𝑬𝒏𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒚

40.

𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼, 𝓱𝓲𝓭𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮𝓼, 𝓛𝓮𝓽 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓼𝓮𝓮 𝓶𝔂 𝓫𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓴 𝓭𝓮𝓮𝓹 𝓭𝓮𝓼𝓲𝓻𝓮𝓼.
-𝓢𝓱𝓪𝓴𝓮𝓼𝓹𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓮, 𝓜𝓪𝓬𝓫𝓮𝓽𝓱.

Was being rich come with validities? Validations of putting yourself in front of powerful people just to let them know you exist? So they can recognize you in the middle of a huge crowd so that you do not fade away between the products still running with longer validity just because you tend to have a shorter one?

Sofia was feeling a bit too uncomfortable now with people surrounding her and asking for validation with a person standing next to her who had propelled her to come with him so that he could introduce her to bigger shots. Bigger shots who still wanted their validation and racing it to get one before anyone else can and she was so sure with the face of the Akash Dalwani he was enjoying the hell out of it. Looking down at them as their desperate faces look out for his attention. How pathetic to be honest she can never understand this race of being in the eyes of powerful people who literally don't even see you as a human!

Shahana tried her best to get Sofia out of this situation but failed every time. Akash was becoming hard to convince he won’t let her get out of his side for even a second pushing her to mingle with people she doesn’t think would like to relate with her on any basis and upon that she was receiving stingy eyes from the aggressive women who so wanted to be in her place close to Akash licking away whatever was left in the plate provided by him. She so badly wanted to get a break from all these only five minutes away from Akash Dalwani would give her great relief. She stopped herself from running a hand down her face out of frustration she had forgotten how stuffing such an event feels.

Sofia sighs in relief when the announcer announces to cut the celebratory cake prepared especially for the event. She partially runs to get away from ‘I am the legend Akash Dalwani’ only to find him standing next to her. She closed her eyes, her patience running thin and she prayed to be taken away from him.

The cake-cutting knife was handed to Shahana, Shahana took Sofia’s hand and placed it above hers so that they cut this celebratory cake together but it was unnecessary for Akash to do the same. He placed his hand above Sofia’s and a disgusted chill runs through her when he swipes his thumb over her hand making her cringe. She could have thrown his hand away from hers but she can’t! God, she never felt this helpless and her heart only craved to get away from him as far away as possible even if it meant leaving her own event.

They cut the cake together and loud applause roared in the air with cheers. Sofia smiled at the hype from her coworkers. They lived for such things and she loved it when they were able to have such fun after having a tight schedule for months. Sofia lets go of the knife after Akash and the white whipped cream from the knife smears on Sofia's fingers. She looks around for the tissues to clean the cream out of her hand when Akash blocks her way from getting off the stage appearing in front of her he said: "I can help you with that" he takes Sofia's hand and starts cleaning it with his handkerchief.

She protested that she can do it by herself but he shushed her by tightening her wrist with his hold and he started cleaning her smeared fingers in a deliberately slow manner. His eyes would peer at her face now and then with a look that was making her feel nauseated. She felt trapped at that moment and the urge to escape from there rose tenfold. Being around so many men in her whole life she felt unsafe for the first time she had never felt this insecure and Akash alone making her feel that way felt too dangerous to her. Was working with Akash the right choice? She thought but it was already too late.