CHAPTER 9: Part 1 (FIRST DATE PART 2)
Recap:
Without waiting for a response, he stepped back into the corridor. The other man followed, and both men moved with brisk purpose towards a separate, imposing set of doors further down the hall—clearly a conference room.
The secretary at her desk remained discreetly out of sight of his office's entrance. The heavy door to his private office slid silently shut, sealing me inside.
~ ISHIKA (POV) ~
I was left utterly alone in the vast, silent office. The city stretched out endlessly before me, a glittering tapestry, but I barely registered it.
The echoes of his kiss still vibrated on my lips, and the fresh mark on my neck was a burning reminder. I stood for a moment, clutching the bouquet, feeling utterly out of place.
My eyes darted around the imposing room, taking in the sleek, minimalist decor, the expensive art, and the sheer scale of his domain.
It felt like stepping into another world entirely, a world of power and secrets. A profound sense of isolation settled over me, mixed with the lingering thrill of his unexpected passion.
My fingers involuntarily went to my neck, and the burning sensation confirmed it-the hickey was definitely there.
I walked towards the nearest floor-to-ceiling window, the polished glass serving as a mirror. My breath hitched. There it was, stark and undeniable, a deep purple mark.
My cheeks flared with renewed heat, this time from pure mortification. How could I face anyone like this? What if someone saw?
Panic began to bubble. My mind raced, frantically searching for a solution. My saree's pallu was too short to offer proper coverage without looking obvious.
My hair, even if I tried to let it down, wouldn't fully hide it. I needed something, anything. Then, an idea sparked. I fumbled in my small clutch, pulling out a delicate, embroidered handkerchief.
It was a simple, old-fashioned thing, but it would have to do. With trembling fingers, I carefully positioned it over the mark, trying to secure it discreetly. It felt awkward, but at least it offered a temporary shield.
Just as I managed to somewhat cover it, standing near Mrityunjay's massive, imposing desk, the heavy office door silently glided open.
My head snapped up, my heart leaping into my throat. A young man, appearing to be around my own age, stood framed in the doorway.
He had a curious, almost bewildered expression on his face as he took in the opulent office, and then his eyes landed on me.
"Arre! Madam!" The young man blurted out, his eyes wide and panicked. He was cute, with a boyish charm, but clearly terrified.
"Aap... aap yahan kya kar rahi hain? Bhag jaaiye! Jaldi!" (Madam! What are you doing here? Run away! Quickly!)
I blinked, momentarily speechless. He started frantically waving me towards the door, his voice dropping to an urgent whisper, though his fear made it almost comically loud in the silent office.
"Vivan Singh Rathore," he whispered, gesturing to himself, then dramatically leaning in. "Mrityunjay Singh Rathore ka chhota bhai... I mean, cousin. Student. Intern. Aur aapka well-wisher. Suno, Bhaisaab... woh toh sher hain! Sher!" He gulped, looking over his shoulder.
"Agar unhone dekh liya ki aap yahan unke office mein hain... aur akeli... toh meri toh internship jayegi, aur aapka... pata nahi kya jayega! Pura Rathore Corp. kha jayenge woh!" (My brother... I mean, cousin. Student. Intern. And your well-wisher. Listen, Sir... I mean, Bhai Sa, he's a lion! A lion! If he sees you here in his office... and alone... my internship will go, and your... who knows what will go! He'll eat the entire Rathore Corp.!)
He gestured wildly towards the door again. "Jao na! Kya hua? Kuch nikalne aayi thi kya? File? Pen? Laptop? Kitne ka nuksaan kiya?" he whispered urgently, his eyes darting to my covered neck.
"Agar kuch liya bhi hai, toh chhod do! Abhi bhi time hai. Bhai Sa ko gussa aaya na, toh Delhi tak aag laga denge! Bhagwan ke liye, bhaag jao!" (Go! What happened? Were you here to take something? A file? A pen? A laptop? How much damage did you do? Even if you took something, leave it! There's still time. If Bhai Sa gets angry, he'll set fire all the way to Delhi! For God's sake, run away!)
I stared at him, a tiny, nervous smile playing on my lips. "N-nahi," I stammered, "Main... main kuch nahi..." (N-no, I... I'm not doing anything...)
He interrupted, grabbing my arm in his urgency. "Arey, sharmao mat! Jo hua so hua! Ab bas jaan bachao! Main rasta saaf kar deta hoon. Koi nahi dekhega tumhe. Bas jao! Jaldi!" (Hey, don't be shy! What's done is done! Now just save your life! I'll clear the way for you. No one will see you. Just go! Quickly!) He looked genuinely desperate to get me out.
"N-nahi, Vivan," I tried again, my voice barely a whisper, pulling my arm back gently.
"Mrityunjay... I mean, your Bhai Sa... he asked me to wait here." I kept my eyes mostly down, avoiding his direct gaze, and subtly adjusted the handkerchief.
The idea of explaining the real reason I was here, let alone the hickey, was mortifying.
Vivan froze, his eyes widening to comical proportions. He stared at me, then at the closed door, then back at me.
"Unhone... unhone tumhe rukne ko kaha?" he whispered, as if the words themselves were forbidden. He looked genuinely baffled and even more terrified.
"Yeh... yeh kya chal raha hai, madam? Yeh toh aur bhi zyada khatarnak lag raha hai!" (He... he told you to stay? This... this looks even more dangerous, madam!)
A genuine, amused laugh bubbled up from me, shaking off the last vestiges of shyness. This boy was truly something else.
His genuine fear and hilarious dramatics were a welcome distraction from my own racing thoughts. I met his wide-eyed stare with a confident, playful glint in my eyes.
"Khatarnak?" I countered, a mischievous smile spreading across my face. "Aur aapko kya lagta hai, Vivan? Main yahan kyun khadi hoon?" (Dangerous? And what do you think, Vivan? Why am I standing here?) I paused, letting the question hang in the air, my eyes challenging him.
"Kuch chori karne aayi hoti toh kya aise khadi hoti?" (If I had come to steal something, would I be standing here like this?) I subtly gestured around the grand office with a flourish.
Vivan spluttered, his jaw dropping. "Tum samjh nahi rahi ho, Bhai Sa shaitaan hai, shaitaan!" (You don't understand, Bhai Sa is a devil, a devil!) He hissed, practically vibrating with alarm.
"Woh bahar conference room mein hain, aur agar unko pata chala ki unke 'no entry' wale office mein koi hai... Madam, aapki toh jaan pe ban aayegi!" (He's in the conference room outside, and if he finds out someone's in his 'no entry' office... Madam, your life will be in danger!)
I chuckled, shaking my head. "Vivan, aap itne pareshan kyun ho? Main theek hoon." (Vivan, why are you so troubled? I'm fine.) I took a step closer to him, lowering my voice conspiratorially, but my eyes twinkled with amusement.
"Hame toh nahi lagta ki hamari jaan jane wali hai." (I don't think I am going to die.)
Vivan threw his hands up in exasperation. "Nahi lagta?! Madam, main Bhai Sa ko bachpan se janta hoon. Bhai Sa ke ek bal bhi agar idhar-udhar hua na, toh Bhai Sa pehle mera sar mundwaenge, phir pure Rathore Corp. ke baal! Please, meri madad le lo! Hum yahan se niklenge. Hum abhi nikalte hain!" (You don't think so?! Madam, I've known Bhai Sa since I was a kid. If even one hair on Mrityunjay Bhai Sa's head is out of place, Bhai Sa will first shave my head, then everyone's hair in Rathore Corp.! Please, let me help you! We'll get out of here. We'll leave right now!) He took a step towards me, ready to usher me out, his fear for me - and himself - completely evident.
I laughed outright, a bright, clear sound that echoed lightly in the silent office. "Don't worry, Vivan. I think I'll be perfectly safe here." My eyes flickered knowingly towards the closed office door, a private joke only I understood.
He was still staring at me, a mixture of terror and bewilderment etched onto his face. This was going to be fun.
We stood closer now, Vivan gesturing wildly with his hands as he continued his frantic plea, and I, unable to contain my amusement, just smiled and shook my head.
We were engrossed in our little back-and-forth, completely oblivious to the soft click of the main office door behind us.
The air in the room suddenly dropped several degrees. A deep, resonant voice, colder than the evening air, cut through Vivan's high-pitched warnings.
"Vivan," Mrityunjay's voice was a low growl that made Vivan jump as if struck by lightning. "What is happening here?"
Vivan, his face a ghostly white, was practically vibrating with terror. He'd spun around at Mrityunjay's chilling growl, his eyes darting frantically between his formidable cousin and my still-amused face.
"B-Bhai Sa!" Vivan stammered, his earlier bravery completely vanished. He shuffled his feet, his gaze frantically searching for an excuse.
"Woh... woh kuch nahi! Main toh bas... yeh... yeh meri dost hai! Haan! Meri dost hai!" He pointed at me with a trembling finger, then quickly dropped it.
"Woh... woh raasta bhatak gayi thi. Yahan upar kaise aa gayi, pata nahi. Main toh bas... help kar raha tha. Isko neeche chhodne ja raha tha. Abhi. Just abhi."
(B-Bhai Sa! Th-that's nothing! I was just... she's... she's my friend! Yes! My friend! She... she got lost. Don't know how she came up here. I was just... helping. Going to drop her downstairs. Right now. Just now.)
He tried to subtly push me towards the door, his eyes wide with a desperate plea for me to play along.
He even managed a nervous, hopeful smile at Mrityunjay, which immediately faltered under his cousin's unwavering, icy gaze.
"Aa jaao," he urged me, his voice still a desperate whisper, trying to pull me towards the open office door. "Hum chalte hain!" (Come on, Vivan. Let's go!)
Mrityunjay's eyes, dark and piercing, shifted from Vivan to me, a silent command passing between us.
He didn't even look at Vivan directly. Instead, his voice, low and dangerous, cut through the air, directed solely at his terrified cousin.
"Vivan," Mrityunjay stated, his tone brooking no argument, "Leave."
Vivan flinched as if physically struck. His eyes widened even further, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly like a fish out of water.
He took a hesitant step back, then another, before turning on his heel and practically bolting out of the office.
Just as he cleared the doorway, he risked one last glance at me, making a frantic "escape!" gesture with his hands before disappearing.
The door slid shut behind him with a soft click, sealing us in once more.
Mrityunjay, who had been standing by the door, now moved towards me.
He held a sleek, dark box in one hand, the kind that might hold a luxury watch or a piece of expensive jewellery.
His expression was unreadable, but the subtle tension that had left him in the elevator seemed to have returned.
He stopped just a few feet away, his gaze falling to my neck, where the handkerchief now looked even more conspicuously placed.
"What was Vivan doing here?" he asked, his voice calm but with an underlying edge that indicated he expected a straight answer.
Despite the renewed tension and the looming presence of the hickey on my neck, the sheer absurdity of Vivan's panic and his dramatic attempts to 'save' me bubbled up again.
A genuine laugh escaped my lips, a soft, amused sound that echoed in the quiet office.
"Oh, him?" I said, a lightheartedness I didn't entirely expect from myself filling my voice. I looked at Mrityunjay, a wide smile still on my face.
"He's really funny! He thought I was stealing something or that you were going to lock me in here." My smile softened, genuine warmth in my eyes.
"And he was trying so hard to convince me to run away because he thinks you're a... a 'devil' or a 'lion'." I shook my head, still smiling. "I liked him a lot."
I tilted my head, my eyes twinkling with playful curiosity, the earlier shyness completely forgotten in my amusement over Vivan.
"Aapke baaki family members inke jaise hi hain kya?" (Are your other family members like him too?) I asked, genuinely intrigued, with a hint of laughter still in my voice.
A subtle change softened Mrityunjay's stern expression. A flicker of warmth, almost imperceptible, touched his dark eyes as he watched me laugh, a genuine pleasure at my unrestrained amusement.
Without a word, he reached out, his fingers surprisingly gentle as he tugged at the corner of the handkerchief covering my neck.
He pulled it away slowly, revealing the purpling mark beneath. My cheeks heated instantly, but his gaze remained steady.
Then, he opened the box he held. Inside, nestled on black velvet, lay a stunning diamond necklace.
It wasn't delicate or dainty; yet it managed to look delicate, a beautiful mesh of intertwined platinum links that looked substantial enough to cover the offending mark on my neck.
It gleamed elegantly under the office lights, both striking and utterly chic.
My eyes widened. "Oh!" I breathed, instinctively taking a step back. "This is... this must be too expensive! I can't accept it."
His jaw tightened, a hint of his earlier intensity returning. "It's a gift, little rabbit," he stated, his voice firm, leaving no room for argument.
"And you will wear it." He didn't ask; he commanded. He took the necklace from its box, letting it gleam in the air between us.
Before I could protest further, he stepped closer. His fingers, surprisingly deft, brushed against my skin as he lifted the necklace. My breath hitched.
He moved behind me, his proximity sending a shiver down my spine. The cool metal touched my neck, a stark contrast to the warmth of his presence.
His fingers worked swiftly, securing the clasp. As he finished, he stepped back, his dark eyes assessing the effect.
The wide, intricate platinum links now rested perfectly, elegantly covering the hickey as if it had never existed.
He met my gaze, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. The necklace felt heavy, a beautiful, undeniable weight around my throat.
To Be Continued...