The Game of Balance.

Flashback.

Rehmat's POV
I was mid conversation with the lady in front of me, telling her how her company was now going public and what were the changes, congratulating her on her achievement and telling her about the dos and don'ts, when I felt a pair of eyes looking at me.
It was Rudraansh. He was really ruggedly handsome. All sharp angles, sparkly eyes and full lips. He looked like someone who would model for Calvin Klein (I know, I know! It's a bit weird but come on, we have all looked at models once in a while. You can be touch starved, you need not be deprived.) I gave him a tentative smile. His entire face lit up. He gave me a gorgeous smile, the kind that melts women in a puddle of goo.
"God dammit! What is wrong with you Rehmat. You are at your job. You get paid a shit tonne for this. Focus." I immediately had a mental dialogue with myself.
It wasn't like me to be dazzled by beauty. I have seen my fair share of handsome men, men who don't dick around me, men who have had respect for me. I don't know why Mr. Singhania here was bothering my train of thoughts.
I broke eye contact and started talking to my client.
Involuntarily, my eyes drifted again to the door. He was gone. Eh. Was this a flicker of disappointment? Unreal.
I was not going to fall into the charms of Mr. Singhania, that is even if he were trying to charm me. I don't think he was. He was just being his usual mean self.
I completed the meeting and moved to call Andy inside.
He waltzed in, he looked cute with his black rimmed glasses and, wait was that an Armani suit? How the hell was my assistant so well dressed all the time. Sigh.
"Yes, Ms. Raizaada, how can I be of service?" He said, bowing like a subject to the crown. God, so dramatic.
I laughed.
"Drop the act Andy. Rehmat is fine. Please get me a ginger tea. I need it. And while you are at it, can you get me a slice of an English tea cake? Please." I gave him my tortured look.
"Definitely. But before that I have a few questions." Andy said.
"Shoot".
"Well for starters, what was Mr. Hot and handsome doing at your door?".
I rolled my eyes. Trust Andy to be a gossip monger. "He must've come to see if I actually do any work or get paid for flaunting my smiles."
"Wait, you gave him shit didn't you?" He stated, his jaw going slack.
"You mean did I give him a peak at my dazzling wit? Why, yes. Yes I did". I crooned. It was so easy to rile Andy up.
"Shut up!" He talked.
"He was being a dick." I said, rolling my eyes. No one likes unsolicited touch. It was common knowledge.
"Girl, you so don't challenge men like Rudraansh". He gave me a look of mock sympathy.
"Andy, don't be a piece of shit and do the work I asked you to do. I can fire you right now and then you would have to pawn off the Armani suit, you clearly love." I gave him a smirk.
"Fine. Be a bitch. I was just trying to be helpful." He sniffed.
Why was he such a drama!
Anyway, I called my best friend, Aanvi. Aanvi, I and Tara met at law school. We clicked off immediately. They were both pretty successful as well. Aanvi was currently an in-house counsel and Tara was taking over her father's litigation. She picked up on the third ring.
"Yo! What is up my loveee?" She acted like Romeo sometimes.
"Nothing. I met Rudraansh Singhania."
"As in the Rudraansh? Heir to the Singhania conglomerate?" She enquired.
"The one and only." I said.
"Spill the tea, sis." She said, her tone blank.
"Ah, nothing much. He tried to test me, I gave him a few sarcastic remarks. He gave me a panty-dropping smile and then went away." I left out the details, knowing she would get the gist of it.
"Woman. You don't remember do you?" She asked me.
"Remember what?" I felt confused.
"You have met him before. Remember the conference you had gone to, the one in Shanghai?"
"Yes, I do." It was back in the second year of law.
"Yep, he was there. You had even befriended him. Well I wouldn't say befriend him, but he was as close to a friend as you could've had in 5 days.". She said.
Well damn, no wonder he was appearing interesting to me. I had definitely felt a spark back then. I had raved endlessly about him to Aanvi and Tara. Told them that he was a gorgeous, gorgeous guy. How could I forget. I mean sure, it was what, 6 years ago.
"How did I forget about that?" I asked, confused.
"Well it was the time when your anxiety kept getting worse. You were put on medicines after that. Maybe your mind suppressed that whole time?" She suggested helpfully. Gaah! The anxiety. I hated it. I hated the whole time I was on medication. She was right. I suppressed his memory. Which is why my brain thought about him and why I kept circling back to his eyes. I remember them. Hazel and comforting. They were not the same anymore. They were sharper, more cunning. But they still held the mischief in them.
We had become close friends, but oddly enough we didn't exchange numbers. That was the time after which my anxiety started worsening. I didn't want to remember that phase. So I quickly changed the topic.
"Maybe. Anyways, how are you and Dev going?" I teased.
"Oh that Dev has definitely found his Paro in me!" She said slyly.
"Let's catch up soon?" I asked her.
"Yes, this Friday works for me." She told me.
"Done then, Friday it is." I said.
"I will let Tara know." She said.
"Yeah, you do that." With that we ended our call.
Rudraansh Singhania, you seem so different yet the same.
There was no time for romance in my life now. The naive, romantic Rehmat had long ago left the mortal realm. I was so hardened by profession now, and seen so many failed relationships, that the idea itself repulsed me.
Anyway, it wasn't like Rudraansh was dying to date me.
He didn't even remember me. It stung. A little. But oh well, life happens.
With that thought I got on my next call for the day.
Bless my job for keeping me occupied. I thought to myself.