SHE WAS NEVER MINE

13.

Virat's POV:~

"Ready?" I asked Anushka as I got into the car. Lost in her thoughts, I asked again.

"Anushka? Ready?" She didn't move.

I patted her on the shoulder and said, "Sharma?"

"Hah?" She jerked, "you were saying something?" she asked me.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said uneasily.

"This line is very dangerous," I sighed.

She tried to convince me, "No, I'm fine Virat." I gave her an 'I'm ready to listen' look. She shrugged, releasing the breath she had been holding for so long.

"I'm... I'm a bit nervous to face it again, I mean my editor and colleagues," she rested her head back on the seat.

"Oh, I should have taken all my belongings on that day, toh aaj phir se to nahi jana padtaaaa," she said almost panicked. "Badi milkha banke bhagi thi, proudly."

"And what about legal procedures?" I asked her; she frowned.

"This sucks!"

I started the car as we made our way to her office.

"I can come with you if you want," I offered to her.

"I will deal with it, that's fine, but Thanks," she smiled, anxious.

"Okay, You got this, don't worry!" I cheered her on with some lame jokes and Punjabi music.

She looked less nervous when she left the car, that's all I wanted.

After five minutes, I received a text from her.

Looks like I need your help; there are so many heavy boxes.

The text said.

"I'm coming," I replied.

I asked someone about her cabin; she was arranging her books and magazines.

"I will take this box to the car," I told her. She just nodded; yeah, she is still nervous, and that's completely acceptable.

As I picked up the box and turned around, there was a man in his early fifties, his grey hair making him look a bit older. As soon as he saw me, his expression changed; he had that creepy smile on his face that nobody would like.

"Hello, Mr. Kohli, very nice to see you here!" he shook hands with me while smiling formally.

"Have heard a lot about you!" he took a seat on the nearby chair, still with that creepy smile, "Your passion, your commitment, your loyalty to the game is amazing," he added.

"Thank you," I replied.

"Don't you think you should teach that commitment and loyalty to your wife too?" he grinned mischievously. My eyes locked with Anushka, tension was evident on her; I briefly nodded to tell her not to worry; she nodded back, as if knowing what I was trying to say.

"No, I don't think so, Sir," I didn't want to drag this conversation more, so I just said that as we tried to make our way outside.

"And why not?" he asked again.

"Because my wife is already committed and loyal to her work. If anyone else were in her place, they would normally apologize for the sake of their job. But my wife didn't do that; she stood with her truth and fought for it. I'm proud of her for doing that," I said, and he didn't have any more words after that.

We left with the stuff and got into the elevator.

"Thank you for that," she said, almost in a whisper.