The uneasiness
Atharv was holding Navya tightly in his arms and was looking down at her intently. The manager didn’t expect that Atharv would actually come back to the hotel. He thought Atharv already left from there. He started saying “Mr. Ahuja, sorry for the inconvenience. Please forgive us. It won’t happen again. I have fired her.”
“Who asked you to fire her?” Atharv’s gaze was still fixed at Navya while asking this question.
Stunned, the manager trembled slightly to hear his cold voice. Was not he angry with her? He thought Atharv would be happy to hear this, but here the situation turned just opposite to his expectation. He looked at Atharv and Navya with mouth wide opened.
Without releasing Navya from his embrace, Atharv slowly lifted his gaze to look at the manager and asked “Do you fire anyone just like that without knowing the truth? Have you tried to find out what happened there?”
Navya was looking at him in full of astonishment. She never expected that Atharv would take her side. A few minutes ago, he was accusing her of a spy and now he was defending her. ‘What is he doing?’ He was like a riddle to her.
The manager couldn’t answer him properly. Beads of cold sweat were visible on his forehead. Wiping his sweat, the manager stuttered “I- I didn’t… I mean…I-I th-thought…she offended Miss Kaul.”
“She didn’t.” Atharv immediately clarified. “It was just an accident and Miraya just exaggerated the matter.” He looked down again at Navya who was staring at him like a stupid “She didn’t do anything wrong.” His tone was not harsh. In fact, it was much calmer than before.
Navya was embarrassed as she was still in his embrace and catching the attention of many pairs of eyes. She tried to push him back, but to her surprise, he hugged her tighter as though he had no intention to release her. What was he trying to do? Dumbstruck, she looked at him in a puzzled expression.
The manager then apologized “I am sorry Mr. Ahuja. It was my mistake. She can resume her work.”
Navya instantly turned her head to look at the manager who was standing lowering his head, not very far from them. A few minutes back, he was blaming her and ready to fire her, but now in front of Atharv, he was behaving like a frightened kitten. No doubt how scary and powerful Atharv was. Who could afford to offend him?
Just then she heard Atharv saying “Hmm. You better keep your words.”
Holding her hand, Atharv just walked out of the hotel the moment he finished speaking.
Navya tried to shake off his hand and said “Mr. Ahuja, please leave me now.”
Atharv didn’t listen to her at all. He dragged her all the way till the parking lot. Opening the door of the passenger seat of the Mercedes Benz, he shoved her inside the car and closed the door. Terrified, Navya tried to open the door but she failed. Before she could think anything properly, Atharv got in the car and started the engine. The car started running very fast.
Panicked, Navya’s hands were wet in sweat and her heart was beating very fast. She asked “Mr. Ahuja, please let me go. I will never show my face to you. Please forgive me.”
Atharv got angry to hear this. The words ‘never show you my face’ were like needles that pricked his heart hard. He recalled the scene of Tina, lying on the blood pool. He stepped on the accelerator and the speed of the car increase more. It was running very fast ripping the air.
Navya was scared by the high speed and closed her eyes. Her fists were tight on her laps. After sometimes the speed of the car decreased gradually and the car stopped moving. Surprised, she opened her eyes only to see the car stuck in the traffic. Navya heaved a sigh secretly and placed her hand on her chest. She never liked to be stuck in the traffic though but at that moment, she couldn’t help but feel relief. Just then, Atharv asked, “Where do you live?”
Navya instantly turned her head to look at Atharv, who was looking ahead on the road. She was wondering why he was asking her this question. Was he planning to drop her home? She panicked instantly to think this. If her aunt found out that the rising business tycoon Atharv Ahuja dropped her than she would not stop asking questions. Shaking her head vigorously she said “N-no… you drop me to the next bus stop. I will go by bus.” She then looked away from him and fixed her gaze outside.
Atharv looked at her narrowing his eyes and asked the same question again “You didn’t tell me where you live.” His tone was not high but cold enough to send a chill through the spine to the other party.
Navya gasped and sneakily peeked at him. She was thinking about how his voice and the pair of eyes could cause someone’s heart to tremble in fear. She never encountered anyone like this before. His penetrating gaze was causing a burning sensation on her body and she was feeling very nervous. She didn’t dare to lift her head.
Atharv was impatiently waiting for her answer but when he didn’t receive any response, slamming his fist on the steering wheel he asked, “Why are you silent?” His tone was harsh this time.
Navya flinched and stammered “Ver- Versova.”
“I will drop you.”
She only nodded twice without lifting her head. By then, the traffic light turned green and the car started moving. Half an hour later the car entered the locality where Navya lived. Swallowing the lump of her throat, she said in a low voice “Mr. Ahuja, please drop me here. If my aunt sees that I came out of Mercedes then she will scold me. Please I am requesting you.”
Atharv frowned and cast a cold gaze at her. His face darkened. He wanted to know about this girl more and more. The similarity of her face with Tina had already caught his attention and her timid nature made him curious to know her more. Her nature was totally different from Tina which increased his interest in her, or in other words, after so many days when he saw someone very similar to Tina, his desire of love that was hidden deep down in his heart started coming out slowly. He actually wanted to keep her by his side. He could have left her in the hotel, but he brought her to his car and insisted to drop her because he was unwilling to part with her. He wanted to spend some more time with her. But when he realized that it was not possible to stay longer with her, he felt uneasy. This uncomfortable feeling of his heart came out in the form of anger. He immediately pulled the brake and the car stopped with a jolt.
“Get out.” He said these two words looking ahead on the road.
“Huh?”
Dumbfounded, Navya looked at him with wide eyes. She was thinking that he would refuse her and insist on her dropping to her house, but never expected this. Why he was so unpredictable? Within a second, he could change his mind. She was yet to recover from the shock when she heard him shouting “Get out right now.”
Startled, Navya flinched and immediately opened the door to get of the car. The moment she came out, the car ran away very fast from there. Navya looked at the back of the rapidly moving car in a daze. She couldn’t help but swallow hard. Navya felt Atharv was as ferocious as a lion. It was better to stay far and far away from him. She then turned and walked to her apartment.