"It is only after we have lost everything that we are free to do anything"

Neil's POV

Shantanu had stared at me like I had lost my head. I sat through his ranting, his abusing, and his yelling without uttering one word.

It was worse with Mother. I had to spill my guts to her; she was getting hysterical on the other side without any word from me. She got much worse when I told her about what I was going to do – spend a week in Boston with a recuperating Arundhati with her son and ex-husband.

Here I was, three hours later, cooped up in the backseat of a car with Arundhati, while Michael drove as if the devil had possessed him. Charlotte sat in the front. Michael had wanted Arundhati to sit up front, and trying to stop a fight, Charlotte had jumped in and claimed shotgun. George was napping between me and Arundhati.

Fine situation, this, for a man who owned one of the best security companies in the US, and was fantastically wealthy. He cooped us all in one car, while his 'security'  flanked us in four more cars.

Charlotte had nodded off, and Arundhati had been sleeping ever since we began the journey. Four hours long, she had warned me. Michael had one eye on the road, and another on me. I knew he hated me. I almost wanted to tap on his shoulder and tell him to chill with the glares, I already knew what he thought of me.

My phone buzzed wildly in my hand, and I glanced at it tiredly to see my boss's name flashing on it.

"Yes, Leonard" I yawned into my phone. It gained me another glare from Michael.

"Where did you run off to, you absolute nut?" Leonard raved on the other end.

In spite of myself, a smile cracked upon my face.

"Handicapped without the genius, Lenny?" I teased, muffling the chuckle with the back of my hand.

"Genius, schmenius" Leonard grumbled, "What about that office for Apple that you were going to detail out, you nut? Took your deadlines on a holiday with you?"

"Oh...." My eyes flung open at his reminder, "Shit, shit, shit..."

"Yeah, shit alright" Leonard fumed, "Your buddy, Ciaran here has been covering for you....but the lad ain't a structures man...when am I gonna get my genius back?"

"I don't know, Lenny" my head rested on the window as I stifled another yawn, "Tell Ciaran to call me tonight, I'll have some things done for him...you wanted that cantilever detailed?"

"I wanted everything" he rasped pointedly, "but yeah, teach the boy some basics, and do the cantilever, I'll get someone else on it."

"Get Marie on" I mumbled, "She's too good."

"Is that Leonard?" my eyes shot open to see Dhati peering at me drowsily, "Calling about work?"

I nodded once, while Leonard chewed my ear off on the other side.

"Gimme" she stretched out a hand.

"I'm handling it" I waved her off, trying to keep my attention on what my boss was saying.

"Gimme" she repeated.

"Len, someone wants to talk to you" I managed to warn him off before Dhati finally lunged at me and took the phone away.

"Is this Leonard from LA?" her voice was scratchy, "this is the roundback truss girl from New York, your Interiors nightmare."

I sniggered loudly at her introduction, at how correctly she had described herself. I controlled myself just in time to see Michael staring at us both in the mirror, eyes bugged out.

"I'm holding your genius hostage here for a week, boss" she was chatting away with my boss, "And I'll ask him to remind me to send you a wedding invitation when the time is right. It was great talking to you, too!"

She handed me the phone back, smiling sweetly. I squinched my eyes shut before putting the phone back up to my ear.

"Leonard?"

"YOU GOT ENGAGED? YOU? ENGAGED?"

No one's boss should sound this obscenely happy on hearing that their junior got engaged. Ever.

"Yes" I sighed.

"Oh my Lord! This is so good...after that disaster back in India...I was hoping you would get over that chick and move on already-"

"Len" I laughed nervously, eyeing Dhati, who had shut her eyes by now, "it's the same girl, Len."

Deathly silence reigned, both in the car and on the phone.

"I'll call you later, boss" I sighed, "You're gonna need time to process it."

"Len is very happy for you, I believe" Dhati murmured the moment I cut the call.

"He's...Len" I grimaced, "He's over-involved."

Michael cleared his throat, "You...work together?"

Dhati shot me a glance, one without worry. I could almost see mirth flashing in it.

"No" she admitted casually, "He does my Structures consultation."

**

If my ego had suffered from a bruise on noticing Michael's tailored pants earlier, now it was blasted to smithereens. My suspicions were up when I first noticed the large gates at the entrance. As the convoy continued on the driveway, I waited for a long while before I could sight the house.

Well, it was no house, it was a freakin mansion. A veritable modernist palace in the middle of a vast, semi-forested tract of land Michael referred to as his 'estate'. Even in the dark, I could see that it was well-staffed. A butler and helpers poured out as Michael slowed down and eventually stopped in front of the massive portico. My eyes sought out Dhati, whose eyes were glazed over. She never really looked at me; her eyes were on the house the whole time.

We filed out silently, and the helpers took the luggage, i.e, my overnighter and a small bag of Dhati's that Penny had gotten over, from the other car. An elderly woman practically sprinted out as I stood on the side, unsure of what to do. Michael had already flung his key at one of his drivers and marched right in.

"Martha..."I heard Dhati exclaim as the elderly lady hugged her in a bear grip. "Martha...this is my fiance here, Neil."

Martha's smile slipped from her face and she stepped back, startled.

"You're together?" she shot me a wild glance.

That's a difficult question, my lady. Right now, I feel like I'm stuck in a daily soap with no way out.

"We are" I nodded diplomatically, reaching out for Dhati's hand, which she slipped in mine only too convincingly.

I sighed internally, although my face held a small smile. Sometimes, I wish I could figure out exactly what was going on in Dhati's pretty little head. Did she really want me? Or was I just another clod of male gender that she was using as defense against Michael's unwanted advances?

Maybe she was just using me. Stacie had used me to assuage her ego. Maybe Dhati was using me for something else. I didn't exactly mind being used...but I was tired of it. Tired of people being around because they needed something from me, and not because they simply wanted to be there. And whoever said that men don't get as insecure as women...you need to get your head checked. We doubt ourselves as much as the fair sex does, we just don't vocalise it as much.

Dhati led me inside, still holding onto my hand. I could only look at our hands and wonder. Wonder what it would be if we really did have a fairytale, and not this...whatever  we had.

"Edward," Michael was talking to the butler as we entered the house, "take this overnighter to the guest room in the west wing. The other bag goes to the spare room next to mine in the east. Take George to his room, and-"

"Edward, stop" Dhati cut in as the butler bent to pick up my bag. "Please take both bags to a guest room in the west wing."

Michael whirled around, and stalked to us, "You are not going to live in the same room as him under my roof."

"I'm not here for you" she cut him bluntly, "I'm here for George, and it is none of his concern where I live."

"For shame, in front of your son?" Michael was furious.

I couldn't take this absolute poppy-cock any longer. Here I was, doubting my very role in this situation, and this man was here, teaching us about shame.

"For shame" I broke in, before Dhati could edge in a word, "Behind your wife's back?"

**

S: Alive?

N:Barely

S: What is this shit ur in man.

N: Beats me

S: Nobody is worth all this drama

N: I know

S: Ma will disown you

N:I'll be happy. Ask her to do it quick.

S:ha ha. Im serious tho. What are you thinking of doing?

N: Make it out of here alive. Go back to LA. Work pending.

S: About her, Dumbo

N:Don't call me dumb, you little piece of shit. After what you did to me, I shouldn't even be talking to you!

I must've snorted in disbelief, because I saw Dhati move from the corner of my eye. She was bundled up on the bed in the guest room, while I, mustering up my leftover gentlemanly ways, offered to take the rather large lounge couch on the other side of the room.

We hadn't exchanged one word after that...incident in the living area. There's a good reason for that. My lip hurt every time I tried talking or smiling.

Michael socked me hard, of course. One well-aimed, rage infused upper-cut was all it took to bruise my jaw and split my lip. I pretty much collapsed into a heap at that. I don't fight. I'm not a very physical type of guy.

"Don't you dare talk back to me about stuff you know nothing of" he had spat at me and marched off, not to be seen again that night.

Dhati and the butler, along with Charlotte had taken me to 'our' room in the West Wing. While the butler set a bed and Dhati sat back, it was Charlotte who had tended to my busted lip and meted out a warning.

"Don't piss Michael off" she had entreated, "He's still hurting...if you hurt for three years, it will hurt more acutely when someone jabs in."

It also hurts when someone socks you so hard you see starlight. Now, not only was I insecure, I was feeling like a wimp, a pathetic wuss. A forty year old semi-alcoholic downed me at one go. Rest assured, I didn't have any male pride left. I was a wuss. And who in their right minds wanted a wuss?

I was completely superfluous to the situation at hand here.

"Neil?" Came Dhati's voice.

I wanted to snort back, no, it's a ghost here, whatsapping.

"I'm sorry for your lip" her voice sounded small, as if she was barely whispering it out. I set aside my phone, sighing. What was I meant to say?

"It's not your fault" I exhaled. I know, clichéd, but she already had a bandaged head, an unusable wrist and a bruised rib. A hurt conscience couldn't possibly help.

"I'm really sorry" her voice was bordering on tremulous now. "Really...really..."

And that is when the sob finally broke out.

**

What are boundaries? We always encourage people to raise their voices against injustice, when we only know half the story.

Comment and vote if you'd like kind readers.

I rest, as always,

Ellanie:)