Chapter 7

⋆AUTHOR POV☆⋆

Few days passed and they were working peacefully. Aayan was loving being with her while due to his cute yet professional behaviour, Tara was also liking his company.

He not only used to do his work perfectly but also keep a track of Tara's schedule. He took care of her which she felt wierd at first but eventually got habitual to it. Now she was comfortable with him.

One thing she could not understand about him was that how can anyone smile all the time. Whenever she used to look at him, she always found him grinning.He sometimes used to find her too cold but he was patient.

" Mam, Your signatures are needed on this file." Aayan said rummaging through some papers secured in a file.

She was about to take the papers from him when the landline kept on her table rang.

She picked it up and as she listened something disappointing, she started lashing out on the person on the other side of the phone. Aayan flinches on listening to her raised voice. She banged the phone disconnecting it.

She signed the papers and handed over to him. He was about to leave when he turned around and said hesitantly, scared of her reaction.

" You know mam, we should sometimes forgive people's mistakes."

Tara looked up to him and said

" Maafi galti ki hoti hai bewakoofi ki nahi.

Aur ye log ek number ke bewakoof hai!"

" Mam can I ask you something?" Aayan curiosly yet hesitatingly asked her.

She raised her left eyebrow and nodded.

" Since I have joined I have never seen you laughing. Why don't you smile?"

Tara glared at him and said,
" And since you have joined I have only seen you grinning around. Doesn't your jaw hurts ?"

Aayan's smile fade on listening to him and he whined like a child and said

" I was just asking because laughing is good for health!"

"LEAVE" Tara said giving him a death glare. He left pouting like a child.

Looking at the leaving figure Tara slightly let out a chuckle and shaking her head in disbelief she said to herself

" Iska kuch nahi ho sakta. He is really different."

It was 7 pm in the evening and Tara was about to leave when she heard a knock. On hearing her reply Aayan came inside with a few files in his hands. He was confusingly looking at the files and said

" Mam , actually I wanted to ask a favour from you. I am actually trying to solve this case but it's very complex.
I can't seem to find any loopholes to defend my client. I am damn sure that he is innocent. I have done all the background research but I can't seem to prove it in the court.

How will I prove that the opponent is guilty? This is the most confusing case of my career.

Ahhhhhhh ....." he groaned frustratingly pulling out his hairs.

Tara sighed and said " I understood what is your problem. Now will you please tell what do you want me to do ?"

Aayan awkwardly smiled and said

" Hehe..... I've heard from the department that you have done masters in law and you are very sharp at law and order. So if you have time will you p.. please"

"NO !! Have you gone mad ? I don't have time to help you. And anyways what happened to the great civil lawyer, the law wizard Mr. Know it all Malhotra ?
Why do you want me to help you solve this case!"

He was immediately cut off by Tara as he asked her to help him.

Listening to her reply, he said pouting like a child

" please naa ... thodi si help kar dogi meri to kya chala jaayega tumhara. I promise badle me tum jo maangogi Mai dunga . Bas ye case solve krne me help kardo.
Ye sunshine constructions ke baare me mujhe zyada kuch nahi pata. Tumhare pass to records honge. Please Tara Mam."

He started whining like a child.

He was requesting her but Tara's mind was stuck at one point ' sunshine constructions' it was the biggest supporter of Bhoomija Heritage Constructions and there tie up contracts were also very famous. But suddenly they ended all their contracts and parted their ways.

She thought that this was the only way to get a clue about what happened between the two companies. It can help her get a weapon against her oldest enemy. She took this as an opportunity and said

" Okay fine. I'll help you. Tomorrow is Sunday so you can come over my place there we will discuss about this case and try to find loopholes if any. I'll send you my address."

Aayan became extremely happy and grinning like a child he said

" Thank you so much. Tum itni bhi khadoos aur khatarnak nahi ho jitni office me log kehte hai."

He said this and ran away from her cabin leaving her dumbfounded. As soon as she realised what he just said she yelled from back and said

" I'll fire you Mr. Lawyer"
and huffed in annoyance. Aayan smiled listening to her and said loudly for her to listen

" You won't be able to find a better lawyer than me ."

Tara returned home only to find Niti sitting on the couch using her mobile phone. As Tara entered she cheerfully said

" Hello Taru how was your day?"

Tara huffed tiredly and sitting on the couch she said
" It was very tiring. But you know what , that Mr. Lawyer, he...."

Aayan was on a phone call with Rishi. He was telling him every detail of his day with her to which he was listening with a smile. He was so happy for his friend.

" I am so happy bro, kal Main uske Ghar Jaa Raha hu. Ye sunshine constructions ko duaayein lagegi meri."

( I am going to her house tomorrow. This sunshine constructions is lucky for me.)

" But bro tu unke khilaaf case lad Raha Hain."

( But bro you are fighting against them.)

Rishi said while facepalming himself.

" Arey haa bhai, isliye to kal purple ke ghar jaa Raha hu. Wo help karegi meri. Thank you so much mere Bhai mujhe uski qualifications batane ke liye warna mujhe to kabhi pata hi nahi chalta ki meri purple lawyer bhi thi."

( Yaa bro, that's why I am going to her house tomorrow. She will help me. Tysm for telling me about her qualifications. I didn't knew my purple was a lawyer too.)

" Haa bro but pata nahi ki law jaisa difficult profession achieve karne ke baad bhi madam ne upsc kyu kiya."

( Yeah bro but I don't know why even after being a lawyer she chose to do upsc.)

Rishi said thinking.

" Kaafi mysterious hai meri purple. But koi baat nai ek din main ye saari mysteries solve karunga."

( Seems like my purple is too mysterious. No worries I'll solve all these mysteries one day.)

Aayan said with a smirk on his face.

" Ab kya kar Diya uss bechare Aayan ne ?"

( What did that poor guy do this time?)

Niti asked frustratingly.

" Bechara! Koi bechara nahi hai wo.

Mujhse puchta hai ki main hasti kyu nahi hu ? Aur to aur mujhe khadoos aur khatarnak Tak kaha ."

( Poor, he is anything but poor. He asked me why don't I laugh and even called me dangerous.)

Tara said complaining like a child.

Niti pressed her lips in a thin line to control herself from laughing.

" Chalo kisi me to himmat hai sach bolne ki" she said in a whisper tone.

( Atleast someone is courageous enough)

" Kya kaha tune ?" Tara asked her raising her eyebrow.

( What did you just say ?)

" Arey kuch nahi. Lekin usne kuch galat nahi kaha waise. Tu sachme kabhi smile kyu nahi karti duty pe? Pura din mu bana kar ghumti rehti hai. Aur khatarnak bhi hai tu."

( Nothing. But he is right. Why don't you smile. And yes you are dangerous.)

Niti said trying to be honest.

" Accha khatarnak kaise ?" Tara asked her raising her eyebrow.

( Really? Dangerous! How?)

" Aur nahi to kya! Beer bottle phod di thi tune uss aurat ke sar pe. Aur wo ladka yaad hai .. kya naam tha uska...."

( Yes what else! You smashed a beer bottle on that lady's head. And who was that guy....)

" Bhai Mai kal uske liye kuch lekar jaau kya ? Pehli baar uske Ghar Jaa Raha hu. Red roses ka bouquet kaisa rhega ?"

( Bro it's my first time going to her house. Should I give her something? How about a red rose bouquet?)

Aayan asked Rishi .

" Bhai sochna bhi mat. She hates these things. You know what happened last time? A guy used to work in our department. What was his name ... Yess Naitik Sharma. He proposed madam with a red rose bouquet.

And you what she did? She transferred him to a village near kurnool. ( Kurnool is a city in Andhra Pradesh). That North Indian Delhi guy is stuck with those south Indian creatures."

Rishi said remembering that horrid scenario.

Aayan burst out laughing and said

" My purple is so bossy. She did the right thing. That guy deserved it."

" Oh hello Mr. Stop laughing. Did you understand anything? It's very difficult to win her heart. Leave all these things Bro. Just do your work earn a good salary and enjoy the luxuries of government sector."

Rishi said listening him laughing.

" Hey stop! That guy deserved it okay. He literally went down on his knees in front of the whole department. I hate all this stuff."

Tara said whining, trying to defend herself.

" Okay fine. But you know what, please behave nicely with Aayan. He is a very good guy and I think he likes you."

Niti said making Tara glared at her.

Tara scoffed and said,

" Huh ! Like ? He is just trying to be on good terms with me because I have connections.He is also here just to earn money and enjoy the luxuries of government sector like any other lawyer.
All are just behind money nothing else."

" Meri yaha aane ki wajah sirf meri purple hai. Main apni laakhon ki salary chhod kar yaha uske saath din bhar free me kaam kar sakta hun. Uski ek smile ki keemat mere liye croro rupay se bhi badhkar hai."

(My reason to come here is just my purple. I can leave my lakhs of salary just to be with her. Her smile matters the most to me.)

Aayan said with a genuine smile on his face. Listening to him Rishi also smiled and said

"You have immense love for her. I hope the best for you."

Chapter 8

Author POV:-

It was 7 am in the morning when Tara woke up rubbing her eyes. She got up and started with her morning routine. After freshening up she wore a black tracksuit and taking her gun she left the house.

Niti woke up around 8 and on not finding Tara at home, she understood where she could be. So she also carried on with her work. She had an important meeting today so she started getting ready.

Around 9:30 am Tara returned home and Niti was busy making breakfast.

" Where were you ? Working out?" Niti asked her loudly from the kitchen .

" No I just went to the range for some shooting practice."Tara replied.

Niti came out from the kitchen and looking at a packet in Tara's hand she understood what was inside.

" Again chocolate cake? It's not good for your health to consume so much chocolate." Niti shouted on her.

" Stop acting like my mother. You know right, one thing I love the most is chocolate and anyways I am too bitter so I need them." She said giggling.

Niti sighed and shaking her head in disbelief she said

" Yeah right, Miss violent officer head over heels for chocolates. Anyways there is a parcel for you. It's kept on the couch."

Tara sat on the couch and taking the box in her hand she started looking for the sender's address but it was not mentioned.

There was a gray note inside the box with words inscribed on it in golden.

" Time for some fun Miss Tara Sahani. Messing with me was a wrong decision. We will meet soon."

Tara read the note and rolled her eyes. Niti entered the hall and asked in a worried tone

" Who has sent this ?"

" Another well-wisher of mine." Tara boringly answered getting up from the couch.

Niti took the note and read it. She scoffed and asked

" Who is this idiot now?"

" Don't know. There are too many in line like him hungry for my life. But I am feeling I'll meet him soon whoever it is." She said turning back and then left to take a shower.

She got ready in a simple black and white printed kurta with plazo pants and left her damp hair open. She had breakfast with Niti and then she left for her meeting.

It was around 2 pm at noon when her doorbell rang. It was Aayan. He was looking effortlessly cute and handsome in a plain white tee with brown pants and an off white shrug on top.

She opened the door and he smiled and said" hello mam. Good afternoon"

" Good afternoon Mr. Malhotra please come inside." Tara said moving aside.

Handing her a box of chocolates he said" This is for you mam."

She got excited looking at chocolates but tried to hide it with a small smile and said

" This was not needed Mr. Malhotra. But thank you."

She took the box from his hands and kept it on the table.He came inside and sat on the couch keeping his bag beside. She went inside the kitchen and brought him a glass of water. He drank it in one go and kept the glass on the table.

He moved his gaze around and noticed that her house was very neat and pretty. It was simply yet elegantly decorated. One detail that he liked the most was the house was decorated with vases of white roses.

" Nice house mam" he said to her .

" Thanks Mr. Malhotra. Come let's go inside. We can work there comfortably." She said leading him towards her room.

Her room was really beautiful. It had gray and white walls with few of her photos hung on a side wall. There was a big dressing table and the most beautiful thing of her room was her big balcony.

She had a beautiful balcony with white curtains on the gate. It had a round swing and a few beautiful plants. He really liked her room . She forwarded him towards a couch and table beside the bed.There was a big glass vase kept on the centre of the table with white roses in it.

He took out the files and they started working. She looked carefully at the files trying to analyse every detail.

" Mr Agarwal is really innocent. He is not involved this fraud. But I can't seem to find any solid evidence. I really think that there is some connection between this event and the breaking of Sunshine and Bhoomija's joint contract. Because you know that time also there was a fraud of crores. Do you have any information about that ?"

Aayan said looking at the files.

" 4 years back Bhoomija and sunshine were working together and signing huge contracts. But one day Sunshine suddenly sent a notice to Bhoomija heritage stating that they have spotted an illegal activity inside the company and they won't be working with a company which is running on fraud.

You are saying that a similar fraud has happened inside this company and for that they are blaming Mr Agarwal but if a company doesn't even work with an illegal company how it can it itself commit such big fraud. Because that deal was really profitable for them but they broke it just for their ethics.

I don't think that the case is between Sunshine constructions and Mr. Agarwal. There is a third person who is fooling both of them to achieve his motives. We should meet the CEO of Sunshine Constructions."

" Woah! You gave a whole new shape to this case but how do you know so much about an event that happened 4 years ago. You don't have anything to do with it." Aayan amusingly said.

" I have known sunshine constructions since long. That's why." She said diverting her attention from the painful thought that entered her mind.

They started looking at all the details carefully analysing what measures should be taken. Tara made coffee for both of them. They worked for few hours and Tara noticed that it was dinner time. She said

" Mr. Malhotra you will have dinner right ?"

" No no mam, no need. You don't have to do this."

Aayan said listening to her.

"I cannot let you go without having dinner. So just give me half and hour. You carry on with the work, I'll just prepare it."

Tara said smiling and left for the kitchen.Aayan also smiled and said to himself

" Aaj Taru ke haathon ka khaana khaaunga. Main bhi to dekhu shaadi ke baad kaisa khaana milega mujhe"

He grinned and when realised that he went to far in his thoughts he shaked his head and started working again.

After sometime Tara called him for dinner and they both settled at the dining table. She served him food. She made Bharwa Bhindi, dal and roti. They both started eating and Aayan said " The food is amazing. You are a great cook mam!"

Tara smiled and said "Thank you Mr. Malhotra"

They were eating when he asked her out of curiosity

" Mam, I see that your house is decorated with white roses. I have seen people drool over red roses. You like white ones ?"

" Yes, I love white roses. They are the symbol of purity and truth.And the red roses,they are the sign of love, an emotion that I have never felt till now.

The red rose whispers of passion

And the white rose breaths of love

The red rose is a falcon,

And the white rose is a dove.

But I sent you a cream white rosebud

With a flush on its petal tips,

For the love that is purest and sweetest

Has a kiss of desire on the lips."

She completed the poem and took a long breath. A small smile lingered on her lips.

"Wow Mam! I didn't knew you are a poet too. It's amazing."

I was amused. She looked so mesmerizing while reciting that amazing poetry. I didn't knew that a cold woman like her could say something so deep and heart touching.

" Oh no, it's not written by me. My bestfriend Vihaan wrote it. He used to say this and I loved it."Tara said with a small smile.

" Oh ! Who is Vihaan? What does he do ?"

I curiously asked her. I want to know every small detail about my purple. Suddenly her smile faded and I felt a pang in my heart. Did I ask her something wrong? Is she so sensitive about him?

" He is no more. He was a businessman. We were best friends since the age of 15."

I am feeling sad for her. I also feel like killing Rishi most of the time but he is an important part of my life. How she would have felt .

" Ohh, I am sorry. I didn't knew about it."I said softly.

" No it's okay." Tara said looking at him with a small smile.

" So do you live alone in Delhi?"

I asked him while eating. I usually don't start conversations with people because I don't feel like. But with him, I want to talk. I want to know about him. Maybe because he is helpful for my revenge aur maybe I like to see him grinning. Ohh no Tara you don't like him.

" No I live with my family. My mom, dad and my elder sister Aarohi."

He replied with a morsel of food stuffed inside his mouth. Trust me he looked so cute speaking like that with that pout adorning his face.I replied with an o face.

" By the way why do you live alone here ? Sub dms get bungalows from the government right that too with home guards for your security?"

He asked me the question which I didn't had an answer to. What should I say that your boss is too dangerous to live in a government bungalow. She has a gun with her and she comes and goes whenever she wants. She sometimes comes home drenched in her enemy's blood or sometimes her own blood.

And about security? She doesn't need it infact people need security from her.

" Actually I requested to live here. I have been living here since years and I don't like living alone in big bungalows. I live here with my bestfriend Niti. And this house is near to the office as well. The bungalow was quite far."

I rambled some stupid stuff and gave up few shitty excuses that clicked my mind at that time. He made an o face and said

" But isn't it risky ?? You need guards."

" Nah! I can protect myself. And anyways very few people know that I live here."

I said filling my mouth with a morsel.

" So do I come in those few people now?" He said those works grinning and my heart skipped a beat. Why am I talking to him so much ? Why am I telling him this much about me ? I was thinking about all this when he voice grabbed my attention.

" By the way what about your family? Where do your parents live?"

He asked me showing his doe orbs.

Oh man don't look at me like this! My face turned cold and expressionless. The topic I hate the most to talk about. I paused for a while and said,

" They live in Agra."

He made an o face and started eating. After that I didn't ask him anything. I didn't wanted him to ask me anything either. So I thought it's better to look down and eat quietly.

Author POV :-

After their dinner they again got back to work.

" Mam, I think I should quickly meet the CEO of Sunshine Constructions. Only he can answer all our questions." Aayan said in a serious tone.

" I'll also come with you." Tara said with a stern voice.

" No mam , you don't have to do this for me. I can handle." Aayan said amusingly.

" I am not doing this for you. I also have some pending work with him. Told you na , I know him since long."

Tara immediately said with a cold voice.

Aayan was amused that what work she could have with him. He ignored the lingering thoughts that were capturing his mind and said

" Okay but he is in London now. He has been handling his London branch since a month and currently is living there only. I can book the tickets when you are free anytime soon."

Aayan stated.

" I don't have a passport." Tara said immediately.

" Huh ?" Aayan asked amusingly as he thought he heard something wrong .

" Ah, I mean it's currently not with me. It had a wrong surname so it is gone for correction. I'll inform you when I get it back. Then we can go."

Tara hurriedly said trying to cover up the mess.

" Oh.. okay" Aayan nodded and passed a small smile.

Aayan was about to leave when the doorbell rang. Tara opened the door and Niti came inside. She looked tired . As soon she entered she looked at Aayan and smiled cheerfully. He also smiled in return.

Niti took out the gun from beneath her belt and kept it inside the drawer. Aayan got amused on seeing a gun and then noticed that her shirt was stained with blood near her left shoulder. He got a bit scared not able to understand the situation.

Tara kept her hand on her shoulder and she hissed in pain.

"Aaj kaise lagi chot?"

She casually asked her taking out a first aid kit from the drawer.

" Arey it's nothing just a small wound. His knife was sharp I must say!"

Niti casually answered sitting on the couch.

Aayan was just blinking his eyes trying to analyse the situation. His chain of thoughts was cut off by Niti

"You must be Aayan. Myself Niti , nice to meet you."

She said looking at him with a smile.

" Hii Niti. Are you okay ?"

He asked in a worried tone.

" Yah! I am good. This is a daily thing for me." She replied very normally. Aayan's expressions made it clear for her that he is still dumbfounded.

" Don't worry, I am not a terrorist or something. I am a CBI officer."She replied clearing his doubt.

"Ohh now I get it." He said.

Meanwhile Tara was silently doing her dressing.

" Okay Mam, Now I should leave. It was nice meeting you Niti."

Aayan said looking at the time.

Tara nodded and said " Yeah okay". Aayan took his bag and Niti just waved at him with a smile. They both looked at the leaving figure.

" He is cute I must say" Niti said with a smirk plastered on her face.

" Shut up" Tara said giving her a death glare.