Poles Apart

Chapter Thirty-Six

Arjun

"Sai, in my office, now," I say into the intercom and hang up before he can come up with an excuse.

I look at the plan of the mall once again. They had changed the fire exits without approval.

As I stare down at the plan, looking for other changes, my phone vibrates on the wooden table.

Deepthi.

I pick up the call. "Hello?" I hear Deepthi's voice.

"Yes?" I say into the call, as I beckon Sai to come closer and look at the plan.

I tap on the fire exits and curl my fingers in a 'why' motion. "I will call the team, sir," he says, rushing out of the room as though I'd beat him up if he stood here for another second.

"I just saw Arvi," Deepthi tells me.

"Oh?" What about her?

"Yes. At Hotel Eden. I'd come to surprise Kaushik by bringing him lunch, but he surprisingly enough, he isn't here."

"You took lunch to a Hotel?" I ridicule. "And shouldn't you have checked with him if you were going?"

"That isn't the point, Arjun," she says, hurriedly, lowering her voice. "I saw Arvi at the café."

"You've already told me that," I remind her.

"Well, she wasn't alone. There was this guy with her— I don't know who," she says.

I know she was meeting with the interior designer. She gave up on even asking me to come along.

"She slapped the fuck out of his face."

I let out a shocked, "What?" I know Ankush is annoying as fuck, but why would Arvi hit him?

"Yeah, and then she speed-walked to the washroom. I followed her, to find out what was wrong, and there was another guy with her— her bodyguard, I assume? He was wearing the colours."

"Tell me what happened," I snap.

"I don't know what happened," Deepthi exclaims, concerned. "She went into a stall by the time I went in, and after she came out, she didn't wait a second. She grabbed a few tissues; she was crying.

"I even called after her, but she practically ran out of the place."

"Are you sure it was her?" I ask Deepthi, to make sure.

Arvi would never cry like that. That's what Dhriti and Sameeksha told me when they cornered me after the engagement. They said she'd take time to open up, and a lot of other pointers, coupled with a lot more threats.

They said Arvi was an emotional person, but would never express it unless she trusted the people around her. They had made an example of the crying, which is why I know she wouldn't have.

"I'm sure it was her! I saw her face! It definitely was her!"

"Okay," I say into the phone. Why would she slap the interior designer and then cry about it? What the fuck is happening?

"I'll check on her," I tell Deepthi.

"Good. Let me know if she's fine," are the final words I here from Deepthi as I hang up on her.

I pick up my blazer and walk out of the room, trying to connect to Arvi. The phone repeatedly says switched off.

"Sir!" I hear Sai call after me, rushing to me as I repeatedly press the button for the lift.

"I need to go! Later!" I command.

I catch Sai's bewildered look as I step into the lift, but don't respond to it.