His eyes scan the last text he received from Natasha. In the text, she has mentioned, she’s trying to make it to the party. A few minutes later, she sends a voice message that she won’t be able to make it to the meeting and going straight back home.
The office receptionist also informed Vikram that Natasha will join the meeting sooner.
What does she want to communicate by doing all this, going back and forth? She changes her mind with the flip of a coin and reacts like an impulsive teenager.
Vikram swivels in his chair, twirling a ball pen when the door clicks open and Natasha steps inside. In peach silk blouse and black pants, she’s looking gorgeous.
“You want to talk to me?” She reaches the table and gazes at Vikram with doe eyes.
“Sit,” Vikram speaks.
Silence descends between them and then Vikram hears Natasha clearing her throat. “I’m sorry but I’ve to finish something. If you have nothing to say I must leave.” She drops her gaze to the table.
“Did I ask you to leave?”
Natasha lifts her head. She arches her eyebrows but never speaks.
“Have I called you to play a stare game with me? Fucking say something,” Vikram blurts.
“Since you haven’t done anything for the past half an hour except staring, I believe it's you who's playing the game.”
“Damn it! What do you think about yourself?” Vikram straightens his back. His jaw clenches.
“I’d never been any fascinating to your eyes in the past, Mister Jaysingh. Even I’m surprised the way you stare at me now.” Natasha smirks, pillow lips curving, giving Vikram all reasons to go and grab her by her waist and claim her lips.
“Great! So you’ve decided we will remain in the fight mode all the time.” Vikram feels like surrendering in the battle of the sexes. He wants the lady to win.
“What’s there to fight for? Do you think I would fight with you for not responding to my texts and calls? So for your information—I won’t because how does it matter.” A crimson scorch paints her cheeks as she speaks.
“What were you trying to prove? You called me, texted me, and then sent me a voice message that you won’t be able to make it, that you’re going straight back home. What I was supposed to do—beg you to come and join the party?”
“Couldn’t you just call me once? And why the hell you didn’t respond?” she blurts, “you’ve been texting me since the fall of the evening, offering a ride to the clinic. You even asked me about the doctor’s visit. To which I responded—it went well. The baby is doing fine. You texted—Great. And then you went off-grid. Why?”
“I got busy, damn it.”
“Busy. Oh yeah, of course. That’s why you didn’t even notice that I attended the party.”
“You came?” Vikram narrows his eyes.
“Never mind.”
“Tell me Natasha Malik—Were you there?”
“Yes.”
“Shit! Why the hell you never met me?”
“Because as you put yourself—you were busy.”
“Busy with what?”
“Busy with a woman, wrapped around her little finger.”
Vikram recalls how Sakshi was clinging to him all through the party. An evil smirk surfaces on his lips as he studies the colors covering Natasha’s face. She’s angry. She's jealous. She’s displaying every other emotion a jealous woman would display.
“Do you think it’s so easy for women to wrap me around their little fingers, Natasha Malik?"
“I don’t know, maybe it’s your idea of wooing them in.”
“I don’t need to woo them.”
“Oh yeah, they come on their own and throw themselves at you, right?”
Vikram laughs. “Do you think like that?”
“Would we stop this nonsense and come to the point, please?”
“I’m loving this nonsense and I can talk this nonsense all day.”
Just as Vikram said that, the door clicks open.
“Surprise,” Sakshi hollers, kicking the door closed with the tip of her pointed heel.
Natasha shifts in her chair, her head motioning to the entrance. Next moment, she rises from her chair and drifts her gaze from Sakshi to Vikram. “Enjoy being busy, Mister Jaysingh,” she hisses, gritting her teeth, meeting Vikram’s eyes.
Vikram leans back in his chair, enjoying the show. Though he is a bit irritated with Sakshi’s sudden intrusion, everything seems to click at the right place when he notices Natasha’s reaction.
The woman is jealous. That means she certainly has something running in her cute little head. Could that be a feeling of lust? Vikram must find out.
“I’m not yet done with you, Miss Malik?” Vikram speaks as she watches the lady reach the door, “Meet me in the conference room after lunch.”
When Vikram expects she will turn around and meet his eyes, the lady opens the door. The next moment, she’s gone without even throwing a backward glance at him.
Vikram never knew making someone jealous feels so much fun. He smiles to himself.
“Shall we?” Vikram hears Sakshi speak.
“Let’s.” Vikram rises from his chair and loops his arm with Sakshi’s.
Chapter Twenty-One
The conference room is freezing. It’s unpleasantly fragrant. Natasha drums her fingers on the cold wooden table as she waits for the god of dominance and arrogance.
She recalls in what circumstances she accepted Vikram’s job offer. Day by day, it was getting difficult for her to work at night and that too in a pub as a waitress. Pregnancy comes with all sorts of adjustments. Adjustments you must make with your own self, with your lifestyle, and with your work.
She accepted Vikram’s offer because she was looking for a job where she doesn’t have to run around with a food tray in her hands. A desk job seems ideal and with some reluctance and apprehension she nodded for the job. Little did she know that the so-called easy job would make her life so difficult.
When all her life she believed she has moved on from her past, that she has forgotten him, she's still not over Vikram Jaysingh. The brute still possesses the power to mess with her heart and play with her soul.
The door clicks open and there enters a dominant figure. His commanding presence breaks Natasha’s thoughts. She gazes at the tall man standing at the other corner of the table. He pulls a chair at the head of the table and slides into it, his dark eyes focused on her.
Vikram swivels in his chair, his eyes not leaving hers. It feels as if he’s trying to read her thoughts, studying her, analyzing her, keeping a sharp eye on each of her move.
“What do you want?” when the silence becomes deafening, Natasha blurts out.
“I want you to just relax, have fun and be yourself.”
“I am what I am.”
“You are not. You’re trying to hide your feelings.”
“Oh, really! Since when you’ve become so sensitive to anyone’s feelings, especially mine.”
“What’s wrong with you, Natz? I’m trying to help you out.”
“Help me out by keeping yourself busy with other women.”
Damn. I shouldn’t have spoken like that. Shouldn't have revealed my feelings to him in such a desperate way. That it hurts and it hurts like hell when I see him cozying with other women.
“Does it bother you?” Vikram leans forward, his gaze unwavering, piercing deep into her soul.
Tears sting Natasha’s eyes. “Why would it?” Natasha clears her throat, dabs a finger at the corners of her eyes. “No. It doesn’t.”
“The moisture of your eyes tells me a different story, Natasha Malik. It’s telling me you feel jealous when you see me with other women. You get angry. You feel disappointed and hurt when I ignore you, avoid you. You were angry with me when I didn’t receive your call, when I didn’t reply to your text. You know what does all that mean?”
“What?” Natasha hisses, fighting back some more tears.
“This means you’re in love.”
&nb
sp; “I would rather prefer dying than falling in love with you, Vikram Jaysingh. Yes, I’m angry, disappointed, hurt because your actions remind me of the past. They remind me of all the trauma, the hurt, the pain I’d endured while madly crushing on you back in high school.”
“Whoa… You crushed on me. I can’t believe this.” Vikram laughs evilly.
“How could you believe the truth when you never had the time to look at me, let alone trying to make small talks with me. You ignored me like I was a cheap candy that people often buy in bulks during Halloween for the trick-or-treaters. Never in my entire life of twenty-seven years, I’ve felt as cheap and ordinary as I feel around you. I’m sorry, but I’m done with feeling unwanted, undesired, wretched. I’m done with being the one who Vikram Jaysingh never wanted to talk with. I’m done with being a miserable mess of heartbreak. I’m done with carrying the baggage of unrequited unfulfilled love. I don’t love you anymore.” Natasha rises from her chair and trudges to the exit of the conference room, wiping her eyes.
The moment she reaches the door, a strong hand pulled her by her elbow. Next, she finds herself pressed against a rock-hard chest. She lifts her head and finds two dark as night eyes staring at her.
“So you loved me in the past?” Warm fingers brush the stray hair off her forehead.
Natasha feels her lips quiver. She fumbles, “No…I…crushed on you.”
“But you just said you don’t love me anymore.”
“I said I’m done with you.” She drops her gaze to the expanse of his broad chest. His cologne fills her senses, and she feels her resolve tiptoeing away.
“You probably are done with me, Miss Malik, but I’m still not done with you.”
Her feet feel like jelly. She wants to push him away, but his nearness is causing a flood of emotions rushing through her. Electricity traverses across her entire being, and even though she hates him, she feels like melting in the warmth of his body. She swallows nervously. “What do you want now?”
A sizzling silence follows as Natasha feels an arm snaking around her waist, strong fingers roaming across her back, pushing him closer to a steel chest. Another hand lifts her chin. He leans down and whispers, “What if I say I want to taste this Christmas candy. Bittersweet but holds the elixir of life within itself.”
Without waiting another moment, he brushes his lips against hers. Natasha feels her lips opening on their own accord. She welcomes Vikram inside her heat. Vikram sucks her lips, first bottom one and then the upper one. His tongue darts inside her moistness, probing, delving deeper, reaching the base of her throat as he sucks and sucks deeper. Natasha moans and grunts as she feels wetness pooling between her legs. She laces her fingers in the wayward mess of his dark curly hair, pulling him closer to her heat. Vikram’s grip tightens across her waist. Other hand cups her face and brings her closer to his mouth. He claims her lips, enmeshing them with his. Their kiss deepens. It feels as if she’s flying high in the sky, up in the air. With each stroke of his tongue, with each brush of his lips, Vikram wipes the painful memories off her head. She feels happy. This is the kiss she’s been waiting all through her life. Kissing Vikram is like finding refuge, like feeling the safest soul on earth. It’s like claiming all the happiness of life. It’s like coming back home.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Three Months Elapsed…
Enough of stealing glances at each other and enough exchange of nervous smiles. I’m going to ask her if she’s ready to move in with me.
When earlier Vikram was afraid of commitments, now he wants to have a meaningful relationship with Natasha. Life, without a woman, sucks. Yes, it literally sucks. He desperately wants a woman in his life and not just any woman. Not one of those glitzy females he’s dated in the past. But a woman like Natasha. Yes, he wants Natasha.
It’s been months to their unexpected lip-lock in the conference room and months since they’ve been sneaking glances at each other. He has often found her stealing glances at him. He has often seen her smiling with herself. And when he crosses her path, either in the office lobby or in the elevator, Vikram has noticed her turning pink. Why does she feel nervous and all flushed up when he's around?
She said she had a crush on him. She admitted that she doesn’t love him anymore. Does that mean she was in love with him at some point in her life, probably during high school?
Vikram wants to know. He wants to look inside Natasha’s heart and find out the truth. He wants to take her out. Probably, a dinner date could do wonders. If only she agrees on going out with him. An idea which she has rejected a couple of times in the past. But things have changed now. The ice of their relationship has started to melt after that passionate kiss.
The most surprising thing was that instead of pushing Vikram away, she welcomed him. She allowed him to enter her sweet wet heat. Vikram would have kept on feasting on that juicy petals of rose till eternity, had he not felt that intense need of burying himself inside her heat. His hands ached to feel her breasts. Fingers twitched to rub her slit. He wanted to grab her ass and hoist her up, slam her against the wall, take her clothes off and fuck her hard.
He had to control himself, control the animal raging inside of him. Had he spent a few more minutes with his tongue buried inside her sweet mouth, he would have done something really maddening. There wouldn’t be any turning back neither for her nor for Vikram then. Good that he realized she’s pregnant and touching the last trimester of her pregnancy.
But the way Natasha reacted and welcomed him, it’s certain that she still nurtures those crazy high school feelings for him. Does she still crush on him? Is it just a crush or her crush has transformed into something darker and heavier over the years? It’s been several years to high school. Is it possible to crush on someone for so long?
Can two people crush on each other for so long? Not only Natasha, Vikram too had felt the crushing pain of solitude whenever he reminisced about his high school. Whenever the image of a dainty girl crossed his head.
Vikram picks up his cell phone from the table but then sets it back. He then picks up the extension and calls his PA.
“Connect me to Miss Malik.”
“Sure.”
A second later, a soft female voice enters Vikram’s ears.
“Vikram is it you?”
“Who else?”
“You surprised me.”
“Did I? Was it pleasant?”
“Umm…” she fumbles, “Yeah… it’s always good to hear you, but I’m surprised you’ve called me on my office number.”
“I’m trying to behave professionally.”
“Oh, okay. That’s great. Good to see the change in you. Keep it up.” She giggles and the sound of her laugh thrums the cords of Vikram’s heart. “So what do you want to talk about, Mister Jaysingh?”
“Look. I’ve booked a table at Ebony. It’s a rooftop restaurant on MG Road. I don’t know if you’ve heard about it, but it’s…it’s just awesome.”
“Great! So what do you expect from me? Do you want me to message your date with the time and venue or do you want me to call her and pass your message to her?” She clears her throat. “This again exceeds my job. This is your PA’s job but if you want me to do that, I can pass on this to your girlfriend.”
“Stop pretending. I’m taking you out for dinner with me, at Ebony. Did you get that?”
“Sorry, Mister Jaysingh but this doesn’t sound very professional.”
“Okay. Cool. Let’s put it like this—You’re going with me for dinner tonight at seven, be ready. Okay.”
“Highly unprofessional." She laughs again.
“What do you want? Should I beg you to have dinner with me?” Vikram grits his teeth. This woman is driving him crazy. Vikram feels heat escalating across his body and he knows all of it isn’t anger.
“Is this the way you ask women to go out with you?” her sarcastic tone enters Vikram’s ears and he gets the hint.
“I’m sorry. My mistake. Okay, let me try.” Vikram
clears his throat. “Can I have the privilege of taking you out for dinner tonight?”
Natasha laughs on the other side. “It’s too formal.”
“Shit.” Vikram loosens his tie knot. “Now you tell me what’s the right way to ask a lady to go out with you, Miss.”
“Figure it out, Mister Jaysingh. Looks like the Casanova lifestyle hasn’t taught you much about women.”
“You wait there, okay. Sit still and don’t move. If possible, stick yourself with the chair of yours. I’ll be right there. Don’t move, Natasha Malik,” Vikram blurts.
Chapter Twenty-Three
God! He’s going to come here.
Nervousness rises several notches. Anticipation churns her stomach. She bobs her head and glances around. Because it’s lunchtime, the floor apparently looks empty. Natasha settles in her chair and places a hand over her breasts.
Vikram Jaysingh is formally going to ask her out. Isn’t it a moment of great celebration? Triumph. All through her high school years, she waited for the dark-eyed god to at least bless her with his divine stare. Now when Vikram is almost going to ask her out for a formal dinner date, she’s not able to contain herself.
Her heart thrums hard in her chest when she hears his heavy footfall on the floor. Next, a dominant and tall male figure makes an appearance. He stands tall, next to her chair, his eyes landing on her face, pale parched lips curving into the sexiest smile. How the hell he manages to look this much sexy. A mere glimpse, and Natasha feels her insides quiver with anticipation.
His commanding presence is strong enough to fill the small cubicle with heats of passion and tension. Natasha lifts her head and gazes at Vikram, his towering presence wreaking havoc on her system.
He leans against the desk, dark eyes still gazing at her, taking her in. It feels as if he’s undressing her fabric by fabric, layer by layer. It feels as if he’s breaking her piece by piece. And it all feels so good.
Accidentally Ever After Page 9
