Twisted world of deceit.

Aagnay

2020

I assessed the equation on the marker board as she fidgeted with the marker. "Next question," I told her and her laughing eyes glinted.

"So I got it right?" She looked at me in awe and I drifted my gaze on her face. Ishani Mehera was astounding. Only a few classes and she was quick to learn what people took years to master and still failed. My silence made her squeal. "Oh my God! Thank you."

"It's on you," I told her and her smile widened to a grin. "All I did was guide you through it. Don't lose the edge and don't gloat. You have a long way to go."

"They weren't exaggerating when they called you the best." Hearing her say that was unnerving. She had no idea. "If it weren't for you I would have been so lost."

"Why did you choose Calculus if you weren't comfortable with it?" Her astuteness impressed me. She was brighter than most of the women I knew.

"All thanks to my mother who holds the Ph.D. in the subject," she said and chuckled. "She was persistent but she is already busy so I had to take care of it. She'd love to know that I bumped into a Calc genius."

I smirked at her remark. "Nothing a little consistency can't mend." It was uneasy to admit. I wasn't consistent-I was obsessed.

Her gaze lingered on my face for a moment longer and I tore my gaze away as my phone rang on the desk-top. "Solve this one and don't panic if you find yourself stuck. I need to take this."

"Alright, I won't," she said as I fetched my phone. "I know you would help me through it anyway." Her smile accentuated her deep eyes as I pulled the phone near my ear.

I nodded at her as I answer the call from my father.

"Why can't I find the proposal deck on my desk?" I rolled the sleeves up of my black dress shirt after I ignored the exasperation in his tone.

"I forwarded the files to your secretary, my work has been done." I browsed through the book to assign the next equation. "Didn't you coordinate with her?"

I narrowed my eyes on my phone as the line disconnected. "Work and college? Someone has the best of both worlds." Ishani's eyes took a calculating gleam. "I'm wondering what I have to do to be like that."

I had nearly laughed. "I don't know, give up the other worlds, maybe?" I told her and examined the equation on the marker board. "It's wrong."

Her groan was low as she hid her face behind her hands. "Damn it. I thought I had it." She tossed the marker on the desk and I eyed the move silently.

"What did I tell you about panicking?" I drawled as I strode towards the marker board. "The key to solving an equation isn't the formula," I demanded and she tilted her head in agreement. "It's patience. You must be willing to spend hours in concluding the final result."

"Are you sure about that?" she asked skeptically and I turned my head towards her. "You don't spend hours on one freaking equation."

"I have been solving these since middle school, it's not the same," I told her and smirked. "You will get there. Keep at it. Next question." I pivoted to assign the equation and she sighed softly.

"Is there a way I can convince you to join me over coffee for discussing this thing?"

"Your proposal for a date isn't very smooth," I muttered lowly and set my phone on the desk-top. "I have a girlfriend, might I add."

"Thought you gave up on other worlds." Her remark startled me but I assumed I could work something out. "Besides, it's just coffee, it means nothing. We would still be discussing variables...just with a change of scenery, I suppose and in return, I would tell you all about myself."

"Are you striking a deal with me Ishani?" She was the most interesting woman I had come across. She didn't try because she had already succeeded in gaining my attention.

"Maybe," she said fiercely and I looked at her in steady silence. "I vaguely remember your deal with espressos and I figured you work better with terms so, yeah."

I realized she was going to make it more difficult than it could be. I had to be prepared to accept the indefinite state of affairs if the circumstances grew demanding.

"When am I supposed to be going back to college Aagnay?" Ishani's voice rifted me from my reverie and I admired the horizon of the revolting sea. "I can't stay in the bungalow forever."

"Your academic record is been taken care of," I asserted as I pivoted to face her and she banded her arms over her torso tightly. It wounded me deeply that she felt threatened by my presence. The discomfort was glaringly apparent in her body. "You can begin attending lectures in a few weeks. I'm working on revising my father's agendas."

I noted her glance when she steadily pursued me. "Fair enough," she muttered and I was near her in three quick strides. "I would also need to check back into the dorms."

"Those dorms have nothing like this property has," I told her as I held my hand out for her.

She stared at my palm and glared at me. "Yeah, just my freedom," she lashed out and my hand dropped back to my side. "Yeah, it's not expensive like your porcelain wares but it's more important to me than your superficial riches."

"Ishani." Her gaze was glacial with animosity. "You said you would do anything for me-anything to be like me. You created your storm and now you blame me after it rained?"

Her hand swung to slap me and I didn't stop her, taking the hit unflinchingly. "I can never be like you. You are sick Aagnay, you need help-clinical help. When I said I'd do anything I didn't sign up to be your bait. I didn't sign up to be devastated. You didn't rain on me Aagnay; that storm took everything away from me."

I had been particularly depraved with her. "And I'm doing everything I can to mend this." I saw the ghost of my mistakes in the smile that formed in the corner of her mouth.

"Mend this? Like this is a deal gone wrong in your twisted world of deceit." She stepped away from me. "I like you Aagnay. What did that ever get me except misery and pain?"

I caught her by her wrist. "I beg of you. Help me make this right. I did something I was in no condition to."

"No, you chose your disgusting father over someone else's life." She yanked free of my grip. "Over my life-that doesn't only make you a sick monster but a spineless cold-blooded psychopath devoid of love." Her words failed to reach me over the pound of my heartbeat and the outburst of my soul-searing pain.

Words backed up my throat as violence threatened my clenched fist. My father; he had found a way to break me, again.

*

"What's your deal with Kunal?" Ranveer's inquisition simmered rage in the back of my mind but my strides out of the administration's block were leisure regardless. "I hate to be the one to break it to you Bhasin but you are wasting your time on that guy."

"You think I didn't pay attention to that?" I glanced at him over my shoulder and he smirked. "Just because he thinks he knows everything doesn't mean I don't know what I'm doing."

"That's being calculative," he corrected as we headed to the parking lot. "Isn't same as paying attention. What he knows isn't safe for him."

"And whose fault is that?" I hit my finger against the key fob. "So far I have only been reactive, don't prompt me to do something more than my element."

Veer blocked my way as he rounded me. "I'm asking you to lay low and don't declare a war."

"You're motioning with the wrong person," I told him sternly. "He made the first move. I only intend to put an end to this." My phone rang in the pocket of the suit jacket that was draped around my arm.

"Are you shitting me?" he snapped and I drew my phone out. "You are only encouraging him to come at you."

"Better if he will up his game," I muttered and muted my phone. "I'm down to force him to resign." My mother's picture flashed on my screen and I silenced it again. "The rules are the same Veer, don't kick my ass for playing this round."

"Strike a deal and negotiate," he suggested as I unlocked the door of my Aston Martin. "Look, I can't say that it's not risky dealing with a cockroach-like him. You can't trust him but I'm working my way around him. At least don't lose your goddamn mind, do you get that?"

"Don't make me pity you for stooping low to be Kunal's messenger."

"He is getting cocky with whatever he thinks he has on you," he told me and I tossed my jacket on the passenger's seat. "Does he know every detail?"

"I couldn't know." It gave me no pleasure to stand and stress over Kunal Dubey. He held nothing on the face of what I had with me. "I'll be visiting your boathouse later, is that alright with you?"

"Yeah, man," he said and clapped on my shoulder. "Buy me some time before you decide to do something rash with him."

"Keep me posted," I told and ducked down to slide behind the wheels. I had to straighten my agenda items for the week. I couldn't afford a slip, especially when Ishani was involved.

I ignited the engine and headed back to my family bungalow.

*

"Hey, stop!" Ishani tugged on my sleeve and I frowned at her. "Stop the car. It's raining," she said with a soft gleam in her eyes and I pulled over near the sidewalk. "I'll be right back."

I watched her bolt outside to drench in the rain spontaneously, looking astoundingly gorgeous. It surprised me to see her enjoy something as simple as rain. Her lips curled to a breathtaking smile and I admired her spirit in quiet silence. "It's not very wise to be soaking in rain at this hour."

"Who cares?" she asked and basked in the pounding rain. "Don't you think it's peaceful? The sound of the rain, the breeze, water, how can you think about anything else right now?"

"There's traffic and I don't wish to block the streets, get in," I demanded and she laughed. "You can't fall ill when the exams are rounding the corner, Ishani." I groaned lowly as I killed the engine and glanced at the rear mirror. I was glad the streets were moderately busy. Colaba causeway often thrummed with massive traffic blockages but it wasn't one of those nights. Ishani continued to revel in the joy of rain and I stepped out of my car. She was hopping with excitement as I neared her and caught her wrist.

"Don't you like it?" she asked and I looked at her damp face, her hair was sticking to her temples but nothing waned the glint in her eyes. "Do you know someplace we can go to enjoy the weather?"

"You want an after date," I smirked and she threw her head back before she laughed. "You're terrible with your proposals." She leaned into me and I let her.

"And you're surprisingly romantic." She laughed harder and linked her arm to mine. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Romance isn't my style," I murmured and urged her to get back into the vehicle. "Get in."

"Then what is?" she asked as I slipped behind the wheels and ignited the engine.

"You don't want to know," I muttered and turned on the vents for some warm air before I began to drive again.

"So chocolates and roses are too outdated for you?" she asked and I turned my head to look at her briefly. "Or maybe there's a fetish nobody got a chance to explore."

"Your streak of flirt is vastly entertaining," I shot back and drifted my gaze back on the road. "But your sense of humor is certainly not. You might have to work on that."

She spilled a shuddering groan as she banded her arms around her delicate torso. "You suck." A warm flush spread across her face and my brows rose questioningly. "I want to have a good time and you're not letting me."

I smiled incessantly. "I'm sorry."

"No, you're not," she said wryly and looked out of the window. "Do you often remain so hostile?" I had no idea where that question stemmed from but it instantly caught on my guard. "It's not a crime to enjoy once in a while."

"I enjoy plenty," I said grimly. "If I begin to avail myself even further, you'll have to deal with your papers on your own."

She leaned closer to my ear and whispered, "Oh I'll hire another tutor full time so you can add me to your list of agendas."

I turned my head to look at her briefly. "You are trying hard," I muttered, laughing. "Some men take offense to that."

"I hope you don't," she shot back and elbowed my forearm. "Or I'd like to revise. Maybe you like to hide all that wildness under your civility?"

My gaze was dark on her. Ishani was wrecking through my walls-something I wasn't attuned to and she did that unwarrantedly. I was very protective of my guards and she wasn't willing to tread lightly. My head fell back. "Shut up."

"It's pleasure to see you here," Mom said, leaning against the desk and gripped the edge of it. "But you didn't have to visit me. We could have discussed over the call."

"After luring me with so many calls," I said and slithered my fingers over the frame that encased Ishani's picture. "I had to." I pivoted to face her and she dropped her gaze on the frame in my hands.

"Don't cry over broken toys Aagnay." She straightened her posture deliberately before she looked at me. "You will get plenty of them any time you want." Her smile widened and grew revolting as much as her gray eyes and the smell of her perfume.

"Cut the shit and tell me what you want." I set the frame on the nightstand and turned my head in her direction. "You have exactly one minute before I walk out of here."

"You heartless piece of shit," she snapped and walked towards me.

"And whose fault is that?" I caught her wrist as she swung her hand to slap me. "You don't have enough money in the world to pay for your debts and you have a lot to pay for."

Her laugh was even more revolting when she pried out of my grip. "You think a few stakes at your father's company gives you any kind of power? You are just upset over Ishani leaving you. Don't be mistaken with her reasons. There's nothing that needs to be paid for except, maybe you should adjust your mannerisms."

I strode out of my bedroom leisurely even though rage surged through me. "Times up," I told and paused with my hand on the knob. "Text me whatever it is you wanted to tell me and I wouldn't bother to check." *

Ella

2020

"What the hell do you want?" I walked into Aagnay's bedroom and set my satchel on the table before I plopped on the sofa across the four-poster bed.

He glanced over his shoulder in my direction and strode to the threshold of the room to shut the door. His movement alarmed me and I squirmed in my seat inwardly. "How are you doing today?"

"I'm not in the mood for the chat," I drawled without meeting his gaze.

"Good, you're saving me a great deal of time," he muttered and sat on the foot of the bed. "I'm assuming you are still perturbed by the turn of events since the other day."

I massaged my temples gently as I felt a migraine threaten me. "Only because it's so easy to explain what the hell that was."

He exhaled hardly and looked away. "We are friends, Ella," he began and I averted his gaze on him. "And that's all we will ever be."

"You didn't have to humiliate me to prove that," I snapped and he ran his fingers through his dark mane. "All you had to do was tell me that you're okay with that."

"So you would have forced yourself on me?"

What? "Are you fucking insane?" I jumped to my feet and he groaned incredulously. "You think I would force myself on you?" Oh my God. Who did he think I was? He opened his mouth to say something but I interrupted. "How could you think something like that?" It gave me the impression that he had a deep-seated fear that knocked him without volition.

He pushed me to his feet and pulled me closer to him. "I'm sorry," he murmured and pressed his lips against my temple. "I'm sorry alright? I didn't mean to humiliate you. I wasn't myself for reasons I can't explain at the moment but you have to understand Ella," he told me and pulled away. "I'm not available like that."

My fury desecrated instantaneously because his apology was placid and sincere. I nodded silently and braced him gently. "It's okay. I wouldn't hold it against you." He caressed my hair and I inhaled sharply. "So where does this relationship stand?"

"I'm working on it," he said and hugged me. "We are friends until I figure another way out of this."

I was fine by that because I knew then that I had the liberty to see other people socially because what we shared was strictly platonic and I wasn't obligated to remain loyal to him.

Aagnay and I spent the rest of the evening in his room, talking about random things and watching a movie until later at night.

*

"So," Dr. Rathore began, settling on the sofa I sat on. "What brings you here today?"

I hadn't fixed an appointment earlier and showed up at his office unannounced. It wasn't like me but I had nobody else on my side to confide in and he was paid enough to hear me out. I told him how I felt about everything that happened to me. I told him how violated I felt after my father had hit my mom and me, how claustrophobic I felt at CSU because of Sambhavna. How deeply Aagnay had hurt me but I couldn't blame him because it wasn't his fault. Our fathers were to be held accountable for my misery. Through it, he took notes and spoke very little while he heard my purge attentively and patiently. It felt better after sharing it out loud.

When I had quieted, he spoke, "Have you considered speaking with your father with civility?"

"I tried to stop him," I mumbled and lowered my gaze on my clasped hands on my lap. "he wouldn't listen."

"Don't speak with him when he is inebriated," he went on, "You can discuss the prerogatives when he is willing to listen and lend an ear. His input can only be devised when he is willing to set it on his terms and upon his willingness to cooperate. You have to know the right time."

"The only frame of time I can think of is over breakfast but I don't want to do this in my mother's presence," I told him exasperatedly. "She will interrupt rudely and it will work him up."

"Your father has grown a toxic pattern over the years because he craves power over every person in the room. Do you think he holds your mother responsible for something he would rather rectify in his present life?"

I picked on my manicure. "I hadn't thought of it that way."

"My suggestion," he said, "would be for you to take some time off and write down everything you want to tell him, more importantly, what causes you anxiety, and then we can try working on it."

I nodded in agreement.

"What you will have may not be a very long list but it will be a solid start to sorting through the issues with your father."

"And what about Aagnay?"

"You will have to derive strategies to address your concerns with him," he told me and I sighed. "Something that works for both of you like a common ground that makes you live comfortably with him."

"Do you think Aagnay is an abuse survivor?" I asked him, air trapped in my lungs as I waited for his answer.

"There are high chances that he is," he admitted and I felt my chest quiver with a touch of deep pain. "That's precisely why you have to be patient with him. He needs his sense of control established in every aspect of his life only because that was taken away from him a long time ago. His boundaries must be very important to him."

"I figured," I muttered and looked away. "Do you think I should be seeing other people?"

"That's something both of you have to discuss and make peace with," he said and I nodded silently. I was certain discussing something like that with Aagnay would have only caused chaos I wasn't prepared to deal with.

"I just want to believe that even the fucked up crowds can have happy endings." Because every time the going got through, I bolted without looking back. I wanted to face the issues head-on but my fear of losing myself to the damage beyond repair always stopped me.

Dr. Rathore smiled. "In that case, you have to believe you can indeed have one."

~~~~

Hey Darlings!

I know, I have been out of the loop. Again. I was away because I haven't been keeping up very well with my health but I'm getting back to shape now so here I am, with another chapter.

How are you guys? Tell me all about it. :)

So the book cover got an upgrade! Let me know what you think about it?
Is it better than the last one? I'm all open for your suggestions!

Thank you for reading. Please don't forget to vote, comment and share. <3