If You Could Stay

13. Kartik

"What do you mean they're all gone?" Naira questions.

"All the models quit unexpectantly. Apparently, the reservation for our venue has also been canceled," Inaya responds to her.

Naira's face pales. "What does that mean?"

I already know what this means. Inaya nervously glances at me before answering Naira.

"It means, we have no venue or models for the photoshoot...which is in two days."

Naira sinks into her chair.

"Who." I rise from my chair. "Did this?"

I ask Inaya, although I have a pretty good idea on who is behind all this. The name Inaya says, confirms my suspicions.

"Indira Achari."

~~~

"Have a seat Mr. Achari."

The narcissistic man takes a seat on the chair across my desk with a smug smile on his face.

"I'm glad you finally realized your mistake, Mr. Goenka."

I lean back against my chair, my elbows resting on my armrests, and rub a hand against my jaw.

"My mistake?"

Mr. Achari puffs up his chest and laughs. That fool.

"Why yes. It's good that you realized you should be working with us, not those Singhanias. Isn't that why you called me for this meeting?"

I let out a low, cold laugh before sliding a file toward him. He eagerly takes the file from me and opens it.

"You've got the contract ready already, Mr. Goenka? I must say you—"

His words are cut off as he starts reading. After a minute, he drops the file onto the desk and glares at me with beady eyes.

"What the hell is this?!" Mr. Achari's face turns red, resembling a very angry tomato.

I tilt my head, scrunching my eyebrows with fake confusion. "What happened, Mr. Achari? Don't like your contract?"

He deflates. "This...I...how...."

I lean forward, danger thickening the air around us. "Use your words, Mr. Achari. You and your wife used plenty of them when speaking to my fianceé. Remember?"

Beads of sweat form on his bald head.

"You spoke about her talent, right? Mr. Achari, your entire company doesn't hold as much talent as Naira holds in one finger. As for your contract."

I point at the file on the table. "All current and pending contracts with your company have been canceled. You are officially blacklisted from Goenka Medias and all extending Goenka divisions."

Mr. Achari's red face turns ghostly pale.

"Now get out."

He opens his mouth and closes it again, stuttering for words. This time, I actually do want to laugh. He looks like a fish.

"Out."

He rises from the seat and heads toward the door.

"Oh, and Mr. Achari?" He turns back to look at me.

"Insult my fianceé again, and you won't have a company to run."

~~~

The entire night of the gala, as I stayed awake looking after Naira, all I could see was how hurt flickered in her eyes when the Achari family insulted her. I hadn't said anything then, but rage had slowly built up inside me. So, the morning after, I called Mr. Achari into my office to sever all contracts with his company.

Mr. Achari was a fool, but he wasn't an idiot. He wouldn't sabotage my photoshoot. He knew I had more power over him; there was no way he would risk his company's safety.

His daughter, however, could do anything after facing rejection.

"Inaya, I want the names of all the traitors in this company that worked with Indira. I want to know how she was able to pull this off. Now."

Inaya rushes out of the office with a determined nod, leaving Naira and me alone. I take a deep breath and gather myself before turning back to Naira. I pause when I notice the previous melancholy on her face is now suddenly replaced with determination and a hint of anger.

She gathers her long, luscious hair into a messy updo and I have the sudden urge to run my fingers through those silky brown locks. To tuck the few loose strands framing her face, behind her ear. This morning's memory invades my mind. The scent of peony flowers and citrus. The beautiful flush that had spread across her cheeks. The small gasp that had escaped her lips when she landed in my lap.

"I need you to get on the phone right now."

Naira's voice brings me back into reality. I subtly shake my head, ridding my mind of those forbidden memories. What was happening to me?

"Hello. Mr. Goenka?"

"What?"

Naira takes her laptop out of her bag. "There's no time. I need you to use all your resources and locate a new venue for the shoot."

Assuming she needed a space to work, I moved to clear space on my desk for her. But to my surprise, she took her laptop and plopped down right onto my office floor. Her dress rode up to just above her knees, giving me a clear view of her smooth, toned legs. My throat dried. She took her heels off, stretched her legs out, crossed one ankle over the other, and set her laptop on her lap.

"I'm going through a list of previous venues I've used before to see if they will be available in two days. I've worked too hard to let anyone ruin my mother's dreams. I'm—what are you staring at?" She gave me an irritated look.

"You're on the floor."

"Yes...so?"

"Why are you on the floor?"

She shrugged before turning back to her computer screen. "I like working on the floor."

What? Crazy. This woman was crazy.

Knowing there was no way I was going to talk some sense into her, I sat back at my desk. She was right. There was no way I was letting Indira Achari of all people sabotage me. I was Kartik Goenka. I did not lose. Indira was not going to take what little control I had left over my life.

As I glanced back at Naira, I saw the same determined look on her face. It sent an unfamiliar sense of pride through my chest. The same feeling I had when she gave her presentation in front of the board members. I attributed that pride as respect for a fellow businesswoman. Yes, that's all it was. Nothing more. It couldn't be anything more.