My Boss Is My Tormentor.

11. Beginning of another Hellish day

RYAN

I paced impatiently in the condo I had purchased when I shifted to Mumbai for the business. It didn't come cheap being the top floor apartment and given the view of the sea. The family that lived here was initially very sentimental with it, but when they got triple the actual price of their ‘so called sweet home’, that is, twenty million above the market value, they weren't so emotional. And, that's what I like about people, everyone has a price. It's just a matter of finding out the right one.

Two days ago I was itching to go back to New York but now I was looking forward to my time in Mumbai. I was looking forward to have her at my mercy. There was something about the way she fights back, at least she tries to, like a lioness, but when something goes wrong or she loses control on her emotions, she appears like a wounded kitten that makes me want to comfort her on some base level. And, in those moments all my instincts scream at me to just take care of her, to console her that everything was going to be okay, when in real I was the one who had made her life a living hell as of now.

It wasn't about the revenge for that slap she had delivered to me as much as it was about the fact that since I saw her I just seemed to need her close to me, under my control. Not wanting to look any close to that need of mine I looked at the watch and noticed that Gavin was late.

I went to the huge floor-to-ceiling windows of the apartment and looked across the sea. It was calm at this time of the day, the beach beside it also didn't have many occupants. Few teenagers were partying, few garbage pickers were loitering and then there was a couple sitting near the waves. As I looked, I noticed more things. I saw how the couple was mostly out of sight from probably everyone on the beach, sitting behind the two adjacent trees. The female's wrists had red bangles and the male played with them, appearing content. Then in a sudden moment the female hugged him tight and he laid down on his back taking her with him. I turned from the scene, it looked private and intimate. In all my business trips to India I've never been to beaches or never have I ever looked around, but I've noticed the Indian couples, their love, respect and intimacies, subtle hints of attraction and shyness of the woman towards her man. I noticed all these things because it told me a lot about my mother who despite her nationality and upbringing never showed even the hint of love and care to me or to my late father.

Shaking my head I went to the built-in bar in the living room and poured myself a glass of neat scotch, there was no need to go down that road which will only make me hate my existence and the world around me. I was about to take a sip when the security camera beeped. I strolled to the door already knowing who it’ll be as I opened the door. But what surprised me was the fact that Gavin looked like he had just rolled in the streets.

"What the hell happened to you?" I asked, stepping back from him and looking him over.

"Nothing, just slight inconvenience."

The way he said it, I knew he was hiding something so I asked again, more forcefully, "What happened, Gavin?"

Gavin gave me a resigned look then told me the whole story of what happened in front of Rose’s apartment and it didn't take a genius guess to understand why he was hiding it. Jaw tightly shut and fists clenched, instead of showing the rage that I felt because let's clear it, I respect him— even sometimes more than my parents, so I didn't want to blow up at him and say something that I’ll regret in future. I turned around and gulped down the scotch I've poured for myself. "Was she okay?" I asked, not wanting to dwell on the fact why I cared so much for the answer.

"Yes."

I poured another glass and drank it too, my shoulders relaxing a bit. I didn't know why I felt the cold shiver move up and down my back when I thought that she might've gotten hurt. I didn't care. I didn't. But, the need to see her was too much and that need was fûcking with my mind, telling me that I do care.

"She's okay." Whatever Gavin saw on my face, it prompted him to add, "And, from tomorrow she's not going to live there anymore so you don't have to worry."

I wanted to tell him that I didn't care, not knowing if it was for him or to convince myself. But what I said was a simple thanks as I bid him good night.

When the door closed shut behind Gavin and his footsteps faded further down the hallway, only then I picked up my phone and dialled her number. She didn't pick up. I dialled again, still no response. I knew I was getting agitated and as I got up to have another glass of scotch I counted the total number of glasses I'd had since morning. Seven. Shît. I exceeded my regular intake and just because today I was in a sour mood, and all because of her.

I settled back down on the couch and then called her again. This time she picked up on the fourth ring.

"Hello." Her hesitant voice felt like a caress to me and instantly calmed me. What the fûck was that thought? When I didn't respond, she said, "Is that another way of yours for harassing me?"

Instead of answering her, I asked my own question, "Why didn't you answer the first two calls?”

I could practically feel her impatience and anger, and it made my lips twitch a little bit. "I was taking a shower."

And there went my mind, instantly conjuring up an image of her standing under the water, all wet and... Shît! "Gavin, told me about the incident."

"Oh."

She sounded confused and even I was taken aback that where was I going with this and then as if that wasn’t enough, I did the unthinkable, I asked her, "Are you okay?"

"Like you care!" She snapped back.

And, instantly I went on guard, showing this girl a little weakness was like baring your throat to a lioness. And, I couldn't wait to tame her.

"Tomorrow, 9'o clock." I bit out coldly into the phone and then hung up on her before she could say anything back.

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ROSE

At eight-fifteen in the morning I exited my apartment. And wasn't too surprised to find Gavin standing outside the gate of the building beside the BMW. I've packed all the items that I'd need in my exile to the new place where my tormenter was going to relocate me to. I didn't even know anymore what was happening in my life. My life had become a horrible chapter of a book, but being a realistic I knew it was far from romantic. It was more like a crime show in which at the end I will probably end up kìllìng that son of a bítch. Till then, I just have to wait for the perfect moment to have my revenge. Yeah, that’s it, I nodded to myself.

Great plan. Chin up, Rose, you can handle this.

Exhaling a loud breath, I stepped in front of Gavin and greeted him, "Good morning, Tìo."

Gavin smiled. "Very good morning to you too, Rose." He opened the door for me, and I slid inside. When he was seated, he asked, "So, you look a lot better than yesterday."

"Yeah, I guess, new morning, new start and all that crap," I replied, not believing a word I just said. As he drove us to work, I contemplated my next question and then I decided to just ask. "So, Tìo, I was wondering..." His brows rose up and I knew I failed terribly at sounding nonchalant.

"Yes, Rose?" He prompted.

"Tell me something about your boss?" I finally asked.

"Boss would be a much heavy word to describe him." When I looked questioningly at him. He said, "I worked for his father, you see, so I've known him since childhood. He is like a son that I never had and after his father, he could've send me packing. But, here I am." A fond smile graced his lips that I didn't think anybody will associate with 'Mr. R. K.' "He was really a nice kid, always doing something kind for someone. I remember this one time when he injured himself falling down the tree."

"A tree? He climbed a tree?" I couldn’t imagine the man I knew as a kid who climbed trees and to think that he was kind, it was laughable to me.

"As a matter of fact, yes, a tree. As I was telling you, at the estate that belongs to his grandfather there were so many dogs, one could even lose the count. So one day a cat gave birth to a litter of kittens in the woods and Ryan was so ecstatic, spending his whole day around them. But one particular day, one of the dogs followed him."

I smiled, not able to help myself thinking what kid-Ryan would've done.

"Yeah, then the dog started barking and running. While the dog was, in actual, playing with him, but Ryan thought that it was trying to harm the kittens so he hid all of them behind the bushes but one came out so he took it and climbed the tree to protect it from the dog." Gavin laughed at that as if reliving that memory clearly in his mind. "And, do you know what happened next?” He answered, “When he was up in that tree, only then he noticed that at some point the kitten must have slipped from his hold and now, it was playing with the dog. That's when he slipped and broke his leg."

I too laughed with Gavin, I just couldn't imagine Ryan being like this. "He must've been so mortified."

"No, while everyone was fawning over him and the doctor was setting his bone, he was cuddling the kitten while patting the same dog." Gavin looked like a proud father recounting his son’s childhood antiques. "He was really the perfect kid. Perfect son one could wish for." The mood shifted in the car as he sighed, as if suddenly remembering something that made him sad.

And when Gavin's eyes met mine in the rear-view mirror, I could feel that there was something else about Ryan that he wasn't telling me. "What happened?" I asked unable to stop myself.

"That, I can't tell you, Miss Rose." His expression shuttered, giving me the impression that something really bad happened in Ryan's life to make him like this.

Oh god, stop empathizing with the enemy. I berated myself when I felt the inkling to sympathise with my tormentor as if he needed my sympathy. Blóody, arrogant bastard. He's the enemy. Don’t forget that, Rose.

Soon, we stopped in front of the CCD, I looked up from the window to find Gavin's eyes already on mine and wondered why were we here. Then immediately, after a beat, I remembered. "Oh, my god. Thank-you, Tìo. I totally forgot about this."

Gavin just smiled and I exited the car to fetch a black coffee without sugar, just like his black soul and his bitter words, for the devil in suit who was no doubt waiting to turn another beautiful day into hellish one for me.

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A. Gupta