My Destined One

Meeting the Devil, Again

Meera's POV

  Aarsh won, I lost. Hmph! He succeeded in taking me to the trip. Well I also stopped trying, I pretty much knew that he will take me to the trip no matter what. The trip was not bad, well it was exceptionally ordinary, just like I wanted from any of my trips. And to be honest, a trip to Anandpur going to be ordinary was least expected for me. Everything went as per the schedule that I prepared. When Aarsh told me to make preparations for the trip, he made me do everything, from fooding and lodging to different type of indoor and outdoor activities. Although the trip was smooth throughout, but the constant fear of me and Aarsh ending up on the same bed never went out of my mind completely. But still if I want to conclude, I will say the trip was good, just like a trip to any peaceful place, without any sort of problem in it. You go girl!

  We returned from the trip 1 week ago. And after coming only Aarsh took up a huge project in his hands. Apparently, the company decided to invest in one of the local beauty brands to promote local goods on the national level, and we know some of the local brands are way better than the international products. But the problem of the local brand is the problem of financing and promoting the product, so our company decided to collaborate with one of the popular yet local beauty brand of the city. And mind you, its the first time Sharma Industries are supporting or entering in the beauty business. So to avoid any type of problems, as much as possible, he took the project completely under him. 

  My job was pretty basic actually, I was assigned to collect all the possible informations about A-star beauty products from its birth to the heights it has achieved still now.  It was not much, the company was started around 10 years ago and that time the name was Aarti beauty, but when the products became a hit, they changed the name to A-star beauty products. Basically none of the companies do that, specially when the product becomes hit, the companies' name adds to the goodwill of the product at a certain rate. So to change the name after the product becomes a hit, its a big risk and if they continue to earn equal or more profit then its a huge success for the company.

  I was studying further and doing searches as per the requirement when all of a sudden my eyes went on to the name of the CEO of the company. I was awestruck. No no no, this can't happen. He can't come back to our lives. He will destroy everything. Again! This should not be him, I need to do more research about it. To my horror its him only. God everything will be ruined. A-star company is the best company according our requirements, but if Aarsh gets to know whose company is this, he will never work with the company. God what should I do now? My thoughts came to halt all of a sudden with the ring of the phone on my desk. I composed myself and picked it up, "Hello! CEO's office." "Hey Meera its me, Aarsh. Bring all of the informations you have gathered about the A-star company to me right now. We are going to meet with the CEO within an hour. So quickly bring up the file." With these words he hung up. Should I tell him about this? What will he do? Would he again mock me for living in the past? I will try to persuade him. Let's see.

  I entered his office being ready to face whatever is going to happen. I don't have a good feeling about this. I straightened myself, moved to his desk, gained some voice inside mine and said, "I don't think we should collaborate with them." "What? Why?" "Ju...Just sa...saying." "Meera, what's wrong? Did you find something disturbing about the company or the product?" "Nope, the product is good, but the management is questionable." "Don't worry, as we will be the investors I will try to get the management oriented stuffs to our company." "Aarsh, I still think we shouldn't go to the lunch." He closed the file he was looking at forcefully, clearly getting irritated by my pestering and constant nagging and then looked up to me, "Listen to me Meera very carefully, I have assigned you with some work, you did it. Your job is done. You may leave now and prepare for the lunch outside. I didn't ask you for advice, if I would need it, I would ask it. Is it clear?" I quickly nodded and left his office.

  I got ready taking every thing required for the lunch meeting today. We got into the car, I put the address on the GPS, within 30 minutes we reached there. I got out of the car while Aarsh went to tell something to the valet. After some few seconds he came, said something to the receptionist and we went behind her to meet the damn devil. "Meera I know I shouted at you, but please trust my decisions. I need this contract, they are the most appropriate company for us to enter in cosmetics and beauty world. So please don't get afraid, smile and lets crack the deal ok?" He whispered in my ears trying to ease out our situations. God how do I tell you its his company? "Aarsh do you know who is the CEO?" I asked. "No but am sure as hell I will get to know him today." "Aarsh its-" and again my sentence was cut off.

 "Mr.Sharma thank you for coming in such a short notice, Mr. Rana will soon join us. I am Varun Tripathi, his advisor, and this is Miss Sethi, Meenal Sethi, his assistant." Mr.Tripathi said this and forwarded his hand to Aarsh for a shake. He took the hand immediately and said, "No problem its ok. Although it was a short notice but because my office is nearby we were able to come. Mr. Tripathi this is my assistant Meera, Miss Meera Sharma." Mr. Tripathi and Miss Sethi gave a me a curt nod and showed us a big table around the corner for us to sit. We all sat down. "Mr. Rana has arrived. Just a few minutes and he will be with us." Miss Meenal informed us. God what is going to happen now!

  "Meera are you ok? Please try to behave yourself, try to follow me, and don't create a scene." He said, whispering in my ears. "Aarsh please lis-" "Mr. Rana is here." Mr. Tripathi said, and stood up along with Miss Meenal. "Areh Tripathi sir, the people from Sharma Industries came?" "Ah yes yes. Rana sir meet Mr.Aarsh Sharma, the CEO of Sharma Industries." With these words Aarsh turned around to face the devil. "Hello Aarsh we met, finally." Deepak said smirking, and streching out his hand for a handshake. "You know what, I thought I will never get the opportunity in this life. But here we are, meeting each other at such a moment." Aarsh said after composing himself and shocking me with his calmness. "So... um.... it looks like both the CEOs know each other so lets not waste time in introducing ourselves and get to the point sha-" "Oh hi Meera, long time no see? You never contacted me after I went to New York. Come on yaar, we had a special relation, a strong bond. What happened babe?" Babe? When the hell did he start calling me that?

  "Babe? Why is he calling you Babe, Meera?" "I... I d... don't know" "Oh come on Meera, don't be naive, I always called you babe!" "Can you please tell me since when did you start calling me Babe?" "Since a long time." "Ok ok lets get to business all of us, shall we? And Deepak come on, you can catch up with your friends afterwards." Mr. Tripathi said in a haste. As soon as his words completed, Aarsh sneered, "We are not friends, never used be. And I don't think there's anything to be discussed any more. I have already told my terms and conditions about the collab in the file, so its you guys that have to decide. So Meera shall we?" "Areh Aarsh, Meera, what's the hurry? Its almost lunch time and I want to discuss about this project too personally with the CEO of the investing company. You know a CEO to CEO talk" he winked.

  "Aarsh lets get done with this today or else he will be pestering us for a long time. Please keep some cool and lets end what we came for. You asked me to keep calm so try doing the same thing. You were right we need this contract. So please lets just focus on that." I said hissing in his ears. I knew this would happen, I just so knew it. But Aarsh being an ass didn't even try to listen to me. For a moment he hesitated, but later, finding no other way, sat down quietly. Thank Heavens! I too sat down, letting out a breath and all of us started discussing about the terminologies of the collab. 

  After 45 minutes of torture the meeting finally ended. Yes it was a torture. Aarsh torturing me by his painful grabbing of my palms, or worse thighs. He first started grabbing my thighs in anger. I was shocked. I tried to remove his hands, but his hold became tighter and tighter with each of my attempt. God its going to be bruised down there! When I finally hissed in pain, couldn't bear any longer, he noticed and removed his hands and grabbed the soft leathery arm rest of the chair. He almost dugged it with his nails, just like my thighs. Now am thankful my thighs didn't end up bleeding. As soon as I grabbed his hands to stop him destroying the chair, he instead grabbed my hands and started pressing it harder and harder. Gosh he has some problem with grabbing and digging in to everything!

  We left the restaurant as soon as it ended and I went to the valet for the car. The valet brought his car, we got inside it and soon hit the road. But the car came to halt near a pharmacy. "Why did you stop here? Aren't you feeling well? Tell me what medicine you want I will go and buy it." "Yes I need you to buy medicines but not for me but for you. Go and buy some ointment and antiseptics, I know what I did to you. And am sorry for that. Its just that I couldn't control my anger when I saw his face. You know how I feel about him. The moment some one mentions his name my blood boils. I just can't forget what he did to Sana. I can't forget what he did to you guys. I can't forget how he single handedly spoiled our lives one after the other. And you know what is the worst part, I couldn't stop anything, even after I entered all of your lives I just couldn't protect you all. And the saddest part is I fought with you non stop, vent my anger on you no matter what, I am so sorry Meera, I blamed you, shouted and doubted you for no reason. And see what I did because of my anger?" He looked at my hand and as soon as he picked up my hand I hissed in pain. "Am so so sorry. Wait let me go and buy them." he said and got out of the car.

  God every thing is gonna change now! I need to do something before Aarsh loses his cool. The only thing which keeps Aarsh cool is his high patience level. But the moment Deepak entered the scene, Aarsh lost his calm within seconds. I can't let Aarsh face Deepak one more time. What should I do know? I need to talk with Shagun ASAP. I know its a touchy topic for her too, but she is the only one that can help me in this case. And I don't understand why the f**k did Deepak call me babe? Since when did he start calling me Babe? I was hell stuned when he did that.

  God why did he come back in our lives, again?