Immortal Love_True Love Never Dies

by Shreya Suravajhala

  Both of returned to work after finishing our meals. After an hour there was a staff meeting in the conference room. I had to urgently pee so I ran towards the washroom. I had goosebumps in the toilet thinking of Raghav’s reaction when he finds my chair empty. I slammed the toilet door and stood in front of the mirror. “Oh ! god save me from the deadly monster. I’m sure he’s gonna yell at me again for the delay.” I read the guidelines at home while having breakfast. But the punishments weren’t mentioned anywhere. God only knew what would be Raghav Malhotra’s penalty for ending up late at the conference room. I stood near the door while the entire staff was seated and to my dismay the meeting hasn’t started yet. Was my boss waiting for me ? I felt jittery. “May I come in ?” Raghav roared. “Come in.” He was standing near the projector and ordered me to come forward. My body was shivering as if I saw a ghost in a black suit. “Where the hell were you Ms. Walia ?” His eyes were burning like fire. “Sir I had to attend nature’s call so I went to the washroom.” Everyone in the room except Disha and Charles laughed. “Oh I thought your boyfriend called.” He mocked. “I’m sorry sir.” I felt embarassed. “Don’t be. You have done the damage already by wasting my time. I hate latecomers. You have broken another rule of this office. Do you know that a meeting is conducted in the presence of all the staff members ? Even if a single member is absent then the meeting is suspended coz I treat every employee equally.” He was glaring at my face as if he would smash me if I were a drinking glass. I suppressed my emotions like a heartless person. “Your punishment is that nobody is gonna talk to you unless I approve. If anybody does then they will be suspended for a week. Am I clear ?” The staff replies , “Yes Sir”. “You get out of here. Get lost.” I was terrified. I rushed into the washroom again and started weeping loudly. Even my aunt didn’t hurt me so badly like Raghav did. I was just 5 minutes late and he couldn’t tolerate it. My phone rang and it was Disha calling. “Hello ! Disha I…..” I cried like a baby. “Where are you ? Tell me plz.” “I’m in the washroom.” Disha hung up. She quickly shut the door and hugged me tight. “Hey just stop crying. I know that you are terribly upset but Raghav is very strict about discipline and he hates even a minor mistake.” I stepped back. “You mean I did a mistake by being just 5 minutes late.” I was edgy. “No I don’t mean that. Our boss is domineering so he expects things the way he wants them to be. He doesn’t like changes both good and bad.” “Bloody asshole. I felt like squeezing his neck when he humiliated me in front of everyone.” Disha tried to pacify me. “Look I can’t talk to you now because of your punishment. We will stay in touch via cellphone. Text me during office hours and call me when you’re at home. Okay ? I’m sorry but I don’t have a choice.” She gently embraced me and slammed the door from behind.

  I skipped dinner out of frustration and hatred for my disgusting boss. Strangely , I fell asleep with an empty stomach.

  DREAM - II

  “Sia stop feeling bad for the discordant conduct of your boss. He lacks etiquette not you. I know how difficult it is for you to endure pain alone. Instead of punishing yourself get up and have your supper.

  Don’t let agony ruin your optimism.”

  I opened my eyes abruptly. Gustave appeared in my dream yet again. His stainless white face reflected the torment that he felt after looking at my miserable state. He urged me to pay no heed to my evil boss. I wish I could cry in Gustave’s arms and describe him the harsh manner in which Raghav treated me . I needed Gustave desperately coz he wasn’t dead in my memories. He was guiding me in times of trouble like a guru. I headed towards the dining table and had my dinner. I assured myself that I would not break down anymore even if I’ll have to deal with thousands of punishments in the future. All I could tell my conscience was “Be positive Sia. There’s nothing in this world that can crush you not even Raghav Malhotra.”

  ANIMAL MAGNETISM

  I got out the yellow cab quickly and was trying to zip my bag. Two bikers wearing helmets stopped beside me and yanked the bag out of my hand. I tried resisting them but they shoved me to the ground and escaped. I saw Raghav’s Mercedes a few inches away from where I fell. He recognised me and hurriedly jumped out of the car near me. “Ms. Walia are you okay ? Hey wake up …..omg you are wounded.” I saw discomfort in his tantalizing blue eyes for the first time. His anxiety didn’t seem normal as if he wasn’t rescuing an employee but someone very dear to him. The man who honoured me with back to back punishments in a period of two days is suddenly shot to pieces after finding me injured. I brushed aside my ego for a minute swayed away by his rattled expression. “Driver open the door. Don’t worry I’m here. You will be alright.” Raghav lifted me up carefully placing me in the car seat. He suavely put my head on his lap and closed the door. He held my hand tight staring at me with wet eyes. A drop of his tears kissed my forehead. I couldn’t believe it that a guy sans emotions would cry for an injured employee who has spent only a couple of days in his office. I felt a bit dizzy but my eyes were wide open relishing the fact that Raghav was so concerned about me. On one hand I hated him for his harshness but I completely failed to understand why my heart was beating for him ever since he rescued me while I was lying drunk in the nightclub. He rescued me yet again while I was jolted by the bike robbers. My boss wasn’t a complete tyrant as I thought. He had a humane side too. He took me to the city’s most expensive hospital whose name I couldn’t read properly because my head was spinning but I heard a lot about the excellent services it rendered to its patients. “Call the doctor. Its urgent.” Raghav yelled. “Hello Mr. Malhotra. We are so privileged to have you here. How can I help ?” the doctor almost bowed down before Raghav. He was bald and wore round glasses. “She’s my employee and look at her she’s badly hurt. I want a permanent cure for her scars do you get it ? Do whatever you can but ensure that she’s back to normalcy.” Raghav sounded like a terrified husband unable to resist his wife in a wounded state. “Don’t worry sir we will take care of her .” The doctor instructed the nurse to take me to the emergency room. I was placed on the hospital bed and the other doctors joined. One of them placed cotton on the right side of my forehead which had a cut. Another doctor wiped the blood that was coming out of my bruises on both the knees and hands.

  After eight hours I woke up from sleep wrapped in bandages on my hands , knees and the edge of my forehead. I never had such a severe injury before and that too resulting from a robbery. I saw that happen in movies but I had the oppurtunity to experience it in real life as well. Its awful. They stole my bag which contained my cellphone , credit cards , some amount of cash , lip gloss and my apartment keys. It will take months to clear this mess. I didn’t even have a duplicate key then where would I stay after getting discharged from the hospital coz I saw the time which indicated it was 8: 30 P.M. I had all my contacts in my phone which is gone with the robbers. “Hello Ms. Walia ! How are you feeling now ?” The bald doctor questioned with a warm smile. “Much better.” Raghav rushed inside with a sigh. “Thank god nothing happened to you. You know how worried I was.” He paused. “Ms. Walia you are lucky to have a boss like Mr. Malhotra who was sitting in the hospital lobby the entire day. No other boss would be so benovelent. I gotta go now. Take care.” “Thank you so much doctor.” I uttered with difficulty. Raghav felt relieved. “So you were worried about me ?” “No not at all. I meant that anyone would have been shocked to see you in that state.” He stammered. “But you stayed in the hospital all the while which means you skipped work ? That’s not what you like doing.” I wanted an explanation not excuses. “Yes I did. Stop asking unneccessary questions coz it will hamper your health which I don’t want because as soon as you recover you will have to join the office. And I usually don’t permit leave for a long time.” So he was concerned about his work that would remain pending because one of his employees was ill. He was a typical boss who only knew ‘Work , Work & Work.’ But one thing was real that he was shattered to find me hurt on the road. He genuinely shed tears for me although he t
ried a lot to suppress them in the car. “What actually happened to you ?” He asked me in the lobby. “Two fuckin’ robbers stole my bag and pushed me hard. So I got injured. I’m wondering where will I go coz all my essential items were in the bag including my house keys.” I expressed my grief. “What are you saying ? You won’t get a duplicate at night.” “You’re right.” I covered my face with both hands. “I have a suggestion. If you don’t mind then you can stay at my house tonight and tomorrow I’ll help you find a duplicate key.” He invited me to spend the night in his bungalow. I didn’t have any other option except going along with him. “Since I can’t head anywhere without cash so I’d like to stay at your place.” He half smiled. “Let’s go then. Easy.” Both of us exchanged vacant gazes while he was holding my hand so that I don’t stumble on the way. I breathed his intoxicating cologne fragrance as my head was one inch away from his chest. Cool breeze enthralled my senses with its soothing touch. As much as I enjoyed it the double I had to suffer. I started coughing after inhaling the gelid air outside. After the car began moving it kept increasing. “What’s wrong ?” Raghav enquired. “I’m feeling cold. Maybe because of the AC.” Raghav yelled at the driver , “Turn off the AC immediately.” “Thanks.” I sighed. “Do you want some water ? Here it is.” He held the bottle with one hand while I drank. I felt so comfortable in his presence totally impressed with his caring attitude. I wish he behaved in a similar manner even at office.

  When we reached his lovely mansion he tenderly pulled me out of the car and took me to the guestroom where I slept last time. The room was unchanged except the fact that it was much more beautiful than before. “You must be hungry. I’ll get you something.” He swiftly stepped out of the room. Disha must have called me coz I didn’t go to office but I lost my cute phone which my aunt gifted me in my previous birthday. Fortunately , I saved all my contacts in the laptop plus there wasn’t any confidential information in it. So all I needed was a brand new phone. I wanted to change my purple dress which I was wearing since morning. But I was in my boss’s home and couldn’t demand anything as he already did a big favour by paying my hospital expenditures and now giving me shelter for a night. Raghav brought a trolley which contained an array of delicacies. I never imagined being served so many dishes at once. This is how millionaires lived – King Size ! “Eat. If you have any problem then press this switch and the servants will help you out.” In my subconscious mind I thought that Raghav would feed me with his milky white hands. I had to stop fantasizing. After finishing dinner I took the trolley into the kitchen. I silently began roaming around the stunningly beautiful mansion keeping in mind that I don’t disturb anyone. All of a sudden I entered Raghav’s bedroom which looked perfect from all angles. The bed had LED lights underneath and was surrounded by gray coloured frieze rug. The room had a solid wooden floor and black colour panels in the background. Windows were covered with alluring white curtains on the left while there was a 42 inch Samsung LED TV attached to the wall directly facing the bed. At the centre of the rectangular bed my millionaire boss Raghav Malhotra was sleeping peacefully. He wore slightly tight plain lounge pants because of which his dick was visible. He sizzled in the shirtless avatar like a fitness model. His ravishing body pulled me towards him like a magnet. My eyes were dancing in glory coz I was beholding the guy with the sexiest abs on the planet. I sat beside Raghav gazing intently at his mind-blowing face. I gently bent my head and almost kissed his seductive lips in desperation. Raghav opened his eyes and I stood up out of fear. “What the hell are you doing in my bedroom ?” He was screaming in a state of outrage. “Look I’m really sorry actually I……” I was extremely nervous and didn’t know what to reply. “You were trying to kiss me weren’t you ?” He gave a stern expression. “I’m really very sorry.” He pulled a T-shirt lying on a chair near the window and wore it. “Have you forgotten your limits ? You are an employee and I’m your boss. You should maintain a safe distance from your boss don’t you know that ?”, he reprimanded me. It was bizarre that I crossed my limits and didn’t even feel guilty about it. My heart gave a green signal totally shutting down my brain. Maybe it was his aura and sex appeal because of which I failed to control my yearning for him. “Get out of here. Do not step out of your room until morning and never ever try to get closer to me. I’m your boss got it ? Leave.” I ran towards the guestroom and collapsed on the bed. I knew what drew me towards Raghav wasn’t just a sexual attraction. It was a very intense feeling ranging beyond a mere fetish. If I did something wrong then why didn’t I feel guilty about it ? I knew he was my boss but despite his rudeness in the office I couldn’t delete his picture from my memory. Whenever he was around me I felt magical as if he was the wizard of my life. He saved me twice already without expecting anything in return. But there was an extraoridinary animal magnetism in Raghav Malhotra that made him the most desirable male.

  DREAM – III

  “Sia are you out of mind ? What were you doing do you have any idea ? You were satisfying a sexual desire. Don’t forget he is your boss not boyfriend. I want to assure you that I’m not jealous because of what you have done rather I would say that I was afraid that you will break again. This is not the time for relationships so please focus on your job.

  Don’t get deceived by good looks.”

  It was 4:30 A.M and I saw Gustave by the oceanside advising me for the third consecutive time. I followed everything that he said because I was convinced. But this time although he was absolutely correct I wanted to ignore his warning. Even I didn’t know the reason why I found Raghav irresistible. Most women were crazy about his killer looks but I adored his inner beauty as much as his stupendous exterior. There was something sinister about his personality which made me inquisitive . But Gustave had become my lover turned philosopher after his death so I couldn’t say no to his words. I decided to hold back my cravings for Raghav only because Gustave apprised me.

  DERANGEMENT

  I sneaked out of Raghav’s house before he woke up to avoid confrontation after what happened the previous night. As I walked past the gate a ray of light flashed on my eyes and I saw a woman with a pixie cut wearing a jumpsuit clicking my picture with her Iphone. I ignored her thinking that she must be taking the photo of a millionaire’s palace whilst I appeared by chance. I sought the help of my neighbor Mrs. Jenna Thomas for arranging a key to unlock the door of my apartment. I finally entered my home sweet home after thanking Mrs. Thomas for her timely assistance. I felt terrible as my body was smelling like rotten tomatoes because of the bruises that engulfed my skin. I quickly took a shower in order to destress my disturbed mind. I also had to leave for office or else my cranky boss would charge me with a series of offences. I wore a white full sleeve shirt and tight black denims along with high heels. I missed my stolen bag very much but reluctantly replaced it with another one which I bought from a local store. It wasn’t glossy but kinda cool for a formal setting. When I reached the elevator on the ground floor of my office I could hear the employees giggling while looking at me. They were not allowed to talk to me as a result of my punishment but I couldn’t fathom their mocking gestures. As I stepped into my cubicle I saw the entire office staring at me in despise. Seconds later Disha came near me holding the Gossip Girl magazine and threw it on my desk. “What happened Disha ?” I was confused with the weird behaviour of everyone including Disha. The front page of Gossip Girl displayed my photo when I was coming out of Raghav’s house at dawn. Below the pic it was written “RAGHAV MALHOTRA’S MUSE”. I just hated the word “muse” that the magazine used to define me. So , this is the reason why the staff gave that scornful glare. But who clicked my pic was something I failed to interpret. After a whole lot of recalling I realized that the woman whom I spotted near Raghav’s house early in the morning was actually clicking my photo and must have been a scribe working for Gossip Girl. I should have hit back at her immediately before she published it. But sometimes we are too preocuppied with our own issues that we are unable to discove
r the danger standing next door. Disha too suspected my intentions but I couldn’t explain anything to her only because of my fuckin’ punishment. She gave me an annoyed expression and left. I was helpless like a shitty damsel who doesn’t have any choice except crying on her unchangeable fate. I wanted to yell at that woman who spoiled my reputation just because I spent a night at my boss’s house upon his insistence. I didn’t have any relationship with him that I had to be referred to as his muse.