The Promise (15 page)

He saw Shambhavi's mouth form a huge 'O' in awe. There was not even a single speck of sleep in her eyes anymore. She went from room to room, noticing every detail. After a while, when he could not take any more, he said, 'You should go to sleep now. The guest bedroom is-'

'I know where it is! I can relate every single detail of this place now. You have an amazing talent, Mr Datta,' she said.

'Thank you, Ms Sen. Now, it's really-'

'Hey, about what you were saying back in the car-I think it's a good idea.'

'I didn't know you were listening,' Arjun said, surprised.

'I was, but then it got boring and I fell asleep. So tell me-do we have an assignment to work together on?'

'Actually, yes. There is a hotel that needs to be refurnished. It'll be an easy task, since most of the furniture in a hotel looks alike. So we have to get just a few designs ready. But other than that, there is a lot of work to do. Almost from scratch, since the owner wants the hotel to look new in all aspects.'

'Sounds interesting. Who's the owner?' Shambhavi asked, all business.

'I am,' Arjun stated simply.

'What?'

'You heard it right.'

'You bought a hotel? Whoa! When? Why?' she shrieked.

'Just signed the registration papers today. You are the first to know.'

'Wow!

'What do you mean?' Arjun could sense a lot more behind her one wow. He could tell by the look on her face that her brain was working furiously, putting together pieces.

She asked slowly, 'Does this have anything to do with ... me?'

'I could deny that.'

'You could. But would you?'

'No,' he said, looking into her eyes, which were wide, like a child's.

'So ... you bought a hotel just so we can have something to work together on?'

'In a way. But more than anything, it was a means of investment. In a city like Indore, a good hotel will always do good business. I had been thinking about investing in this area for a long time.'

She just nodded.

'So, would you like to work with me on it? It's no pressure, really. I just thought you might be interested, so I am letting you know before anyone else.'

She did not reply to his question. She just stood up on the balls of her feet and kissed him softly near his lips, on the cheek. 'This is sweet, Arjun. I know you won't accept it, but I also know why you are doing this. All this while, I have been thinking that there might be a chance that you would let me into your personal bubble and not push me away like you do everyone else. But I had not expected it to happen so soon. Now that it is happening, it makes me happy.'

Arjun did not know how to respond. He had not expected her to be so honest. Nor had he ever thought that he could fall in love that easily. All his doubts and uncertainties went away in a fraction of a second. Those bright, wide eyes could never lie. He trusted her.

'I do not know what happened to make you the way you are-hiding in your private hole, keeping everyone out, no human attachment-but I'm glad that you're coming out of it. And I'll be with you, by your side, on every step of your journey, whenever you need me,' she said and kissed him again, at the exact same place.

He pulled her closer to him and stared into her eyes for what seemed like an eternity. They stood there, still as statues, as time froze around them. Nothing seemed to matter. There were tears in her eyes, and there were tears in his. They were happy, they were sad, they were in love.

He had never imagined that love would come back into his life. What he had had with Prehal, what his heart had once felt so strongly about that woman, paled mightily in comparison. He had not known Shambhavi for long, but he knew they were meant to be. Sometimes in love, there is no rational explanation to it, you just know. And with every beat of his heart, it just became clearer to him.

Right then, staring into her eyes, he promised himself that he wouldn't let the skeletons from his past get in their way.

He promised himself that he would trust her, have faith in her and see where love took them.

He promised to love her with no reservations.

'I love you,' he whispered, still looking deeply into her eyes. He ran his thumb lightly over her lower lip.

'I know,' she whispered back. 'But I love you more.'

He could not hold back any longer. And he did not find a reason why he should. He pulled her closer to him and touched her lips softly with his. They stayed like that for a while, met each other's eyes and tightened the embrace. He kissed her, softly at first and hurriedly when she responded.

The kiss felt like heaven, and if left up to him, he would never have let it end. But soon, they were out of breath. Shambhavi pulled back to draw air, and as she hurriedly gasped the oxygen in, Arjun moved to her neck, leaving a trail of kisses there in his wake.

He moved his thumb and traced her collarbone. He had not seen much of her, but he thought her collarbone was her most appealing feature. He had wanted to touch it ever since he had seen her in that noodle-strap yellow dress she had worn to their movie-date.

He pushed the strap of her dress an inch and it fell off her shoulder. She moaned, when Arjun bit her softly on her shoulder. He licked the bite and sucked on it. That would leave a mark. She threw her head back and moaned again. Her hands moved from around his neck to his chest, and he felt his heart beat rapidly under her palms. She looked up at him and smiled. He kissed her smile, picked her up, and carried her to his bedroom.

There is a side to every man, which he lets come out in the open only before the woman he truly loves.

ow. This is just so beautiful,' Shambhavi breathed. They were working on the interiors of his hotel, like they had been doing since the last two months and it was turning out beautifully, just like their relationship. They met every day, working together on designs and throwing around ideas, for hours in a row. They met each other the first thing in the morning, worked together all day, had every meal together and bid each other goodnight and went to their respective homes. It could not have been any better. 'I think mahogany really works better with the background, don't you think?' she tilted her head to her side and gazed up at him.

'I have to agree,' he smiled. He was used to her enthusiasm. It had become a way of life for him.

'But I still think that your smile is more beautiful. You should do it more often.'

'Ha-ha-ha. Now, if you're done, let's go have something to eat. It's already very late.'

'Actually, you go ahead. I have to head back home for something,' Shambhavi made an apologetic face.

'What is something?' Arjun asked.

'Just ... have to check up on my dad. He wasn't feeling well this morning again, so...'

'Okay, then. Take care.' He kissed her forehead and asked her to meet for dinner. She hugged him tightly for a second then ran to her car. She was always like that-runningshouting-jumping when a regular person would just walkexclaim-smile instead. He loved her for her dynamism and vivacity. Her animation was just one of the many things he had gotten addicted to.

Ever since she had come into his life, she had changed its meaning. In the beginning, he had struggled to let go, owing to his reservations. But once he had decided to let go, a whole new world had opened up to him. From behind the mask of a calm sophisticated businessman, the real Arjun had emerged. His earnings had brought him satisfaction, but he had never felt peaceful. Shambhavi brought him peace.

'So, mahogany, then, sir?' Faisal asked, notepad in hands, and a smile on his face. Arjun knew that Faisal liked Shambhavi; he could sense it. But ever since Arjun started to see her, Faisal had stepped back happily. Way too happily, Arjun mused. Maybe because he had feared his boss would die alone and was relieved he had finally found a lady. Or maybe he just wanted to keep his job.

'Of course,' Arjun nodded. 'And is Tutul still here?'

'Yes, I am,' Tutul stepped ahead, a notepad in her hands, too.

'Could you come with me for a second? We need to discuss the dimensions of the reception hall. I think we need to get rid of the north wall to extend the area ...'

'That's a good idea. But if I can suggest something-I feel we should keep a separate waiting area, if we are keeping a big reception hall. Not completely partitioned, just to this height,' she motioned with her arms.

'Hmm. Let me think about it and run it through Shambhavi once. Meanwhile, show me the kitchen designs again?' Arjun said.

They started to discuss detailed plans about the kitchen space and Arjun found himself losing his concentration over and over again. He kept wondering what Shambhavi would think of the idea, what she would suggest. In a very short time, he had become excessively dependent on her. He liked the feeling of sharing responsibilities, ideas, thoughts and love with another person. She was his first friend in a long time. She was his one true love.

'Arjun?' Shambhavi asked over the phone. She sounded panicked. Arjun instantly got alert.

'Yes? What's wrong?'

'Arjun ...Her voice trailed away. She was clearly crying.

'Where are you? What's wrong?'

'Arjun ...she repeated.

'Shambhavi? Where are you? Tell me, I'm coming,' Arjun panicked.

'At ... home ...'

'Your place? I'll be there. Just five minutes, baby.'

'Arjun ...' she whispered again. That was all she was saying-his name, over and over again.

Arjun tried to ask her what was wrong again, but she didn't say anything. Frustrated, freaked and worried, he hung up and rushed to his car. He had never thought he would see Shambhavi bothered about something. He had never seen her so worried or panicked or sad. She was always the cheerful, annoyingly happy one. The light of his life.

He could not bear to see her cry. So even though he was driving wildly towards her place, he wanted to run away from her at the same time. He could not handle tears. They somehow signified death to him. They reminded him of the unlimited tears he had shed when his family had died in that horrible accident. That was the only time of his life when he had cried. And every time he saw someone cry, he was instantly reminded of that dark, painful phase of his life.