The Return of Passion (Complete)

Chapter 7

"Good Morning....This is Singhania Imperials how may I help you?" Alisha sat directly opposite to her secretary Navya as she made that crucial call, the phone on speaker.

"Good morning I am Navya from Nihar, actually I wanted to fix an appointment of my boss with Mr. Singhania so could that be arranged in this week?" Just as Alisha has suggested she had left out the crucial fact that who actually the boss is, partially because the whole world now knows about the ongoing nasty verbal war between the ex-husband and wife. And if somehow this information of her meeting with him gets public.......that would be another disaster coming her way.

"Sure! His schedule is free today from 12 to 2, this afternoon or at 4 pm tomorrow!"

Getting the green signal from Alisha Navya was fast enough to reply, "Today...From 1 to 2 pm....how would that be?"

"Alight, I would get it permitted from Mr. Singhania within five minutes and would let you know.

Please tell me the name and the reason for appointment."

The two women on this side of the phone exchanged looks and after a moment Alisha nodded. After all what was the point? When she would go there everyone will know anyways.

"Ms. Alisha Bose, She wants to meet him for a legal transfer."

There was a short silence before; the women on the phone replied with much more enthusiasm than ever before. "Alisha Bose you say?"

"Yes"

"Oh! I will see to it and send you a reply within a minute. Thank you!"

"I don't understand, why did she get all fervent on hearing your name?" Navya murmured putting the phone back at its original place.

"Because she got the hot gossip update even before the media did. That her boss and his ex-wife who are currently having the nastiest fight ever are going to meet!" Shrugging her shoulders, she stood up ignoring the look of pity Navya directed her way. 'she would see to it!'

Pulling down her shades onto her eyes, she entered the building. A building she knows too well.

Taking a deep breath, and praying to god that she could handle whatever comes her way, once inside!

She entered. And after even six long years she was once again greeted by a familiar scene. People continually moving in and out of the glass door. Two pretty girls on the reception, the buzzing of phones, people gossiping, the scuffling of feet.

Not waiting for anyone to depict out who she was, she stormed towards the elevator, keeping her head lowered and shades intact. Thankfully there were only two men inside when she entered, who left at the sixth floor and then she was left all to herself and of course her nerves, telling her to turn around and run as fast as she could from this place.

But the reason for which she was here, had to be taken care of. Something only she could do. Opening her clutch, she ran her hand on the cold paper envelope, something that should weight nothing yet which weights like the world is on her shoulders.

Right then the door of the elevator opened on the last floor, the last floor that belongs to him!

And as on cue a number of gruff looking men in business suits entered into the elevator and she hurried to get out from the place when her head hit hard on something and she winced, rubbing the sore spot as she looked up, her mouth was left open.

It was Drhuv! The CEO of Nihar.

He was in his usual's, a light brown two piece suit with both his hands dipped into pockets. But instead of his nonchalance ways, today he looked at her with an expression of........shock and guilt?! Before her mind could lead to a conclusion, he pulled her aside from the entrance of the elevator, for the rest of the men to enter and leave while they stood in the open, empty corridor, alone.

She would have asked 'what are you doing here?' But then if she is asked the same thing? So she kept her thoughts to herself and looked down.

"Uh..hey" he spoke and she smiled a little.

"I know it's not my place to ask but what...are.... You doing here?"

She subjected him to what she thought was one of her coldest glares...... and he watched how the once glazing black of eyes could seem hard and rough like a stone. "Look I....I am sorry.....It's just He isn't in a very good mood!"

It was just a blink before the topic of discussion, himself walked out through the door and Alisha's mouth curved up in a disgusted smile.

"Oh! My ! My....I hate to do this but....It's my office, so please find a public park for yourselves.....for *ahem* this." Alisha and Dhruv both looked down to find their hands tangled, only a moment before Alisha jolted away, as if he were a dead rat.

"Dhruv! Go back to work and I don't want to hear your whining anymore." Her eyes darted to and fro from one man to the other, glaring at each other before Dhruv decided to step down. Plunging his hands back into his pockets like before he turned around and walked away without even glancing at her once.

"What's going on between you two?"Alisha asked hesitatingly, while following Aditya back to his cabin on his toes.

"Nothing that should concern you!"

He could feel her intense glaring at the back of his head as he entered into his office and turned around swiftly to close the door behind her. "What was so essential that you had to come here to talk to me?" He glared right back into those accusing black eyes, reminding her, who's the boss here.

There were so many answers that she could have given, so many sentences that she had phrased in her mind again and again to leash them out on him someday, so that he could at least feel a little amount of pain from the vast sea that she had endured. But then, she reminded herself better, that SHE'S better! That no, this man isn't worth the time or effort to even insult him.

So she kept her mouth shut, her hands working mechanically as she unlatched her purse, took the envelope and threw it on his table.

"What's this?" He asked ironically eyeing the same letter that he wanted so badly to read a day ago.

"Something.......That could give me everything, and the same thing that could destroy the rest of my soul as well." For a moment or two he felt ashamed of what he'd done to this once livelier girl. Who now standing at the age of 27 was living like a 70 years old. But the next moment he blamed it on the fate, like always and on her as well for making the wrong choices......the choices that had led them here......Him and her far apart! He could not always live with the fear that one day she would stand up and leave him once again! And then he would need six years of yearning and search to find her again?!

He would have taken that risk....for his daughter, but then that bridge is broken too....broken beyond repair!

So, he would rather leave it at that, than scratching the already deep wound only to see her daily and remember what he could have achieved and what he had lost. Indeed, this little fact that 'he loves her.' Will be as true as the sun shining over their head but that doesn't mean they belong together,....they never did!

Picking the envelope up, he was surprised to see his mother's handwriting, the small straight around letters......

To my dear Alisha.

(Readers......If you remember the contents of the letter from a few chapters ago......Then don't read this again.......It's for those who doesn't remember due to my long period of absence......... so if you remember skip the part in italics)

I have thought to write this long-long ago when you came to my home, married to my son as his bride. But I did not because I wanted you to be happy for as long as you could.

But it was later I understood how much more pain and heartache it caused you because of the truth that I kept away from you and so it did to my son.

You left Adi listening to your mother and brother who were worst to you than any enemy could be. If only I would have told you the truth before that they aren't anything to you and that your mother was already gone leaving you to fend for yourself. You would have never done, what you did.

You will never know how guilty I felt about this when you left us and I was so after afraid that I would never see you again.

Only if I would have told you about your real mother..... Yes, she did take a wrong step but please don't judge her ever for that. She was young and naive and so was your father!

I knew them both from collage days they were good friends and then your mother, Niharika left for Paris for her fashion degree and your father, Rajeev stayed here in India inheriting the company from his father.

And it wasn't until much-much later when Rajeev was already married to Dia and had a six years old son that Niharika came back here to establish the third branch of 'Nihar' her company's showroom in Mumbai.

I don't know how or why they met but I got to know about the scandal much later with the rest of the world as it spread in the media.

And then one day your mother called me finally telling me that she was pregnant....she was crying no doubt, afraid and lonely. She said that she now realized what a crime she had committed, destroying her own life with another innocent six years old boy and his mother.

She was so afraid....she was already disowned by her parents and she would never want Rajeev to leave his actual family and cause more pain to them than they already did.

And as a best friend I told her to do what was best for her.....I told her to abort you. And move on.

I told her that if not Rajeev then she would get someone more deserving and more responsible man as her life partner.

But she did not listen to me and said that she would have you no matter if there's a father in the picture or not. That you were the last thing left with her!

And surely she did give birth to you but sadly not even getting the chance to look at you for once! She was already gone!

It was me on that night who called Rajeev to come to the hospital to take responsibility of his deeds.... to take you!

He came....and he took you, vowing in front of me that he would take care of you till he's alive.

Now you should understand this my dear..... that no matter how wrong they were before, they still loved you!

So never ever hate them! I know you won't.....

And now the most important thing that you must know. 'Nihar' as I mentioned earlier, your mother's designing company famous of all time is now your to take control of.

Here's the address below.

They must be waiting for you, for years now.

And remember one thing my child.... that I have always loved you like my daughter from the day that you were born and I still love you that you are not with my son anymore.

So I would wish you luck now and leave it to you.

Hope you will find someone soon who will give you the love and care that you actually deserve, you have my blessings with whoever you choose to spend your life with.

Your mom

Kaveri.

It was over five minutes, that he was done reading the letter twice, yet words refused to form, let alone come out. Rather, he was busy collecting the left away shards of memories from a foreign land.......memories of his mother..........of his wife.

Or he could say ex-wife!

It was too late! Wasn't it?!

'long-long ago when you came to my home, married to my son as his bride.' This specific line,kept repeating itself again and again in his mind like a broken record, until and unless, he decided to leave office and rest at home just an hour after Alisha left and a thousand and one times more before he went to sleep that night.