truth, bitter truth.
''so you decided to grace us with yourself today?'' mayank turned around at being caught redhanded, he usually never came to this house. But today he had the urge to sleep in his own bed, the bed where his mother use to tend to him. Ever since she left , he didn't have the courage to walk among the same house where she once treaded down the stairs, or prepare a meal in the kitchen. He could not brace himself with her memories so the best option left was too leave this house. thought there was another reason also, a reason which had pushed him to the verge of hatred for his father, but he had learned to forgive him, because he was truly the only family he had left so he decided not strain their relation anymore.
''Dad'' smiling mayank hugged him hard, '' how are you dad?''
Mr. Sharma knew something was defintely brewing in his son's mind and it would be only matter of time until the scheme plotted itself out.
''I'm fine son,'' pausing he looked at mayank eyeing him up and down, '' so tell me how did you at up these steps today''
''why i'm i not allowed to come to my own house now?''
''don't put words into my mouth'' his tone warmed again and he slid to mayanks right side, '' so how did you like your new assitant''
Nupurs face flashed infront of mayank and he scrowled lightly, She was piece of work defintely and he was coming to a realization that it would take alot more than a few misunderstandings to get her out but he would do it sooner or later.
He had tried every trick he had used on the previous assitants to get them to leave the job but she was so firm and calm. Yes calm, whatever he did it seemed to just brush by her, it was like she wasn't even affected and it annoyed to extremes, so he was still to figure out how he could get rid of her.
''do you like her?'''
Mayank turned around, so that he was facing his father now, '' you hired, you like her. I don't fit in anywhere''
his father smile and shook his head, '' she is your assitant ...'' pausing he glared, '' and i intend to see that she remains for the time being''
''you and your charity work dad'' appalled his father struck a blazing gaze, '' Mayank Sharma i will not have you talking like that about a woman. I have raised you better than that''
''Oh yeah, you raised...with the night you spent away from this house i was raised by my mother. So don't throw the sentiments crap on me now dad'' His father had always been absent from his life until his mother died and he moved back here to be with him. All thoses years away mayank had learnt to despise his existence but how was he suppose to do that with the man, here in the house that belonged to him. How was he to turn away from the only family he had left - ofcourse dismissing his fathers current wife. He tried to hate him, but he just couldn't and his mother would have wanted the same. The time she had been alive she asked for nothing but his fathers love for him and his shadown to be upon him and now that his father was back in his life, he found it entirely too hard to turn away from something that seemed easy in the past.
''I will not have you talking to me in that tone mayank'' pointing a finger, he sobered up seeing guilt in mayanks eyes, '' You know i'm sorry for past. theres nothing i can do to change that mayank but i can change our today. Mines and yours''
Settling on the couch mayank shrugged, '' dad, i'm sorry. i shouldn't have raised my voice''
''its fine '' placing a hand on mayanks shoulder, he smiled, '' so she is really getting on nerves? huh!'' chuckling with springs of laughter he joined mayank on the couch.
'sighing, mayank ran a hand through his hair, '' she is too calm. I haven't seen her angry once and nothing affects her. Nothing, not even my irratating ways''
''and it annoys you to see her unaffected by your ways??''
''No dad, it annoys me that what ever i read or have heard about her is true'' suprised at the sudden burst, his father shifted, '' don't look at me like that, i don't care about her, i just care about our companies reputation''
disgusted by mayanks words, his father got up and scrambled to his feet in a nick of time. he had met nupur at the clinic when she had brought in her daughters for their check - up, she seemed like a damsel in distress to him but when he got to know her a bit better, he came to know she was rather just fine and instead of being in distress she was thankful, for her children and her family. And thats what pushed him to hire her, she seemed trustworthy and that was more than enough to hire her at the sharma's. But now hearing mayanks words, he was just dissappointed that mayank hadn't been able to see what he had seen in nupur, '' everyone is innocent until proven guilty mayank''
''so what do you want me to do, gather proof that she is having an affair?'' so his son was jealous, not suspicious, he hadn't thought about that angle yet but it suprised him too mayank concerned with nupurs affairs. Which was very unlike him to peak into others matters.
''and how do you know she is having a affair'' amused, he continued .
''dad you trust her and not your own son'' getting up annoyed with his fathers determined sight of nupur, he moved away, '' i heard her talking on the phone many times, professing her love to him..many times''
''its not like of you to listen to others conversations mayank''
''i didn't listen, i happened to walk in on them dad , she was giggling and batting her eyelashes, twitching her lips ...'' realizing he was going off topic mayank stopped himself embarrassed, '' the point is, she doesn't deserve to be a part of the sharmas. you should fire her dad''
''when i feel she doesn't deserve to be a part of our company i will, but for now i think i'd rather hear more about that affair of hers...so how she was talking mayank'' teasing, Mr sharma nudged his son aside.
''dad. i don't like her'' he screamed angrily walking to the kitchen with his father trailing behind him,
''when did i say you liked her''
shaking his head mayank poured himself some coffee, '' wheres your wife?'' he asked trying to change the subject.
''you mean your mother'''
ignoring, Mayank sipped his coffee, '' my mother left this world long ago''
''it kills me to see you be so crude with her, mayank i love her''
'' you loved my mother also''
''yes i did and i will not refuse that, but i do love payal also, she makes me happy'' mayank was still not convinced, no matter how much happy she made him. She would still be the women who stole his father away from him. And he couldn't forgive her for that ever. He could understand, his father falling in love with another women, but him leaving them alone, he couldn't understand that ever. The woman was to blame for it, and he would always blame her for breaking apart his family.
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''no i want to wear those ones'' biting her lips kinjal pounced from one pair of shoes to another, she was so fickle but it was her right to be at this age.
''mama, kinjal is never going to pick, can't you just tell her to wear the red ones'' aliya, asked irratated, she had been standing at the door for the past minutes watching her sister pick shoes. yes, pick shoes, an idea that sprouted laughter within her. She was never one to care about materialized things, rather she swayed away from them. She found peace in a good reading and that was it.
''No, ali the red ones don't go with my sweater,'' contemplating kinjal picked up the brown flats and put them but a second later was out of them, '' they don't go with my outfit''
'''MAMAAA...'' aliya screamed at the top of her lungs this time, '' we are getting late''
''ali, i need help...i need to look pretty'' batting her eyelashes while twirling, kinjal smiled, '' today Miss applebee, is going to pick the class monitor''
'' you and monitor'' laughing aliya, walked up to her, '' kinjal you can't decide on shoes how will you manage a whole class''
''I can too be a monitor'' kinjal rebutted angrily.
''no you can't''
''yes i can''
''NO YOU CAN'TT''
''YES I CAN''
''No''
''MOMM!!!'' kinjal yelled stubbornly, stomping towards the kitchen, where she found her mother tangled up in making their lunches, '' mom, ali said i can't be the class monitor''
Nupur distracted herself from her deed and looked towards kinjal who was flushing with anger, with her puffy red cheeks, '' aww sweetheart, ofcourse you can be. Remember what i told you. you can be anything you want to be''
''i want to be the class monitor'' aggitated, kinjal leapt in and wrapped her arms around nupurs leg, '' i really hope miss applebee will pick me''
''ofcourse she will, my kinjal is nothing but the best''
walking in aliya, looked towards kinjal with out most remorse, '' i'm sorry kinjal'' holding her ears she walked to the kinjal and looked at her, ''you'll be a great class monitor''
'''really? '' brightining with the seconds,after striking a look at her sister and mother kinjal smiled, '' yes i will be.''
''good now run along and pick out your shoes, i want you both in the car in five minutes'' Nupur annouced watching them run out of the room.
turning back to the counter, Nupur smiled, but soon was interupted when she felt a tug on her scarf, '' mom''
''ali whats wrong?'' bending down to her level, Nupur braced herself for the worst. Aliya still hadn't spoken of what happened in school and it had been a week, usually she would have run and told her but she hadn't and that worried her.
''do i have a father'' politely shifting in her space, Aliya pushed back her jet black hair and starred into her mothers eyes, '' why didn't he want us''
there was nothing nupur could say to make her understand, so she just hugged her, '' i want you, both of you forever''
''but i want daddy too''
''i know you do'' stroking aliya's hair lovingly nupur kissed her on the head.
'''can't you make him come back for me'' frowning nupur got up, and busied herself in coffe mug, '' mommy can't you make daddy come back so we can be a family again. all four of us''
''honey, its hard to explain to you but i can't. Your daddy doesn't want me''
''does he not love you'?''
''i don't know'' confused nupur struggled with her answers trying to be becareful of how much she revealed to the young mind.
''do you love him'' Aliya, question was so unexpected that nupur almost choked on her unswallowed sip of coffee, '' mommy do you love daddy''
Not knowing what to say, nupur sighed for relief when kinjal walked through flaunting her black little pumps that went perfectly with outfit. She skipped around the kitchen showing them, '' i'm ready! lets go mama'''
giving ali an apologetic look, Nupur handed the girls their lunch and set out for the day ahead of them.
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''can i help you Mr. Sharma'' without looking up from her files, nupur could sense him standing over the door. Something that had become a habit with him, hovering over her door trying to annoy her.
'' Yes, -yes you can. I need you in my office in five'' mayank replied firmly fixing his tie, She hadn't looked up once, and still had known it was him. How did she do that? Regardless it annoyed him that she couldn't spare a second to look at him, but why did he care. She was just an employ, yes just a employ whom he would get rid of soon enough.
''Do you need me to bring in any files'??'' Nupur questioned finally closing her file and looking at him. Today he was dressed a grey suit, looking strikingly handsome in it, hair gelled, and those mysterious eyes of his plastered on her face. She wondered what he hid beneath them, rather beneath all that hard extreior of his.
''No, i need to discuss something with you''
''business?''
Mayank shook his head, '' i'd rather not say''
''why do you think i will run away??'' smirking nupur got up, she was adorned in a red churidaar today with her hair tied up and those wired rimmed glasses dangling on her nose. She looked so.. - he wanted her. and soon he would come to realize just how badly.
''No, i just think i should talk to you in private about it''
''my private life is none of your business, Mr Sharma'' mayank noticed a change in her tone, and he was expecting.
''Yes, it is Miss Bhushan when you are a part of the sharma''
''When i joined nobody told me, sharma's love to pry in other peoples business''
''No we just like to look out for our company'' rasing her brow, nupur glared at him, and pushed her glasses into her hair rubbing her eyes slowly.
''well it would be better if you heard if from me..rather the other way around'' settling down nupur gave him a wicked smile, '' i'm a two timing wh**e, who slept around with other men while married to a gracious man like raj singhgania and on top of it i'm a mother. Yes i know a mother, and still i sleep with men and bring them home to my children. Its a pity really to be me. But i love being me you see''
how did she do it, manage to embarrass him when it was to be the other way around. Why did every word coming out of that mouth seem like nothing but a lie. Why did her eyes flicker with anger when she said everything..why did he want to yell, it was all lies. Why was all he could ask, but no answers came to him.
''so, anything more to add to that'' pausing she smiled generously, '' sir''
''Yes'' suprised nupur looked at him , '' and what would that be''
''you forgot to mention, you love someone now'' only when the words left his mouth, he realized what he said. why had he said that, why?? why was he acting like a jealous boyfriend, when he was neither, jealous or her boyfriend. Yet he felt enrage fill him whenever he remember her uttering i love you to that new man candy of hers.
'' i love many people. Mr Sharma you have to be specific''
oh what the heck, he had opened a can of worms, it was better to get out with it than to let it simmer and create something within him, '' on the phone, your always talking to him, whispering sweet nothings''
when she burst into laughter, he could only cock his head in her direction. She looked so beautiful, it was the first time he had seen her laugh so fully. It was a sight he would remember for a long time.
'' you mean, my daughters?'' nupur replied once she stopped laughing
''h-..'' stuttering, '' i mean, have a good day''
feeling like a fool, mayank slipped out of the room. He had just made a fool of himself infront of the woman who was driving him crazy and what made it worse was, she wasn't even trying. It was all him.
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@Kinza& Mou - Yes, i had loads of fun shopping. and got what i needed. thanks for asking.
See i'm posting really long updates to compensate for my tardiness!😆
Enjoy.
Edited by itstheclimb - 12 years ago
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