OBSESSION

24. Manish Jai Singh

WARNING:- NOT PROOFREAD

"Hello, Srinivas?" Manish said as the other end of the call was picked by someone.

"Yes? Who's this?" A raspy tone questioned. A small, audible chuckle escaped Manish, helping in etching creases of confusion line upon the middle-aged man.

"Forgot me so soon?" Manish questioned while giggling.

"Manish?" Srinivas widened his eyes at the unanticipated call, erupting a laugh from Manish.

"You remember then!" Manish said while Srinivas rolled his eyes, keeping the call on speaker.

"Of course, I do! Even If I forgot You also, you're there to remind me right, with your one-liner, 'Forgot me so soon?'" Srinivas snorted, shaking his head, folding the sleeve of his shirt.

"One-liner? Perhaps, it is!" Manish said with a thoughtful expression.  

"What made you call me out of the blue?" Srinivas came straight to the point.

"Always, straight and smart, huh!" Manish laughed out loud. "So, I want your help in fetching details, which you always used to do for me!" He paused to abort a call.

That small pause and the stern tone of Manish asking for someone's details took Srinivas back to the past to the underneath layer of the dignified businessman, exists a cruel, merciless person.

Srinivas drew a deep breath before starting his defense but only if Manish didn't interrupt him.

"So... It's a girl, MD of Aashini Publications and now a shareholder of our company also. And, the thought-provoking thing is, she's never appeared in limelight. I want to know the reason and the face behind it. Got it?"

"Aashini Publications?" Srinivas muttered under his breath as a scowl appeared on his features.

"What's with the thing you always have a problem with girls?" Srinivas barked earning a frown from Manish, enraging him.

"In the past also..." "You just have to do what I asked you to. Period. I'm throwing money at you for that. Now, don't again dare to gather the audacity to question me back." Manish hung the call before throwing it beside him.

"One more life is gonna get spoiled and sacrificed! Every other good person is taking their last breath. But there's nothing like a death in this guy's destiny!" Sighing, Srinivas slammed his phone to his forehead.

*  *  * 

"I'll get the door! Who asked you to open it?" Parth scolded Avni, who stood with all her casts and bandages on.

Wiping his face with a handkerchief, Parth opened the door revealing Manish Jai Singh, tapping his foot on the floor, desperate to see the girl who made his daughter's life a nightmare.

"Yes?" Parth asked, after composing himself at the arrival of their first pawn in the play.

"Hi, Parth!" Manish gave his pleasing yet creepy smile of his which seemed cunning to Parth.

Parth smiled back at him, trying to read the underlying meaning of his unexpected call.

"Mr.Jai Singh?" He hesitantly took his name, unsure if it's him or not, despite knowing the name and intentions of Manish Jai Singh, Maya's father.

"Yes! So, you knew me? Of course, whom am I even asking!" Manish chuckled at his own words.

"Am I not invited to your home?" Manish asked after a riot of a chuckle.

"Oh, please! Sorry!" Parth welcomed him in, moving aside, groaning mentally.

"You keep a nice ambiance, Parth!" Manish stated glancing around.

"Thank you, Mr.Jai Singh!" Parth smiled formally, seating across Manish.

"You live alone?" Manish asked despite knowing the answer is yes and got exactly that as a reply.

"Coffee?" Parth offered while Manish accepted and Parth disappeared into the kitchen to order a mug of Coffee from his cook, who's busy stirring the soup contents in the dish for Avni.

"Mr.Jai Singh, I don't understand why are you here all of a sudden without any notice. I mean, is everything okay in the office?" Parth asked after handing him the mug full of coffee, couldn't able to bear his presence more at their place, that too when Avni is resting in her room.

"You're being so formal, Parth! It's okay, Anyway. I'm here to know your MD, Avni's house address as I've heard that she's met with an accident and as nobody knows her house, I'm here to ask you!" Manish let the thing out which he's held to himself for an hour that morning.

Expected, Parth thought before flashing his teeth at Manish.

"Sir, I think she would come to the office from the day after tomorrow as she assigned me only a few tasks for tomorrow. And also, I don't think she would like it if I give you her address as I've known her in person and know her temperament and all." Parth justified, not ready to let him meet Avni at this condition of hers.

Though he knows Avni is mentally strong, he wants to make sure Avni is ready to face him standing on her feet without any bloody human's help.

"Yeah! I understand! And, it's perfectly alright, but, as she's the major shareholder of our company, showing some concern would be more welcoming I guess. So, give me her phone number after asking her and address, we'll see it later. What say?" Manish asked, rubbing his temple with his index finger.

Chipku, Parth scoffed mentally, before nodding his head at the old man.

"See you, young man!" Manish shook his hand with Parth before leaving their house.

It's been a day, Avni was discharged and came home. Parth and Avni didn't show up in the office for five days about which Parth reasoned saying about the accident.

"Who's that?" Avni questioned Parth, keeping her mobile aside, when he stepped into her room with a soup bowl in his hands, careful enough to not burn his hands.

"Manish Jai Singh!" Avni's furrowed brows made Parth continue and confess what the old man was here for.

"Oh! So, I'm gonna meet him tomorrow, then. And, I'll also witness how concerned he was for me, for taking away their Treasure Son-in-law-law." Avni chuckled and winked at Parth who burst out laughing.

The time has come now, for these people to meet the animals behind the masks of humans.

Bracing themselves to meet their enemies, teaching them the lessons they deserve, and, send them to the places where they deserve to be.

Unknown to her a tear trickled down Avni's cheek. Parth wiped it away, making Avni realize it. Gesturing her to not cry, Parth hugged her, placing her soup bowl aside, awaiting the day after, to witness the play to take on.

Hey, you all lovely people. Yeah, I know it's been days since I've updated this story and in sorry for that. Hope you enjoy the update. Bye.

Much Love❤️