37. Aarti #2
“And the price of keeping them away from the public eye?”
He smirked as if he had won. “Your gratitude,” he said.
“And nothing else?”
“Your friendship,” he had the audacity to demand. “Aarti, I’ll say it again. I care about you, and I know Sujit. I don’t want you to end up hurt like the other women in his past.”
I glared at him, but he spotted the curiosity in my eyes and latched on to it.
Whipping out an obsequious grin, he said, “You don’t know about it, do you?”
Despite my best efforts, my eyes drifted to Sujit. Just a glance, and I saw him laughing with Devi’s daughter. Devi observed the two with a sweet curve on her lips. Manoj saw this and pulled out another sneer.
But instead of responding with anger, I relaxed against the chair, a cool move I’d learned as a great intimidation tactic. It worked every time.
“I know men like you. I know women like you. You derive your sense of self, your identity, from seeing others fail. You’ll never be good enough, so you put roadblocks in Sujit’s path, deter him, and attempt to demoralize him.
But you don’t fool me,” I said, leaning in.
“Not one bit. I know exactly who you are, Manoj. You are a petty man who doesn’t think twice before backstabbing a person you call a friend.
Don’t assume I’m unaware of your past. I know exactly what you’ve done. ”
His face had changed. His fair skin was turning red with humiliation. This was precisely what I wanted.
I tapped the envelope with my red nails. “This is your doing. It has your fingerprints all over it. You aren’t even smart enough to mask your juvenile envy for Sujit.”
His anger was evident now. His right hand resting on the table clenched into a fist as he tried hard to avoid creating a scene.
“You’ve fucked with him long enough, Manoj, but no more.
Try it one more time, and I’ll fuck you up so bad you’ll have no recourse but to leave the city.
If you don’t remove yourself from his life, I’ll dedicate the rest of mine to fucking up yours.
You want to splash these pictures in a gossip magazine?
Go ahead, do it. You don’t scare me. But mess with him again and see what I’m capable of. ”
It wasn’t intentional, but my protective mode was on, and my eyes flitted to Sujit again.
Manoj had found the opening he was hoping for. “Fuck! You are in love with him, aren’t you? This is so messed up.”
“That’s none of your business,” I retorted.
“Then here’s a friendly tip for you. He’s fucking her,” he said, throwing a quick glance at Devi.
“You should know that. She’s his side-piece, always has been.
He’s the reason she’s divorced. That right there is a messed up happy family.
And like you asked me to remove myself from his life, I strongly suggest you do the same.
Not for his sake, for yours. He might look and appear like a nice guy, but he’s a fucking manipulative bastard.
He fucked my ex-wife before she was my ex.
And after. Then tossed her aside when he found Tara.
It was karma that Tara dumped him the way she did. He isn’t the person you think he is.”
I produced a final superior gaze as I gathered my clutch and prepared to leave. “Here’s what I do know, Manoj. Sujit can fuck who he wants. But I want you to stop fucking with him. Now. Or you’ll see what my wrath looks like. You don’t want me as an enemy, believe me.”
His eye twitched, and I spotted a tremble in his hand. “And I prefer white wine.”
I stood and tapped the table twice with my perfectly manicured nails. “Nice talking to you, Manoj. Take care.”
With a brilliant smile, I walked off, completely avoiding eye contact with Sujit.
As I exited the restaurant, I saw Imran walking toward me.
“Ms. Aarti, do you wish to go back home?” he asked with his usual courtesy.
“It’s all right, Imran,” I said with a smile. “I have the car service waiting for me.”
“Please let me drive you,” he insisted and I was curious.
“Sujit will need you,” I argued. “When they are done with their dinner.”
“Boss will be here for a while. I will be back in no time.”
I shuddered against the cold and acquiesced. “Thank you,” I said with a short nod.
“I’ll bring the car around. Please wait indoors if you need to. It’s a cold day.”
In about two miraculously short minutes, Imran drove up and rushed to hold the door open for me. I called my driver and asked him to retire for the night.
“I hope you are alright, Ms. Aarti. I know it is not my place, but I hope things are good between the Boss and you.”
I smiled with surprise. “The Boss and me? What do you know, Imran?” I asked with a curious lift of my brow.
He responded with as sheepish grin which I spied in the rearview mirror.
“Only that my boss cares about you very much,” he replied. “He is a good man. I’m requesting you to give him a chance to show you.”
I sighed deeply. “I wish it were that simple.” I was already dreading the impending conversation with Sujit.
He tried to read me in his mirror. “Whatever it is, he will know of a way to resolve it. He always does.”
“I know you’re his friend, a close confidant. But you don’t know who I am.”
He didn’t miss a beat. “I know you, Ms. Aarti. I’ve known about you before anyone else did. And I am still here assuring you that he’s never been this happy—truly happy—before you.”
“He wasn’t happy with Tara?” I asked with utmost curiosity.
“He was happy, but not this happy. Not this relaxed, this comfortable. It’s different with you. From the first night I drove you both to Marco’s. That’s why I’m asking you to give him a chance.”
“You love him, don’t you?” I asked with a smile.
“He was there for me when I had no one to turn to. He’s done more for me than any family would. He loves me like a brother, and I respect him like one.”
I heard his breath quicken as we neared my building.
“He’s a really good man, Ms. Aarti,” he repeated, as if he needed to convince me of it. “He is going to come over tonight. I’m sure of it. I’m kindly requesting that you don’t close the door on him.”
I smiled wide at his metaphor. “You are a smart, sharp man. I am glad you have Sujit’s back.”
His eyes were averted but he waited as if he were eager to hear those words from my mouth.
“You don’t need to worry, Imran, because the truth is I like your boss and I care about him, too.”
There was a wide, giddy, happy grin on his face as he came around to hold the door open for me.
“Thank you for everything,” I said softly and he returned a quizzical look. “Thank you for keeping our secret and for believing in our happiness,” I explained. “Thank you for everything you do for him.”
He grinned again. “I’ll also be here for you, Lady Boss.”
That made me laugh. “And I hope to support you and Afra just as much.”
His smile turned shy at the mention of her. “Thank you, Lady Boss.” He grinned. “I should get going.”
“Good night, Imran.”
“Good night, Ms. Aarti.”