Darling, you have always been mine

Part 4

Hearing his words, Ina felt her heart sinking because, with just one statement of this man, her whole hard work went into the drain. She didn't look up to him again and quietly left her boss's cabin after taking his permission. 

Noticing her coming out with a sad face, Riya rushed towards her and asked her the details about the meeting that happened inside. Feeling slightly low, she vomited out all the details to her who was listening closely by paying attention to each and every detail. 

" Did he yell at you or something?" Riya asked, making Ina sit down on her chair. Ina without any thought nodded her head in 'No'." Then why the hell are you sulking?" Riya asked, feeling acutely confused for her friend who was too innocent for her own good. 

"No he didn't yell at me but he told me to do the whole presentation again. And told me to present it to him as soon as possible" I sighed, feeling burdened of doing the same boring work again. Riya understood Ina's predicament as the poor girl had worked till late hours yesterday to get this presentation done. 

But somehow Riya failed to understand that if the so-called devil really didn't feel that the presentation was up to the mark then why did he ask her to do it again? He could have just assigned the job to somebody else. Wrinkles formed on her head as she tapped her pen on the desk while thinking of the same. 

" Hello Madam! What are you thinking so deeply?" Ina tapped her friend's forehead who seemed lost in her thoughts. Riya came out of her bubble and smiled saying," Nothing Ina, I was just thinking that why didn't he assign the job to someone else if he felt your work was not up to the mark?"

Riya voiced out her questions to Ina who just shook her head and smiled knowing her comrade's critical nature," You are thinking too much buddy. He was shouting at the poor guy before I went inside and he was literally shivering in that man's presence and about the presentation, I guess he told me to do it again because he must have felt that it was my responsibility to complete the task which was given to me. Maybe that's why"

Ina's explanation appeared to make sense to Riya as she nodded her head in agreement. Ina had just smiled in relief when the squeaky sound of the door opening caught her attention and her eyes immediately went up to him who was coming out of the cabin. 

Viraj's eyes immediately caught Ina's as he felt the door behind him, getting closed. Looking at her lost expression, he so wanted to smirk at her but he knew that him doing that would make the task more difficult than it already was. Still keeping his eyes locked with hers, He walked out of the department. 

I would get many chances in future, he thought to himself smirking at the way where his thoughts were leading.

Ina felt the lump in her throat dissolving when she finally saw him walking out of the department. She didn't know why his gaze was so capturing that even if she makes an attempt to look away, she will still look back again due to the intensity of his stare. Ina knew that she had to tackle the matter very carefully and thoughtfully as his aura spoke for him. She couldn't afford to make him angry or rather she didn't have it in her to face him when he was angry. 

****

" MY GOD! THE MAN WHO WALKED IN WAS SO HOT!!" Sandy shrieked slightly, as we all sat to have our lunch together. Ina could only smile at her colleague who lived in a fantasy world. This was a routine site for her. Every day in lunchtime, they would gossip or praise some man or the other while Ina would just observe everyone, occasionally smiling and giggling at their comments. And today's target was that man whom Ina had tried to keep out of her mind. 

" Don't even think about him, Sandy! That guy is seriously not a piece of good news." Deepthi said, in a warning tone wiping the dreamy expression off Sandy's face. The situation had turned serious and Deepthi's statement had caught everyone's attention present on the table. 

" Why? What happened?" Riya asked making a shoot a furtive glance in her direction before again getting back to Deepthi who had a very cold expression on her face. 

" That guy is really a devil in the disguise of a man. He is known for his philandering ways. He uses women as if he is changing clothes. And the worst part is that woman doesn't get any say in this. If anything catches his eyes, he will do everything in his power to have it, by hook or by crook. There is no scope of denial. And the way he lives is just darker than his character. He lives on alcohol and cigarettes. I am telling you guys just don't come in his way or catch his eyes in any way possible. Because trust me, the outcome will not be favourable. He is one of those kinds with whom you would neither want to be his friend nor his enemy." She said with a grave expression as she recited the whole thing with heaviness lingering on her voice. 

" How do you know all this?" Ina asked before she could help herself. On listening such things about him, she felt a turmoil forming in her stomach as she digested the words,'  just don't come in his way or catch his eyes in any way possible'. Although she was a firm believer of a coin having two sides, she was also a firm believer of the saying,' Precaution is better than cure'.

All the heads turned towards Ina in surprise as they saw Ina probing into the matter. Because according to them, Ina was someone who didn't pay any heed to gossips and didn't have any interest in knowing how a person was or is. For them, she was a girl of few words and now seeing her interest in this matter, perked up their senses. 

" Because I was one of those girls," Deepthi said painfully smiling at her own fate. Gasps and gulps were the only sounds that were heard as everyone registered this sentence and looked at Deepthi in horror which later turned into pity. Ina's eyes just widened at the revelation and just wondered that was that guy a sick blind because Deepthi was beauty personified. Her soft curls, diamond-shaped face and her porcelain-like figure can just be ignored or trashed by a sick blind only.  

" Yeah. I was one of those fools who gave more importance to physical beauty than the character. It is said that when your bad time starts your logical thinking stops and this is what had happened to me. I had first met him when I used to visit my friend who used to work on the floor where there was his constant coming and going. It all started with a warm smile whenever I used to encounter him and then, one day, he had asked me out for a coffee. I still remember the giddy feeling I had felt during the whole time I had spent with him. And from that, all of this started. I still can't believe how blindly I had trusted him and given him every possible thing to satisfy him and to make him happy but that guy just thought of me as a toy with whom he could play anytime and anywhere at his convenience." She chuckled bitterly. 

" But still I was like maybe guys are like that. But all this changed when I planned to propose him. I was at his place planning everything when he stumbled inside the house while making out with another girl who was my so-called best friend" Riya's hand immediately flew to her mouth while everyone else watched Deepthi in anticipation that what more was in store about the handsome devil. 

" Then what happened?" Sandy asked with difficulty making Deepthi give her a sad smile." He didn't break my heart the way any guy would do. In fact, He killed it completely and slowly. That time was the first time when I felt how it feels when somebody snatches away the ground under your feet. He laughed. He laughed when his eyes fell on me watching them make out. While that b***h just smirked at me, wounding her arms around his neck. Seeing them like that, I just left everything and came out to never look back." She said while her dull eyes still showed the sadness lurking inside them. 

" Then why are you still working here?" Riya asked and everyone else nodded their heads as they too wanted to know the reason for her stay after all this heartache that she suffered here. " Why should I leave the company? I am quite professional in these matters. He has never interfered in my work nor he even looks at me so I don't think me leaving the job would make any difference. Plus, Only cowards run away and I am not a coward." She said with a genuine smile this time making everyone beam at her for the strength she showed in this situation. 

" And I know he is the worst person but that doesn't change the reality that he is quite strong in this business and quite intelligent" She added. Ina got hold of the glass of water and took small sips to soothe her throat which seemed to dry like the land is in a draught. 

Keeping the glass on the table, she looked in Riya's direction to find her looking at her with a thoughtful expression. Ina knew that maybe she was thinking about Deepthi and hell, even she was. That too, even when she didn't want to think about him. That man was capturing her mind like her eyes without even doing anything. She knew it was not her place but she just wanted to know why he would behave like that? 

Being in his early thirties and having all the qualities, why he didn't think of settling down and having a family? What would he get by getting laid with different types of women with caked up faces? All these questions were roaming in her mind in the rest of her lunch break as she quietly sat and ate her food while thinking about him. 

Maybe he is like that! His choice. Let it be, she thought and ignored the nagging feeling in her mind which was egging her to think more about him. 

********

After the quiet silent lunch affair, Ina got back to her seat to collect her notepad and headed towards to Mr Sharma's room to get some recommendations or advises in relation to that presentation which she had to present to Viraj again. With her stern and professional posture, she entered Mr Sharma's cabin. 

" Yes Ina? Firstly thank you for handling the situation in the morning. Making him angry was the last thing I would want to do when I am still working here," Mr Sharma expressed her gratitude and Ina smiled graciously at him. 

" It was my job, Sir. Actually, I am here to discuss that presentation only Sir" Ina said and she saw him rubbing his forehead as he gestured her to sit down. She wondered the reason for his distress but nevertheless grabbed the seat.

" The thing is Ina, I think your presentation was very well but I don't know why he told you to work on that again but I am sure if he had said something then maybe there must be some scope of improvement. So here is what can you do that you see and analyse the presentation. Leave all your work aside and do this. I am sure you will be able to complete it and present it with grace and with much more improvisation." Mr Sharma advised making Ina release a sigh, feeling already tired as it requires much more concentration to evaluate a presentation. 

Having no other go, she nods her head in agreement and decided to work on it to get this stress out of her head completely. 

Maybe the completion of this task would release me, she thought and got back to her workplace.