Craving Shanaya (Ongoing)

T E N

"Where is Abhinav?" Mona asked, stopping a rather drunk friend of Abhinav on his way.

"I don't know, aunty. He maybe with Sussanne," he told her distractedly as his attention was on the whisky shots displayed proudly on the counter.

Staggering on his legs he approached the bar station.

Mona scrunched up her nose on seeing various types of liquor offered at the counter. It was her husband's demand that there should be an elaborate bar of liquor in all the functions. He considered expensive liquors as a sign of elegance, but Mona disagreed.

Well, disagreement was not a new thing in their marriage, it was a daily occurance which had always ended with Mona burying her opinions deep in her bosom. Sometimes she would wonder about the reasons which led her to marry him.

Any reasons she remembered weren't good enough.

She regretted marrying him.

"Mom!!" she heard the tinkling voice of her daughter calling for her.

Painting a smile on her face, she walked over to the flower decorated dias on which Payal sat, along with her friends and the henna artists.

Mona felt a stray tear sliding down her cheek when she saw the innocent beauty in front of her, laughing and giggling with her friends while the artist adorned her delicate hands with intricate henna designs.  Payal was a child at heart, she was as innocent and pure as the morning dew. Her heart hurt to thiñk about her daughter's marriage or rather a 'business deal' hidden behind the veil of a marriage.

She sat beside Payal and softly kissed her cheek to which she earned a side hug from her.

"Look at this mom, this rose design here is so pretty!" She excitedly told her mom.

"Wait, wait, wait people!" One of Payal's friends announced, giggling, "the most important action of today's function is about to happen!"

Mona saw her daughter frown slightly at her friends who cheered teasingly.

"What?" Payal asked innocently, smiling a little.

"Oooo feigning innocence now, are we?" Everyone teased her though the poor girl actually didn't know what they were talking about.

"We are talking about this, babe," they pointed towards Payal's right palm.

The henna artist was writing the name of Payal's would-be husband in an elegant calligraphic style on her palms.

Payal's breath hitched on seeing that name on her palm, claiming her as his.

Rishabh.

Her earlier cheerfulness deflated. She had blissfully avoided thinking about her marriage and him. She had busied herself in chatting with her friends and enjoying the celebrations but she totally forgot the reason for those celebrations.

She felt tears prickle her eyes but she blinked, trying hard to not let them escape. Her mother was beside her and she didn't need to know of her unhappiness.

For the sake of her family Payal thought,  she will go through this, happily.

********
Shanaya looked at the wall clock for the hundredth time. The soft tick-tock of the clock's hands irritated her. She had to resist the urge to throw her good for nothing cellphone into the irritating wall clock and smash it. She would definitely enjoy watching the clock wither into tiny little pieces.

Apart from making the annoying noise, the clock also did another bad thing: showing her the time.

It showed her that she had been sitting in the waiting room of the Carnations company for about 67 minutes now.

When she had met the manager and talked with him about the situation, he had immediately apologized for her 'inconvenience' and told her that they won't increase the price and it will remain same as the agreement. To say that Shanaya was surprised would be an understatement.

She had thought that she would have to shout and threaten them but she didn't even have to say more than 'why are the price increased? I won't pay the increased price.' and the manager gave in. Just like that.

Something was obviously fishy.

It was then the manager informed her that the CEO wanted to meet her.

Three minutes, Shanaya thought. If he wouldn't come in the next three minutes, he will regret the day he messes with Shanaya Oberoi.

Luck would have sided with the company because the very next minute a knock sounded from the door.

Before Shanaya could stand up to open the door, it flew open.

Shanaya's heart would have stopped beating for a good five minutes, it seemed.

"What are you doing here?" She hissed in anger.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Shanaya the fireball!" The man merely teased, wickedly, unfazed by the death stare he was receiving from Shanaya.

"I don't like to repeat myself, I asked WHAT. ARE. YOU. DOING. HERE?" She shouted.

The man, seeming about 25 year old, just pouted mockingly, tucking both his hands in the pockets of his crisply pressed pants.

"This is no way to greet a friend after five years, is it?

Shanaya slightly flinched at the word 'friend'.

Composing herself, she scoffed, "A friend! You were never my friend, Sameer."

Sameer placed his hands over his chest, feigning hurt, "you wound me, sweetheart!"

"Cut the crap. What do you want? I know you enough to understand that you have definitely not come to play friends with me."

"It warms my heart to see how much you know me," he said, grinning maliciously.

She just pursed her lips, her nostrils flaring with anger.

"Well, sweetheart, you shouldn't be so shocked on seeing me here. Surely you would have checked every information about the company you are dealing with, right?" he asked, chastising Shanaya.

Shanaya frowned, not following what he was saying.

Sameer noticed that she wasn't understanding so he decided to ease her thought process.

"This," he said, spreading his arms, motioning towards their surrounding, "all of this is Mine!"

"I own the company, Shanaya," he said, his face showing the happiness he felt at owning such a big business.

Shanaya frowned. She couldn't understand how Sameer could own such a high end business. Carnations company supplied decorative items and fresh flowers all over India and even exported. They had their own orchards for flower harvesting. And most importantly, this company had been in existence for last 20 years.

While she knew that Sameer was as broke as her five years ago, she can't be wrong, they both practically lived off scraps, together.

"How can this be possible? Five years ago you had nothing and now..."

"I know, you have many questions, lets not delve into the tougher questions first, as of now the most important question is why am I here and why you are here?" Sameer said, smirking in a way which Shanaya did not like at all.

"What is going on, Sameer? Why did you fake the price increase and call me here?" She asked with a straight face, not liking that she was tricked into coming there.

"Isn't it obvious?" He smirked

"No it isn't, tell me!" She almost shouted.

"I want you back, my sweetheart, I want you back."

******
First Sussanne, then Sameer, what is happening here???

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Love,
Alveera