Part 8

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"I have to say, Ranveer bete, you earned my respect. So humble and respectful." Mohit turned towards his daughter, whose gaze traveled across the length and breadth of the room barring the two men.

"Honey bete, learn from him, although he is younger than you by a few months." Ranveer's eyes turned globular out of horror, and vacillated between the father and daughter duo. "Uncle, it is not..."

"You're always so distant, and it's exhausting to constantly hear others griping about how disrespected they feel by your coldness. Can't you learn how to socialize like a normal person?"

Suhani's impassive expression caused a chill to run through Ranveer's veins, as his heart sank in dread. Had she heard the same words too many times before, to the point of surrendering to their weight? The thought of her indifference filled him with despair.

"I'm sorry, uncle, but Papa sings praises to her every time I meet him. How she handles the company, how she quadrupled the profit since she took over."

Prateek Dhoopar was one of the board members and handled the finances of the pharmaceutical company.

Suhani's spirit dwindled away with each passing year, as her father's relentless taunts went unanswered. Ranveer looked at her with shock in his eyes, a glimpse of pity that ran deep. She felt the unbearable pain of her father's insults grow until it was too immense to ignore, consuming Suhani until she was nothing but an empty shell.

"I haven't had the pleasure of talking to her much, but Suhani knows how to make someone feel heard, and that is a mark of a kind person."

"But if she doesn't talk to others, how will they realize she is kind? Not everyone is as understanding or insightful as you are," retorted Mohit. The gruff edge to his tone called for an exhausted sigh to escape her lips.

Ranveer moved to the edge of the seat, setting the teacup on the table. "If one wishes to showcase their benevolence, is it graciousness or is it a mere charade to pull masses, uncle?"

The father's eyes flashed with rage as the young gentleman dared to interrupt his moment of teaching to his daughter. His hands shook uncontrollably and he had to clench his fists together to restrain himself from unleashing a torrent of fury. The insolence of the intruder tightened his muscles and he could feel his teeth grinding, ready to unleash an unstoppable storm of wrath.

"How strange." Mohit scoffed with a malicious curl to his lips and a menacing glint in his eyes. "Our children grew up and learned enough to question and teach us."

The condescending snigger that followed his words made Ranveer shift in his seat. Mohit rose from the sofa, compelling the guest to jump to his feet, and the daughter took her time to rise.

"I must retire to bed now. Convey my regards to your father," said Mohit, without meeting Ranveer's eyes. He angled his head towards his daughter, not facing her either. "Escort him till the gate."

The youngsters muttered 'good night' to the agitated man. Ranveer's perplexed eyes met Suhani's masked ones, and she gestured for him to walk ahead and towards the main door.

It took aback the conflicted man for a moment and he tailed her in her poised amble. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have bailed out at the last minute. The servers had- "

The chilly breeze made a shudder run down her spine as the door opened. "You didn't have to do it."

She continued to walk till they were out of the earshot of the staff and crossed her arms against her chest, drawing a deep breath. "There was no need for you to defend me. He won't take it well and he might be hostile to you later."

The lights from the security cabin and the porch played over his sharp features. Shadows danced across his face, making it hard to read exactly what he was thinking. Still, a tiny dimple appeared next to his lips when they stretched, giving him away. "Well, I learnt it from you."

The surprised woman uncrossed her arms, and she took an involuntary step towards him. "What do you mean?"

The right side of his mouth deepened. "You may not speak much, Suhani, but you never fail to speak up when it matters. I remember the server had dropped champagne on Mrs. Shukla during one of the many parties we attended."

The chilliness pushed Ranveer to safeguard his palms by covering them with the warmth from the pockets. "The guests had surrounded the poor guy, and you had jumped to his rescue. Even hurting yourself while picking up the shards because the longer he stayed, the longer he would listen to the taunts."

He remembered the determination in her eyes as she bolted across the room, ignoring the pain that blurred her vision. Her lilac gown sported stains of her own warm and crimson blood when she had tried to hide the real depth of the wound from the wolves waiting to pounce on the server. He may not have been a doctor like his grandfather, but he had patched up enough wounded friends to know that it was far from a simple wound.

"It was nothing." Suhani shrugged with a nonchalance that only endeared her further. "She hurried him and he tripped. It was unfair to him."

Her generosity wasn't to validate a shallow arrogance, which was far more widespread than he could bear. This unbridled expression of her nature was the spark that set his admiration ablaze, and love ignited in his heart.

"And uncle was unfair to you." The rebuked daughter huffed, looking away and at the rustling leaves of the vast garden behind Ranveer. Her indifference intensified the empathetic ache inside his chest.

"The marriage between us might not be real, Suhani. But it does not mean I will not care for you or defend you." Her eyes flicked towards him. "I have immense admiration for you and I can never stand someone belittling you, not even your own father. I will not sit idly by while someone attempts to diminish your worth or denigrate you in any way."

The hesitant and sceptic mind of hers played his words with a tune of disbelief. He was the same man who made her curse herself, just hours ago, for starting to trust him. The aloof fiance who pushed his fiancee - the closest friend she had - away.

How could he be the same person who offered reassurances after sheltering her from her father's bitterness?

How could a man who disrespected a solemn union of souls revere an instrument of furtherance?

The little child inside her was begging her to look for the tiny sprout of trust that he had grown with his passionate gaze and kind words. Yet, her heart was still overcome with fear - could she really believe in him? Could she risk it all and take a chance on trusting him?

"Anyway, it is late. Both of us have to go to work in the morning. Good night!"

The man at the receiving edge of her astounded silence pulled the keys from his pocket. "G-good night."

He flashed a small smile, walking towards his car when her voice stopped him. "Same place and time on Thursday?" she asked, uncertainty lining her words in a way he had never heard.

He looked over his shoulder and offered a nod of approval. "Sure. I'd like that."

Suhani Malhotra could not decide whether to trust her weary mind or her bruised heart, but there was only one way to arrive at the solution for her quandary - unravel the mystery of Ranveer Dhoopar.


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