The Remaining Story

《Chapter 8》

Aarav and Lloyd sipped their tea in the study, waiting for Shehzad to join them. Shehzad arrived with ruffled hair wearing his gym shorts and vest from last night.

"I told you not to make me do anything in the morning," he complained, removing the toothbrush from his mouth.

Lloyd and Aarav drank their tea totally unfazed by his remark or appearance. Or the stench that came from him. Anita had updated them about his intensive gym session after the shoot yesterday. They were used to all this and much more by now.

"Sit," Aarav pulled back the chair beside him and Shehzad plopped down on it immediately.

"So Lloyd suggets that you file a divorce at the earliest. What happened yesterday can happen again and get more messy," Aarav started the conversation they were meant to have.

"Yes. There's only so much we can ask the police department for help. They can't keep overlooking everything beacuse if it gets to the media, which it will, they'll have no choice but to take action," Lloyd added.

"She's lying. Let us see how much more desperate and dirty she and Alistair can get. If the police investigates, they are the ones who will be caught. Its a win-win for us," he smirked at Lloyd, thinking of himself nothing less than a genius.

"Had you arrived here with a fully awake brain, before opening your toothpaste filled mouth, you would have realised that if the police starts investigation, the first crime they'd uncover would be your hit and run case with Wardah," Aarav countered replacing his smirk with a sulk in an instant.

"Shehzad, this is YOUR divorce we are talking about," Aarav pulled his toothbrush out of his mouth to get his full attention. Taking Aarav's empty cup from the table, he spat in it and looked up at the two men.

"Okay", he said in a blunt tone. Aarav knew the turmoil and pain he camouflaged in that tone. Life had always been hard on his friend and whatever little happiness he got from it, he was made to pay for it in multitudes.

"Since she walked out of the marraige on her own, there is nothing to ask or offer as settlement. I advice you to give her the papers today itself. The more earlier the better," Lloyd adviced.

"Alright. Make an arrangement with her for today. Don't let her know why we're meeting and you both accompany me," he instructed and stood up to leave. He couldn't trust himself to meet her alone and going with a lawyer and a manager would put forth an impression of a meeting that is strictly business and not personal.

"Good morning my doll! Breakfast is ready!" Mala chirped as she stepped into Wardah's room.

"Shehzad is also coming down for breakfast. Anita was so happy, she found his dinner tray empty and him sleeping without any empty bottles around him," she filled her in while watching her comb her hair.

"That's good to know," she commented on what was stale news for her.

"You're playing with your hair for the past five minutes. Breakfast is getting cold," Mala chided urging her to hurry up.

"I want to have breakfast in my room today," Wardah answered. She had been thinking of ways to face Shehzad after last night's phone call and avoiding was the best she could come up with.

"Why? Even Shehzad is coming down for breakfast today."

Exactly! Even Shehzad is coming, Wardah thought. "I just feel like having breakfast in bed, please," she said in the sweetest voice she could to avoid more discussion. Mala agreed right away, carried away by her charm and went to the kitchen to get her breakfast.

************

"Now massage it!" Wardah dropped her feet on Mala's lap and scrolled through the channels on TV.