Wooing Ms. Raizada

A Heated Conference Room

Employees at AR were having a good time gossiping, since Esha is in conference room, until the main door opened for their former boss ASR. Everyone scrambled back to their places and Arnav narrowed his eyes.

"Is it break time?" he asked angrily and looked at the clock which clearly said that it's not break.

Everyone looked down not daring to look up to his eyes. Arnav walked to the reception and asked, "Is Esha up there?"

"Mam is in the conference room" the receptionist said politely. Arnav nodded and walked up the stairs to his old cabin, which is now his daughter's cabin.

"Hello ASR" Aman greeted him and led him to the cabin.

"How are you man?" Arnav asked smiling.

"Not good! Ana and Varun cancelled their engagement and I had to call every person I engaged for the day to cancel the work. Heard an earful!" he said shaking his head.

"I'm sorry Aman. It's....her mother died. So she...." Arnav began apologetically and Aman waved his hand, "I wasn't complaining. Stop with your puppy face. Go away...shoooo!"

Arnav chuckled and Aman said plopping on the couch, "I'm having a headache. Supermodel Lisa won't come for the shoot!"

"We have a shoot today?" Arnav asked and Aman nodded. "I've absolutely zero how to present this before Esha. Plus I have to find a new model!" he said.

Arnav chuckled and said, "You'll never be at peace unless you leave AR!"

Aman laughed and said, "That's true! Raizada generations have specialized in troubling Aman Mathur!" he stood up and said, "Lemme go and fix the model issue!"

Arnav nodded and Aman walked away. Arnav walked around the cabin and stopped at the chair he used to sit for almost 40 to 45 years. And today, his daughter owns it!

Who said that daughters aren't equal to sons and can't inherit the family business? When business magnets of Arnav's age entrusted their business to their sons and son-in-laws, the world was shocked when the great ASR announced his resignation and handed over his seat to his eldest daughter. People began to gossip. Media started to worry. Will Esha Singh Raizada be able to look after her father's empire like he did? Many laughed at him for his 'foolishness'. His rivals were elated to find that ASR is gone. AR is doomed, people decided. New fashion houses were introduced and each and every person in India started to give a try in fashion designing. Why not? After all ASR is out of field.

But everyone forgot that lions cannot have only cubs, not kittens. If ASR was a lion, so was his daughter! AR was silent for the first few months after Esha took up. Everyone celebrated the end of an era. But if only they knew that it was the silence before storm. The first fashion show Esha held after taking up the business was the most successful show AR had ever aired. Shocking the entire world, grabbing their attention, Esha Singh Raizada gave birth to a new fashion era.

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"Thank you Ms. Raizada" the clients shook her hands and walked out of the room.

Esha stood up from the chair and stretched her arms. Adil looked at her and then resumed collecting the documents and arranging them in his file.

"What do we have next in line?" she asked rubbing her eyes. He looked up and said, "We just have the calendar shoot. Aman sir said he would look into the model's arrival and stuff"

Esha nodded and rubbed her eyes again. Adil looked at her tired face which was red due to all the rubbing.

"Are you okay?" he said.

"Nah I'm fine! A bit tired!" she whispered and sat down on the chair, leaning her head back on it.

He walked to frowning, "Esh....Mam should I get you something?"

"I'm fine" she snapped, "Just a small itching!" she said moving her fist to rub her eyes again when he caught it.

She looked at him surprised and he said, "Don't rub your eyes. Wash it!"

"It's fine Adil" she said and tried to free her hand but he held it firm. She shrunk back into her seat when he leaned down to her ear level. Lifting his other hand he moved it towards her eyes and she tilted her head sideways.

"Let me see Esha" he whispered softly and she looked at him. His hold on her hand loosened and she let it fall on the arm rest. Raising his hands, he moved it to her eyes and held it wide open. She sucked in breath when he leaned closer and blew into her eye.

A gasp escaped her when he clutched her wrist which was on the arm rest for a support. With his other hand he still kept her eye open and blew once again, this time harder.

"Okay?" he asked softly and looked at her.

She looked at him. He was so close to her that her eyes directly met his. "Yes" she said in a whisper.

He looked at her face and then locked his eyes at hers. "Did I ever tell you that you're beautiful?" he whispered and leaned a bit closer.

Her fingers clutched the arm rest and her mouth opened and closed like a fish. "Did I?" he asked again, his fingers now caressing her cheeks.

"No" she whispered and closed her eyes as he moved his fingers down her cheeks to her neck. She gasped and arched her neck back when he slid his hand through the side of neck, his thumb tracing her jaw line.

Holding her wrist, along with the armrest, for support he leaned and dipped his head to her jaw line placing small kisses there.

"Adi" she whispered and tilted her head giving him more access.

He shrank back and whispered, chuckling, "What did you call me?"

She opened her eyes and looked at his eyes which were now dark with passion.

"Adi" she whispered.

"Adi" he whispered, "I like that" he chuckled and bend down nuzzling his nose on the crook of her neck when....

A sudden knock on the door made Adil jump on his skin and step back. Esha gasped and sat up straight on her chair and looked at Adil shocked.

The door opened and Adil's secretary peeped in. "Sir...mam, Aman sir was asking for you!"

Adil looked at her and nodded. The girl, his secretary, looked at him and then at their boss who sat with her head dipped down and hands clutching the table.

"What are you looking at? Go" Adil said sternly and the girl sprinted away.

Esha opened her mouth wide and tried taking maximum air in as her fingers clutched the table before her. She dipped her head down and gulped, her breathless gasps filling the room.

Adil ran his hand through his messy hair and cursed himself. What's wrong with you Adil? He asked to himself. What have you done?

"Esha...." he whispered and took a step forward.

Esha looked up. He stepped backward seeing her furious eyes, which had left her for the past two days.

"Out" she hissed.

"Listen to me...I...."

"I SAID GET OUT!" she screamed at the top of her voice, the loudest Adil have ever heard her use.