The Return of Passion (Complete)

Chapter 8

A week later.....

"Mr. Aditya your car is ready. Should I serve your breakfast?" lily asked standing at his door.

"No thanks Lily....I would have my breakfast on the way...and oh....I am hosting a party next weekend when I return from Rio, so the group of organizers would be here probably the day after tomorrow, show them around please." He folded his kerchief and slid it into his back pocket, ready to leave the house. Before an unplanned call ruined his day.

"Adi- What the hell? I am at your office right now, and they are telling me that you are leaving for Rio today!?"

"Exactly Purva! What the hell! I told you to stay away from me, didn't I?" Keeping his voice as calm as possible, he climbed down the stairs, to reach for the front door, maintaining a neutral face in front of the employees while he was livid from inside.

"Thank you" he mouthed his driver who held the door open of his car for him, as he slid inside.

"Adi....Adi listen... you can't do this to...to me okay? You can't leave without sorting out the things that happened between us."

"I can't believe this Purva....You are seriously acting like a typical clingy girl friend. Aren't you? I thought we were clear on this, when we started this relationship!"

"Y-yes!" He heard her muttering, before she hung up. "Dad won't like-.....forget it! I would talk to you when you come back."

Rio de janerio

He looked at her amazed, at how effortlessly one could look so captivating like a nymph, in that simple peach multi layered dress having a sheer fabric layer over the main dress, the extra fabrics on the front or side slits adding volume to the overall outfit. He observed her from the corner of his eyes while pretending to be busy with his phone as she turned and twisted in her seat looking around the place, after all it is one of the best dinners in Rio. The Aprazivel.

Sitting within the confines of greenery on either side, with a rooftop view and the cool air blowing on your face was no wonder a heaven, but why wasn't this heaven giving her a little peace? Why was she still getting the funny feeling in her stomach, like she did after their last meeting one week ago?

Displeased with her herself, and her line of thoughts, she decided to have a little walk around this place alone.

"Excuse me!" She smiled a little at the other five fellows sitting on the table with her, including the man who seems to be having a hook up with his dear phone from last fifteen minutes that they have been here.

"Alisha are you alright? Where are you going?" Shalini, the only other female in their group stood up beside her as she watched her leaving. She is the head of the designing school run by Nihar.

"I am alright! Just going for a little walk..." She smiled again in a reassuring way before climbing down the stairs into the lobby, leaving the rooftop private table. Walking away from the bar downstairs she headed towards the garden lightened by the soft glow of golden fairy lights.

It was just a split second before she caught his eye.

"Mr. Leandro please excuse me for a second...." Sending an apologetic look at the old man he left his seat only to end up racing towards the garden. He was sure, it was her! It has to be!

Almost mechanically he walked down the dewy trimmed grass of the lawn to reach where she stood with her back facing him. "Alisha..." He felt his throat going dry, unable to utter anything else as she turned around to look at him. "Look I am sorry."

"What for?" She asked, her eyebrows furrowing as though she was genuinely confused.

"You know what I am talking about...." He frowned not liking the way she was behaving.

"Oh well, there are so many reasons right now for you to be sorry, I was just confused for which one this apology was!" She wasn't ready for a fight again with him, but there was no way in the world she could let him get away with his ways after hurling insult after insult at her. First he and his so called girlfriend, then the charge sheet against her and then she gets to know that her sick bastard of an ex-husband had fixed his cousin brother as the CEO of Nihar. So that he could control it, even if he isn't the lawful owner......... and perhaps even paying him for keeping an eye on her.

Dhruv sat still on the rooftop table, his eyes silently following wherever she went, until he watched another silhouette standing beside her. And his first instinct was to run down there to see what the matter was, but then he looked carefully and it was clear enough who the silhouette was, Aditya Singhania. Her ex-husband, hence even with a self torturing sence he sat back down, sipping the cold red wine down his throat, until he felt that the situation was getting out of control between them. In the half light and half darkness he saw his dear cousin grasping her upper arm and that was it for him.

"I forgive you Aditya. Just stay away from me and my life. Put up a respectable act with me if we ever cross path and that's all."

She sighed walking back towards the main patio before he grasped her arm and pulled her back.

A surprised gasp left her mouth as a strange kind of shiver ran down to her core.

"What the hell Adi?!" She yanked her arm away from him.

"And what about you Alisha? " He asked looking straight into the depths of her soul through those big dark eyes.

"What about me? "

"How many more months are you going to stay like this....mourning for....for...our daughter.....and stay alone?"

She wanted to say so much right then like 'she isn't as natural a lover like him to move on and start dating someone just after loosing a daughter. 'But she stayed put, because that would dispute her own statement of 'maintaining a respectable act'

"I am not going to stay alone for long." She secretly smiled watching the sudden flash in his eyes and he tensed up.

"Are...are you seeing someone? " He asked with what he thought was a neutral expression.

"No but....I have decided to take up the fertility treatment."She don't know why she shared this thought with him, but it felt....natural to do so.

"Fertility treatment? "

"Apparently yes....an artificial insemination to be exact. " she looked up at the moon.

She wanted nothing more than to be a mother again, to feel like she have someone of her own. Again.

"So you have thought about it?"

"Yes, I am in contact with my doctor. " she smiled subtly at the emptiness in front of her.

There was a long pregnant silence after that.

"A..all..all the....best then." He voiced out before tracing his path back slowly to the patio, not able to understand. Why suddenly an heavy weight had settled upon the frame of his chest, almost suffocating him.