Love Me Like You Do

CHAPTER 3

Mumbai hasn’t been as bad as I anticipated, but actually, it turned out to be really good for both of us. It’s been already a month since we have been living over here and it is a great experience. We haven’t come across anyone that we didn’t want to see or got any news from them.

But the most interesting thing that happened in the first week that we came over here was that the very first meeting regarding our company was with an old friend. It was with Ranvijay, yes, the same old Ranvijay I had a crush upon once and was someone I think I had feelings for.

But, now when after almost half a decade since we met, we were unable even to recognize each other in the first go. When I saw him, I knew that he was someone that I had seen before and even interacted with, but by his changed looks and the maturity on his face. His aura, his style, his personality, the way he carried himself, his sharp jawline, his pushed-back hair he looked like a Greek God, and I for one second wasn’t able to remove my eyes from him. He became an instant crush for me, and I knew that he was also looking at me but just didn’t know that he already recognized me, unlike me who was still ogling at him but wasn’t aware that he is the same guy I was almost falling for.

I walked into the café in downtown with my colleagues, no one there was expecting the CEO to present herself as no one has ever seen me personally. For all of them, I was no more than an employee of the company and a normal model, for which I couldn’t be gladder. And in my company also no employee is allowed to reveal to outsiders who the CEO of the company is, and they take it very seriously as to some extent all of them know my back story and the reason why I don’t want to let anyone know about my real identity. And, also that I enjoy people treating me normally and not giving me any special treatment for the power I have, or the money I own.

There I saw that Greek God, someone I thought I have seen before and talked with, and by the time our eyes met, he also looked at me the same way as we had interacted before this also. Our eyes stay lost in each other for some more time till the point that he frowned at me, and I also realized that it was none other than the guy who I still considered my top crush Ranvijay Rawat. But, now after almost five years he looked completely different and handsome on another level.

Now, he looks lethal and matures not like the college boy he was before, but still sweet and cute like before. A smile appeared on my face, but I couldn’t take any more step towards him because of the frown that was still plastered on his face. And then I realized the reason behind that frown and our last conversations. I promised him that I would meet him again but left without a proper goodbye even.

I decided to ignore his looks and continue with my work, I really didn’t want to show that there was something wrong between me and the employee of the other company. He doesn’t know who I am but I’m well aware that if his boss would come to know that we have some trouble it won’t be good for his job and I really don’t want that, because in all honesty his reaction is completely justified. What was I expecting from any one of the people I considered as my friends also after meeting them after years when I went away without telling them a single thing even, without a goodbye even, without even trying to contact them for years straight.

I went towards them and we had the introductions, we came to know that they were all employees of entertainment companies and production houses, and Ranvijay worked for RR Entertainment the biggest entertainment and production house globally. We had our meeting and he just kept staring at me the entire time, a disapproving look in his eyes and all I could do was look at him with a hint of guilt in my eyes. Yes, I know I was the one who said I won’t be holding any regrets but today sitting in front of him under his tantalizing stare, I do regret not saying a proper goodbye to him. But I would really like to mend my mistakes and say sorry to him, and also be friends with him. As in this place I would really need people who would help me with this industry and how the people over here work. And, Ranvijay could really be one of those, he could help me, and considering the fact that we were friends before could actually help.

I would approach him after the meeting and say sorry to him, I really don’t want to end an amazing friendship on a bad note.

Ranvijay’s POV

I watched the team of the collaborating brand come in; I knew their CEO wasn’t supposed to come but I the CEO of RR Entertainment came over here to talk about this collaboration myself with their team because of the importance of this project. It was a multi-million deal and I wanted to seal it; I know I could have let anyone be the in-charge in my place but once in a while doing things yourself is also not bad.

There for the first time in years, my eyes got hooked on a woman, after my breakup with my girlfriend during the first semester of my post-graduation, and after Tina, the girl I felt as someone more than a friend. Tina was really someone I knew I could have ended up with but then she suddenly disappeared one day, I knew it was hard for her with her family drama and her mother passing away but all that I didn’t expect was for her to just run away from everything with her brother.

The police came to the college the next day interrogating all her friends including me about her whereabouts as according to them she went missing the previous night, along with her brother. There I got the hint that when she said goodbye to me that night when I dropped her off at her house, she didn’t mean to see me the other day. I could tell from her looks that she did look conflicted that night and wanted to tell me but couldn’t and I also didn’t insist on telling me something. But I didn’t tell the police anything about the fact that she might have just left the country, or that she wished to leave her family, I just told them that I had no clue where she went after college.

I looked at the girl in front of me, and after a second I did realize who it was. It was Tina, the girl who left me in the middle of nowhere. She didn’t even say a proper goodbye to me, though it might seem that I do understand the reasons for doing what she did I also knew that I did deserve a proper goodbye from her, and also now the way she looks at me if she wants to keep the friendship that we once had she needed to give me a nice and worth it explanation for not even telling me bye properly.

I was happy seeing her again, and an unknown emotion raised up again in my heart, the emotion that I knew was more than just seeing an old acquaintance but after the shock, I suffered when she vanished suddenly and the heartbreak I suffered after the girl I thought is right for me in my post-graduate college, she used me and left me closing the doors of my heart forever behind her. But, being here looking at Tina again I knew something different was happening right now.

I knew I needed to talk to her but not right now, she was the employee of another company, and if things go south and the CEO of that company came to know about that it won’t be good for her and her job, and no matter what I don’t want her job to be in danger. Messing with me now, in front of everyone won’t turn out to be good for her, I can surely save her all the trouble like before but why start rumors when there is nothing as such?

I didn’t want her to know me as the CEO but just as the Ranvijay she used to know me before, the guy she could talk to, her friend. She also recognized me and by the look on my face, I know that she already knew I was not completely happy about her leaving the way she left suddenly without letting anyone know.

Before all of them could come near us or hear our discussion I instructed all the employees not to mention me as the CEO yet, and I reasoned with them that the other CEO is not yet here also and with him being there the client’s employees would get nervous. So, now for all of the people present over there, I am not the CEO but just another employee of my company. I would really love to see how she would react even after knowing I’m no big name in this company, as earlier in college everyone used to say that I was meant to be a CEO, including her, she always told me that I would be the top business manganate one day. Now I wanted to see whether her behavior toward me would change or not now.

We had the meeting as expected and Tina was the same as I used to remember her, the intelligent one, the one who always comes up with brilliant solutions to the most difficult problems, the calm one in the most chaotic situations, the always sweet one. And I was feeling really happy seeing her be the best in whatever she is doing, because I still do remember how badly she wanted to prove herself and be successful for her family initially then for her brother later.

After her mother passed away, I saw her lost, I saw her break in front of me because there was no one else she could cry her heart in front of, that day I saw the fragile Tina, the vulnerable Tina, the Tina completely opposite to the one she pretends to be, the always strong one, the one who is not affected by anything. But in reality, she also needed someone to hold her hand and tell her that it is okay to be weak sometimes, to just say that they are not able to take the situation anymore.

Flashback:

And, weeks after her mother passed away, she had that much-needed breakdown in my car on her way back home. I still vividly remember the conversation; I was hitting her weak spots which I knew would trigger her emotions the most because I knew she hadn’t cried since her mother died in order to not appear weak in front of her younger brother but she needs to take it out of her chest otherwise it won’t be good for her.

“You know what the best part about family is that you can lean on them whenever needed,” I told her observing her for the reaction that I needed.

She was continuously looking out of the car window and not saying a word, but I continued “isn’t it crazy how the strongest bonds break over the weakest shit.” And there I knew I had her.

She looked at me and tears were filling her eyes, I knew she needed some more words to let those tears come out of her eyes and made her feel lighter. I pulled the car to the corner of the empty street; it was still in the afternoon, so there was less traffic on the road. I made sure she was facing me when I said the last thread that broke off her resentment.

“Sometimes home isn’t four walls, it’s two eyes and a heartbeat,” I told her the last words and there I got her, tears started streaming down her face. I knew that those tears and feelings needs to be taken out of her heart. I pulled her close to me and embraced her, rubbing her back while she cried and cried out her heart in my embrace. It took almost an hour for her to calm down and get control of herself. She looked at me in a thankful way and I knew she meant what her eyes said. She means to thank me for the support that she needed and that I gave her. And I’m so happy that I could be the one for her to trust and take out the burden off her heart in front of me.

She just cried and cried in my hold and I could do nothing to lessen her pain, all that she said was that she has one left with her and her brother after her mother which I quite didn’t understand. She had her father still and as far as I know, she has a big family and all her extended family lives with her in the same house, so how does she is not left with anyone after her mother? If not for those damn extended family but her father would still be with her. After consoling her nicely and making sure there were no signs that she cried, which could make her brother worried I dropped her off at the place near her home. She never took me to her home, as she always said that no one would ever understand that we are just friends and nothing more, they would only misunderstand and that won’t be good for her. I understood her, her family was orthodox and I would not do anything to create more trouble for her than she is already facing.

Flashback ends.

After the meeting, I suggested that we take a group picture, and all my employees were shocked to hear that request from me. I could see that Tina got the idea why was I saying anything like that, before when we were in college our first ever picture together was a group picture in front of the main gate of our college with the other members of the debating club, we were both a part of.

After that picture in front of the college I made sure we get a picture together but just the both of us, at the same place. And today I intend to do the same, I myself don’t know why am I doing this, because the last time we started clicking pictures there was no looking back from that. Pictures in cars during our rides, pictures in cafes during the brunches and breakfasts we used to have, pictures of us randomly doing stuff. From the most embarrassing ones to the most romantic ones, almost romantic considering we were still friends. And I deep down wish to once again start the same series of pictures again, but not the way we were earlier, this time it’s just really is going to be friends as I am so done with love and stuff.

We had the group picture clicked and then I asked her for a solo picture of her with me, like before and she was slight happy about that, that I was not that angry with her to not talk to her even. Nonetheless, I’m angry but still in my heart I understand to some extent her reasons as to why she did what she did.

We had the picture and exchanged numbers; I’m still not going to tell her who I’m she can find that out when we meet at the full-length business meeting that would be going to happen next month. In that meeting, the CEO of her company would also be present so her knowing over there would be the rightest thing. And even if they regain their old bond of friendship again, he would know she was and is interested in his money or just him as a friend.

I wanted to stop her and meet her, “she wears strength and darkness equally well; the girl has always been half goddess and half hell.” I thought because that’s the reality. She doesn’t fear her loneliness which was quite visible in her eyes when she looked at me for the first time, but the way she masks all her pain with a smile on her lips and fake happiness in her eyes.

But better be it this way let’s save the meeting for some other day. Just the two of us, where no one would know we are meeting. And we could freely talk, hope like old friends.