been in such tremendously worthless social meet. With the investors trolling all over the place, all with a bloody flute in their hands, which was actually red wine.

Everyone was talking so casually as if it's not a damn big deal to switch from one topic to another in a decently prolonged conversation.

But what I noticed the most were women, of all creeds and races, beautifully​ graceful, sweeping and being swept, throughout the hall clicking their stilettos on the white and black marble floor, with a confidence of a model. Each one of them; backs ram-rod straight, legs and arms fully toned, bellies tucked in.

I looked down at myself. I think chubby is also acceptable.

Some girls looked quite arrogant, but some were sweet as honey.

Men were obviously the bees.

I was talking to a honey one right now and she decorously went on about the state of affairs related to business.

I liked her instantly. She was different from all those bimbos who just knew what brand of eyeliner complemented what dress or the right technique of contouring for the shape of your face.

Well qualified in management and currently working as a trainee under her dad's supervision, Laila was somewhat a Russian with a British father as an investor to TGC. And that's why she was here.

I don't know how it happened but I found ourselves discussing the about the mechanized working of a heat engine. And boy, was she well informed.

After a great amount of knowledgeable information shared, she took her leave to join her dad.

I obliged happily.

Having nothing to do in a room full of cocky people, I just stared blankly at the crowd following closely behind one man and choking him to death with questions and introductions.

He just avoided them and continued walking through the door as if he owned the freaking floor.

I could just see his black hair gelled back as more people ignited the poor guy's ego, appraising him about something I couldn't very well hear.

Even women of the south pole came rushing towards him as if he was the entire north.

Talk about glamour now!

Shaking my head and diverting my gaze, from a distance I could easily spot Minaxshi talking to a man. He was quite old, blue eyes shining with an arrogant glaze and white as daylight beard with... a bald head?

Why does he have a thick, white beard with no hair to accompany his head?

I suppressed a giggle at the thought.

But I must agree, it's the very combination that made him so high horse.

I think he was also one of those shrewd gentleman who have shown interest in TGC.

Great!

At least that idiot has seen me and now she's coming to greet me...

But, she has company with her, following closely behind. And, It's a guy. His head is hung low, literally jammed into the phone he's holding.

And No, its not the old potato she was talking to a few minutes ago.

Rather, the one that had a crowd of classy wannabes all over him.

All that visible to me is still, a mass of chit black hair, gelled back in style. He's young, athletic, freakishly tall and wearing a suit as if he owns the bloody fabric. Well, he technically owns it but you get what I mean right?

The fact that I don't know him already and she's probably gonna introduce is because she's literally pulling him with her. This shit is making me... hesitant, anxious, edgy, alarmed?

At this moment, I don't fucking know.

As soon as she hugs me, shouting a 'Hi babe!' into my ear, I'm left paralyzed.

Not because she shouted with a frequency of above 20k Hertz, but because of the man standing in front of me.

The bastard, Divyansh Singh. The man I've been running from ever since I shared the same bed with him the night he saved me.

"You?"

We both shouted together. I'm pretty sure the shock masking his face was nowhere greater than mine.

But what bothered me the most was-

How the hell did she know him?

Was he her boyfriend?

Oh no, can't be. She doesn't look like someone who'll fall for someone as pathetic as him. But what if they really were? I'll have to warn her about him. But maybe she already knows...?

By now I was gaping at the both of them - him - like a moron. Squinted eye, mouth agape, singular eyebrow raised, neck tilted awkwardly.

Yes, I am the definition of a lunatic!

"Hey Ellie, this is my brother... But it seems like you both already know each other?"

It was a question, surprise quite evident in it.

She glanced at the both of us smirking stupidly.

Obviously!

I was the darned​ reason after all.

But seriously? Siblings? They both? You gotta be fucking kidding me.

So he wasn't just Divyansh Singh as he introduced himself so many years ago?

He was, God damned Divyansh Singh fucking Grover.

Albeit, looking closely, their features now strikingly almost similar. Some eyes, same lips. Although his lips are much more plump and pink and... sexy.

He's changed a bit since I last saw him. Actually... A lot!

Looking at his broad squared shoulders you wouldn't dare doubt the strength and power he bore, the caliber he had to take complete control over anything and everything at anytime.

His chiseled jaw portrayed sheer determination of his known purpose in life. And his beard. It is only now that I see it fully grown, quite unlike the patches of grass that took charge so many years ago.

But apart from everything that displayed only the outward beauty, the real deal still remained stationary. His eyes!

The same amber brown eyes that have haunted me since years. The same eyes that I never got the privilege of staring into because of a stupid negotiation from him. The same eyes that I had left behind, stranded, when they needed me.

...but I had moved on.

"You know, if you wouldn't have rejected me back then, then I guess you wouldn't be swooning over me like this. Instead we'd be fucking the shit out of each other, right now."

His not-so-required comment brought me out of my very own personal musings and when I looked up he was staring, more like glaring, nonchalantly into the ambiance that took over the place... his place.

I'm quite certain I was red with anger and embarrassment combined.

Immediately but quite reluctantly, I diverted my gaze from his appealing face, fetching for the little devil who left me unarmed, completely by myself in between a brooding Grover and an idiotic flock of utter show-offs. 

Despairingly, I scanned the mass of parsimonious individuals, the greatest of them right beside me but no help availed.

Pure luck!

But wait, I had a job here, unfinished. Where in, I was supposed to put his ego in place so I retracted, just to shoot with a more vigilant retort I could think of, for this perverted brat glaring into the crowd standing right beside me.

"Well Mister, I hate to break it to you but swooning over you?... Is a pathetic time pass. In fact I was just surprised that a dedicated ass like you happens to be my best friend's brother. And where even the hell is she?"

The last part of the question was mumbled directed towards myself.

You'd think he'd shut up after receiving a highly decent comment from me, but good gracious that would mean the earth was flat.

He took the opportunity well, very clearly misunderstanding me in the run and fucking hell, did his cockiness just not get boosted to lemniscate times the present.

"Why? Are you nervous that I'm gonna do something with you?"

He addressed me with the most arrogant smirk I'd ever had the privilege of seeing. His eyes still avoiding my questioning gaze but the mischevious glint still very much decipherable.

I was about to give a huge eye roll, regardless he looked at me or not, accompanied with a fairly sharpened piece of my mind.

But before I could say anything, he turned towards me. My eyes popped out from there sockets and literally got jabbed into my mouth with the force of the egoistic phrase that left his lips.

"Well, don't be. You ain't my type."

And with a last wink, he left.

What the actual fuck? What does he think of himself?

That brooding son of a bachelor!

I'll show him what types I am and can be.

With my rival gone and leaving me into a much sustained, extreme irritation I marched directly towards the bar.

An hour has gone by and my dearest best friend is nowhere to be seen.

I received timely greetings and a casual exchange on the topics of work from many employees and some other of Minaxshi's business associates, all this while carefully dodging the investors's watchful eyes.

But not once did I see her.

Apart from planning her murder, I really needed to talk to her regarding Divyansh, this company joining hands with his', and all that is capable of making me put my shit together.

Being partners with him would mean I'll be seeing him on a daily basis. And that, some day or the other, would surely result in opening up of my past and everything that I've locked up and left behind.

I have come so far, escaped everything successfully and now I won't let it all get wasted over a damned guy.

"Ellie?"

I turned around at the sound of my name. And judging by the source, it was a man.

Humaid!

Never in my sweet dreams had I imagined to meet him, seeing him here was definitely another part of the story.

He stood to his six feet height, hovering over a five feet three inch me. I examined him carefully. His athletic build suited him. His suit didn't betray him as his muscles flexed through the fabric. The spell was soon broken when I realized that staring at someone was considered bad manners and for the first time, besides the mention of his name did I manage to speak out loud.

"What are you doing here?"

We both asked at the same time and laughed.

"Ah...Ladies first."

"Okay. So what are you doing here?" I smirked.

He smiled. His dimples as prominent as the ones several years ago. Only did he became much more... manly.

"Woah! So I see you haven't changed much? But I must mention this, you look absolutely ravishing!"

He hugged me and I couldn't help but get a whiff of his strong cologne. Cinnamon. Nice!

"Thanks! And I must say... you don't look bad either." I smirked again.

"In that case madam, may I have the pleasure of knowing: Are you single?" He smirked back, but the laughter hidden behind his twitching lips was very prominent.

"Hahaha very funny. Now don't you change the topic. Tell me how come you're here?" I almost screeched at the poor guy.

"Oh well, remember I told you I had to fly abroad to handle some business stuff?" I nodded sincerely. "Then as my business progressed I became partners with another of the top most businesses from all over the world. As time went by I got settled here and now we are joining hands with my partner's sister so that's it. Now you."

"Hmm just to cut the long story short. The sister you just talked about, I'm working as her Personal Assistant."

"Ahh, weird coincidence! But I love it anyway. Now would this beautiful young lady spare me the honor of a dance?"

"Woah dude. Flirting as usual and already hun?" Smirking, I gave my hand into his.

Today was a personal smirk day for me. Not that I mind.

"You haven't changed even a fraction hmm?"

He asked with a slight glint in his eyes, a mature but playful demeanor demarcating and distinguishing between his previous self, the one that I knew years ago, and the one that I meet now, in reality.

Excited, even blushing slightly, still trying to sport a perfect smirk but failing miserably, I just replied with honestly.

"The truth is very much evident."

Dancing with Humaid, was so much fun. Maybe because for the majority​ of the time, we were stepping onto each other's shoes, trying to win a personal game initiated by ourselves. Well, he wasn't stepping onto mine but me, oh I sure as hell was taking the full advantage of this refined man. He, however, was merely trying to escape the blows from my heels.

And I loved it.

Since we both were tired and I wanted silence for sometime. Then extremely bored of the business mode the party took on, Humaid wasn't interested either, so the two of us had just slipped out into the fresh air.

Walking around in the garden at the back of the house, we talked for a bit. I hadn't known that catching up with a friend would be​ so difficult, but it was still fun.

I told him how I ended up here, just going past the deep details. While he shared a lot about himself.

Although, when I asked him about his partnership with Divyansh, he suddenly stiffened. Taking the hint, I didn't push him to talk further.

He had told me, he returned today, after making a trip for a few weeks to Chicago. He was tired and it was written on his face.

But I knew it wasn't work.

A few more minutes, we went on walking past the shrubs, then sat on a bench and just watched past the greenery surrounding us. We didn't talk and were seemingly okay with it.

Silence was highly underrated. But it was so comfortable with him.

Today might have been a normal business party for others but to me it was the most eventful day of my life.

It was a moment of beautiful sereneness.

And after so many years, I felt happy.

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