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She continued driving, her eyes fixed on the rearview mirror, and the other vehicle stayed behind, as if following her. Could someone be tailing her? No, she reasoned, telling herself she was overthinking. Unable to discern who was driving the other car, whether it was a man or a woman, as the glass was tinted, Maya kept driving. Her unease escalated when the car didn't pass hers but remained consistently behind. Finally reaching the gates of Paradise, she parked her car.
Laura greeted her with an overly friendly smile this time.
“Sir is inside,” she informed. Maya observed that, unlike before, Laura didn't escort her in this time. It was as if she was free to move anywhere, as if she belonged there. Recalling the reason behind Laura's behavior, she realized that Laura might have read the newspaper article today and, like others, assumed Maya and Ranveer were dating.
Entering the living room, she saw Ranveer engrossed in a heated phone conversation. No, he wasn't just talking; he was barking orders at the other person.
“Don’t you tell me what I have to do. If you commit to something, fulfill it before I declare to wash off every project you have in hand right now. Am I clear?”
Maya felt the intensity of the business talk, the tension palpable even from a distance. He noticed her presence and lowered his tone.
“Call me in an hour with a positive update,” he instructed before disconnecting the call and approaching her. Maya, lost in her thoughts, declined a drink when offered.
“Water at least?” he suggested, and she nodded. Retrieving a glass of cold water from the kitchen, he handed it to her.
She seemed confused and behaved awkwardly, catching Ranveer's attention. “You look scared,” he noted. Wiping the sweat from her face, Maya decided to be honest.
“While driving here, I thought someone was following me.”
Ranveer Malhotra became highly alert. “How sure are you?”
“I don’t know. There was this dark maroon car following me at every turn. I tried to lower my speed, thinking it would pass ahead, but it didn’t. It kept following me until I entered this place.”
Ranveer thought for a while and then immediately picked up his intercom.
“Check for a dark maroon car outside. Track it. I need details.”
He kept the intercom down and then sat on the couch, offering her a seat as well.
“Any old boyfriend?” he asked her.
Maya gave him a cold stare.
“The stalker,” he added. “Maybe some ex of yours read about us in the papers today and thought of checking on you again?”
Maya let out a sarcastic chuckle.
“Strike that possibility. I had no boyfriends.”
This one statement from her suddenly awakened all those dirty desires inside him again. He swallowed them before she could catch him.
“Anyone who likes you at work?”
Maya shook her head.
“Why does this have to do anything about me? It can be your exes too. You have a long list of them, I am sure. Someone got possessive suddenly knowing you are screwing another woman instead of her?”
Ranveer frowned.
“You have a big mouth, Miss Bajaj. But I will consider that possibility too when my people check on it. Happy?”
She looked elsewhere. Maya’s tone was extremely gentle to everyone except this man. She had that pre-built notion about him, plus whatever he did to tarnish her career could never leave her head, no matter how many bills of her mother’s treatment he paid off.
“Why did you call me here?” she shot her next question.
“We will have to see each other often,” he replied. “People should believe we are dating, especially my stepfamily. Until that happens, they won’t believe you can work for their proposal. We have to make some more public appearances, and hence you are coming with me to a Derby race this weekend, to start with.”
He was absolutely right, but she couldn't stop being hesitant to accompany him every time he wished to take her.
