AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Okay Andi,” Harsh conceded defeat. “See you tomorrow.”
With a genial smile, Venkat Garu shouted, “Pack up.”
Frantic activity erupted from all sides as everyone rushed to wrap up for the day so they could get home to their families. Everyone but Harsh. He stood stock still in the middle of all the activity wishing he could go anywhere but home.
“Shall we go then?” Priyanka asked, coming to stand by his side.
An irrational, unbearable pressure built in his chest as he watched the world he’d built for himself be packed away because the world he frequently tried to escape demanded his return.
“Harsh.” Priyanka put a hand on his arm.
He shrugged out of her grasp and strode towards the exit, leaving her to follow him.
“Harsh!” Priyanka scurried after him, irritation and frustration warring for dominance in her voice. Their respective security teams snapped to attention the minute they came into view.
“Sir.” Harsh’s lead bodyguard stepped forward. “We should wait a little before we leave. We heard that there is a massive traffic jam on Road no 36.”
“Why?” Harsh asked sardonically. “Is my father out for a drive?”
Sunil, the guard, smiled slightly. “No Sir. There was a bad accident. It’s taking the police time to clear the roads. It’s also peak office commute time so it’s just a big mess.”
Priyanka sighed. “Let’s get something to eat close by while we wait it out. I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”
Harsh was just going to pretend she was an annoying hallucination sent from the depths of hell to plague him.
“We’ll wait in the car,” he decided, just to be contrary. He could feel Priyanka’s eyes boring holes into the back of his head, but he’d decided to ignore Lucifer’s minion.
She got in beside him, slamming the door of his beloved Lexus LM.
“Cut it out,” he growled. “You damage my car and I will make you buy me a new one tomorrow.”
“What the hell is your problem?” Priyanka demanded. “What fucking bug crawled up your arse? You agreed to this marriage, didn’t you?”
“You agreed to yours as well,” he snapped back. “I don’t remember you being a fucking ray of sunshine the day of it.”
“But that’s me. You, on the other hand, are always a fucking ray of sunshine,” Priyanka shot back. “So why are you being a storm cloud of gloom and doom suddenly?”
The pressure in his chest expanded, making his breath shorten and the fuse of his temper flare brighter.
“Akka, not today,” he said tersely, staring out of the car window.
“If not today, then when? In case you haven’t realised, you’re getting married tomorrow. We have only today, or tonight rather.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Tough luck. You’re still going to have to.” Priyanka rolled right over his objection.
And Harsh was just done with it. Done with being treated like the baby in the family, the immature one who constantly needed to be kept in line. Done with being counselled, warned, scolded, taunted…Done with all of it. Mostly, he was done with people thinking they could bulldoze right over him and his wishes.
Sunil knocked on the car window and Harsh rolled it down. “Sir, we can leave now.”
“Goodnight,” Harsh told Priyanka pleasantly, wiggling his fingers at her in goodbye. “Go away now.”
“What?” Her mouth dropped open in shock.
“Get back in your car and go home to your adoring husband.” He looked away from her, anger making it hard to see anything clearly. “I want to be alone.”
“Harsh,” her voice softened. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be pushy but – “
