My Destined One

Party

Meera's POV

  "Beta, are you ready?" my mother asked me for the infinity time. Today is the day we are supposed to held the press conference. Its around 4 pm but Aarsh asked to go through everything once before going to face the press. Am currently applying my final coat of mascara. Am not a person who likes to dress up and decked up for any matter. But when ever I have to attend this kind of parties or conferences, Aarsh takes up the entire responsibility of my dress up. Just 2 days back, he bought me a beige suit and a matching pencil skirt, with matching shoes and other accessories. He wanted to send me a make up artist but I somehow dodged it. I lightly prepared my face, put a red lipstick, put some light eyeliner and kohl and a good amount of mascara. I was almost ready when Aarsh arrived to pick me up. 

  After wearing my shoes, I looked up at myself in the mirror, probably the hundredth time till now, and then took my bag and went straight to Aarsh. "Woah! Someone is looking fire!" "Well, Good Morning to you too... sir. And thank you for your compliment. Well there is my friend who actually bought this dress for me, so here I am looking fire to you." "Ouch that hurts, Meera. You should thank me properly, after all I bought this dress for you." "Ok ok, thank you thank you. Now shall we leave?" he nodded and soon he drove to his office. All the presentation were done properly. Our team gave the best of their efforts. I think, personally, the project is going to be hit. Around 3 o'clock, we reached the venue. Miss Meenal and Mr. Tripathi came to welcome us, and soon led us to a private room near the banquet.

  The moment we entered the private room, we saw Deepak sitting with another man who looked just around our age. Both of them stood up seeing us coming to them. "Well well well, Suraj meet Aarsh Sharma, the CEO of Sharma Industries, our new investors. And his secretary Miss Meera Sharma. And Aarsh and Meera, this is Suraj Pratap, the owner of this hotel." As soon as Deepak finished, Suraj pulled out his hand to have a handshake with Aarsh, "Hello Mr. Sharma. Nice meeting you. And Miss Meera nice to meet you too. Deepak, you called them by their first names, do you know them personally?" he asked after shaking my hand. "Well, I have heard a lot about Aarsh, so it feels that I know him for years. There is a very strong connection between us. And Meera? What should I tell about her? Their was a time I never let her breath, always used be with her, virtually of course. Its just that she had a huge crush on me. You know me right Suraj, I can't deny a girl." His words were making me utterly uncomfortable. I felt like vomiting for no reason.

  "Mr. Rana, shall we focus on the conference and not on my beautiful PA, I know she is looking gorgeous today, but lets not make the lady uncomfortable. Lets proceed and discuss about the conference a little bit, shall we?" Aarsh interrupted Deepak's words, feeling that I was uncomfortable. Deepak looked at me for a while and then nodded in agreement. We discussed for a long time what we will tell to the reporters, who all will be giving the presentations, who will answer what part, positions, arrangements and all other formal things, each and every thing was discussed thoroughly. As the time reached 4 in the clock, we started to proceed towards the banquet. As soon as we entered, photographers started taking pictures from everywhere. "Meera, don't go anywhere, just stay by my side. Don't listen to anyone. If I would want something, I will ask you directly. Don't try to listen and act on other's words. Is that clear?" Aarsh whispered in my ears, while walking towards the stage. "Yes, I understood" I said in such a way only he can listen. "Good." 

Aarsh's POV

  The press conference went well. Deepak was professional as expected from him. My part also went well. Both the team gave their full efforts, and that was proved by the appreciation we got at the end of the press conference. Meera hardly left from my eyesight. Thanks to her for staying in front of me, if she shouldn't have been in front of me, I couldn't have focused fully. Meera was near me all through out the meeting and no one tried to shoo her away, especially Deepak. After the Q and A session with the reporters, Deepak invited us to the pool side area. I really didn't want to attend the party. I mean who celebrates the success of a press conference in form of a pool side party? Its too informal. A pool side party or a pool party is supposed to be enjoyed with friends. And me and Deepak are far away from ever being friends. So why did he want me to attend the party? I still went on with it because of Meera. If she hadn't suggested me, I wouldn't even come here.

  "I know you don't want to stay here, but please lets just get done with this once and for all. And please stop sulking. Anybody can look at you and understand that being in this party is right now the last thing you want to do. So please try to pretend that you are here by your ownself and not forcefully." She told me, dragging me to a secluded place. "What can I do? I really don't wanna stay here. Why would you wanna stay here? Last time I checked, you hated Deepak just as much as I do? Why do you wanna hang in this party?" I whined as a big baby. "Ok.... lets see. Ah ha... see there is food, lots of. Till the time we are here, lets enjoy the food?" She said trying to make up my mood. "And the last time I checked, you enjoy the food as much as I enjoy and you can eat way more food than I can." She said in mocking expression. Well definitely she is trying hard to lift up my mood.

  I sighed and decided  to go the way she is leading me. Well obviously food is a good distraction for both of us. "Ok fine. Lets go and eat something. Am hungry anyway." "That's like a good boy." She said trying to ruffle my hair, but only tried. As I am almost 1 foot taller than her, its good to play with her sometimes. Even with heels she was struggling to reach my hair. Finally when she accepted her defeat, I stroke her head lovingly, saying, "You are so small and cute, I love the way how you struggle in front of me because of your height." And by saying that, my stomach and her elbow made contact. "God you are small but you are strong! What do you eat girl? Iron?" "The moment you tease me for being short, that moment you will get another blow. So, boy, be very careful." She glared at me. So cute! 

  We were going towards the food section when all of a sudden Deepak came to us with his secretary and few other men. "So Aarsh, did you like the way the press conference went?" "Yaa absolutely, both of our companies really worked hard." "Well I am happy because you are happy how everything went. And how do you like the arrangements of the party? Are you enjoying it?" "Well am enjoying it as much as I can. You see, pool side party is a bit informal party, you should enjoy it with your friends, not with your investors." "You are my friend, Aarsh. Come on. We are of same age. I know we have met just a few days ago. But honestly speaking, we heard about each other for a long time from some common source, right?" he said the last part looking at Meera. On the other side, Meera was having a hard time to look up straight. 

  "May be, but still its my opinion." I said trying to change the topic about our past. "So, I asked my secretary to inform your secretary to bring some one you want. But by the looks of it, you haven't." God he still has the nerves to ask about Sana!  "Well, I know that you are not married or engaged to anyone, but I do believe you have a girlfriend. Come on man, now don't deny it. You are quite good looking, well not as much as me, but am pretty sure you are a heartthrob at least. And what I have heard, you have a mysterious girlfriend so where is she? Why didn't you bring her?" He asked, simply playing with me. "Well, its true, I have a girlfriend, but she is not mysterious at all, its just that she doesn't like to attend these kind of parties or functions. You see, she is quite introvert in front of strangers." I said, trying to avoid Sana's topic. "Ya ya that I know." he mumbled, though I heard him properly. I was about to raise my hand, when Meera clutched my arm tightly. I looked at her, and she just shook her head, gesturing me not to get angry with his word. God but how can I keep calm when he is constantly trying to trigger my anger!

  After that little encounter, Deepak didn't dare to show his face anymore. We were enjoying ourselves, talking to the guests here and there. Meera seemed pretty bored the whole time. She tried hard to leave my side and roam around here and there, exploring the place. But I didn't let her go away from me, even for a bit. When she finally understood that am not gonna leave her, she started whining like a baby, "Aarsh for god's sake, am your PA, I want to explore the place, please 5 minutes?" She said giving her cutest pout and best puppy eyes. Girl, am not gonna be convinced by them today at all! "No means no. How many times do I have to say that you will not go anywhere without me? And that is final. And don't you dare whine one more time. Remember, you are my PA, you are still working. Am your boss not your friend. Is that clear?" I scolded her, harshly. She quickly nodded and started following me, keeping her head hung low. May be I scolded her a bit too harshly.

  Soon the one hour limit was coming to an end. We have communicated quite a bit, Meera still followed me quietly every where. We ate food, had a few glasses of wine. Well only I had wine, she didn't drink alcohol, as she was still working. Well, the entire time she gave me a silent treatment, I decided while dropping her home, I will apologize to her for scolding her, but also make her understand that why I wanted her close to me, maybe she will understand. There was a constant restlessness in my mind and heart for the whole time we were here. I felt something bad is going to happen. I don't what or to whom, but I promised Meera, or more than that I promised my self, that I will not let anything happen to her again. I don't know whether I was restless because of her or not, but somehow I was. The press conference went well, thank God, but until and unless I drop her home, I can't be in peace.

  When we were about to leave, I turned to her and asked, "So you are ready to leave now?" "No I want to use the washroom", she said instantly. "Uhh... umm... can't you wait till we reach home?" "No its urgent. Am holding up for 2 hours now. I need to use the washroom now." "Why didn't you say earlier, silly?" I was angry that she didn't say anything. For 1 whole hour we were in this party, if she needed to use the restroom, she should have told me earlier. "How could I? Every time I asked you to let me go for 5 minutes you denied, and moreover you scolded me. Am your PA, but you forgot that am a human too." She said keeping her head down. Gosh, what am I going to do with this girl! "Meera, if you had clearly told me that you wanted to go to the washroom, I wouldn't have stopped you. But you never said anything. Ok ok, now don't waste time, go to the washroom in the changing room." The moment these words left my mouth, she ran away. God this girl is absolutely crazy.

  I was checking my mails while waiting for Meera, near the pool, when all of a sudden I heard Deepak speak. "Till when are you going to protect everyone, Aarsh? You know nah, you have to let anyone of them go." "What do you mean that I have to let one of them go, Deepak? Who are you referring to?" I asked, putting my phone in my coat's pocket. "Oh come on, Aarsh. You must be forgetting some facts about me. Well... let me help you remind it. First, I know both of them before you met them. One was my girlfriend for about 4 years, while other one knew me for what, 2.5 years? At that time you were not even in the picture bro. Secondly, am a guy. I know what you feel for Meera, I can clearly see by your actions. And honestly speaking, having a girlfriend like Sana, is quite tiresome. You need to have a gate away, for me it was that girl, wait, what was her name? Ahh...yes Shagun, right? And for you its Meera, and moreover she is quite your type too. She follows you, obeys you, hardly fights with you, and shockingly has the ability to stop you from punching me." 

  How dare he thinks that am like him? Playing with 2 girls at a same time? Its true I had feelings for Meera, may be still now, but I never did anything on that account. Ya, I know, once we almost ended up having s*x, but after that, nothing. But he? He is monster, he started dating Shagun while having a relationship with Sana. How the hell can he compare himself to me? "Well... its true she has the ability to stop me from punching your face, so don't you think you should worry for yourself, as Meera is not around me? Don't you feel scared to come here and talk rubbish about my girlfriend? And to be frank, what we have is in between us, who the hell are you to interfere in any way? As far as I remember, Meera hates you like the rest of us, it may be true she had a crush on you or something like that, but the effects you left in her life, directly or indirectly, made her hate you like anything. I don't understand one thing Deepak, how can you live by yourself knowing that so many people hate you? If I would have been in your place, then I would not have come back here, or worse, would have killed myself."

  By the end of my words, Deepak was enraged, his face was turned red in anger, my words affected him a lot more than I had expected. Good, at least my words have affected him a bit! Soon enough, his face turned normal, he had that pathetic, creepy smile on his face again. "Then why don't you die in my place?" Before I could have registered his words, I was soon falling down into the pool, thanks to Deepak's accidental push while going away from me. s**t I was standing near the deep side. I fell down, I tried to stand on my feet. But where the f**k is the ground? Am 6 feet tall, but the pool has definitely more depth than that. I heard fainted noise. People must be having fun seeing me struggle. Is this how my life gonna come to an end? In Deepak's hands? No. Meera, where are you? Am sorry I couldn't save you. With these words, darkness overpowered me.