chapter 10

Chapter 10And the winners are…“We have our winners for the evening. Please applaud for Mr. Ved and his Valentine Ishiqa. Sir, please come up to the stage, we have a great surprise for the winners!” Blushing a beetroot red, Ishiqa would have fainted if it were not for Ved’s supporting hand at the small of her back. “For the winners, we announce a four-day trip to the gorgeous Maldives, hotel stay and travel included.” Ved accepted the envelope, shaking the compere’s outstretched hand and gave a bow to the cheering crowd applauding them enthusiastically. He hugged Ishiqa and blew kisses at the girls in the crowd who were still vying for his attention. He looked at the compere again, “Thank you, we will definitely make the best of this trip,” and then smiled lovingly into Ishiqa’s eyes. “Won’t we, darling?” Once off the stage, she desperately wanted to run out of this wretched trap and finally managed to excuse herself from the envious stares and courteous congratulations. She escaped to the washroom to straighten herself up even as the 1st runners up prize was announced and given to the host and the hostess for a trip to Goa. She stared at her reflection in the mirror; her face was hot and flushed and her eyes brimming with unshed tears. She splashed water on her face, hoping it would soothe her trembling body and mind. She applied fresh lipstick and combed her hair. Whatever her emotional state, she was damned if she was going to let Ved know how mortified she was!But, then her independent streak asserted itself. “No I cannot go back in there. This whole thing is all so wrong and it is too much.” She flashed out of the door in a hurry and went into the hall, found Ved and fumed further when he breathed into her ears, “You are so soft and sensuous, my pretty darling.” Unable to take the charade anymore, she pleaded, “Ved, I have a headache, I am leaving.” Not wanting to create a scene, they walked out hand in hand, saying their goodbyes to everybody. Once out, she broke free from his light grasp and stomped ahead of him, as he waited for the valet to bring the car. She walked out of the plush hotel exit, feeling the pleasant wind caress her bare shoulders, and pulled stray strands of her hair behind her ears, as the wind blew them softly. She walked stubbornly onto the pavement, even though Ved screeched up to a halt beside her. He called out to her, opening the car door, “Ishiqa, what are you up to? Get into the car!” he ordered. She gave him a haughty look, “Go to hell! I will go by myself!” She continued walking, completely unaware of a group of men standing at the far corner, staring at her lecherously. Ved got out of the car and hurried towards her. “What the hell has got into you? Have you seen the time? It’s the middle of the night.” “Just get lost, I will take a taxi home,” she exploded and then looked up with disgust, noticing for the first time the hooligans, as they started hooting and whistling as she neared them. One of them even commented, “Come, I will give you a lift baby.” She turned around in panic, her fearful eyes looking for Ved and she saw him strolling back loftily towards the car. “Hey! Ved wait! I will come with you!” she cried in dismay. He turned slightly, “So have you finally seen sense, or am I wrong? Do you still want to go home on your own?”Grudgingly, she walked back to the car and sat on the edge of her seat. “I am not going to eat you, even though you look delectable enough, so sit comfortably,” he drawled.Her frustration came out as anger, “How dare you speak to me like that! Don’t you have one single decent bone in your body? It must be okay for you to take advantage of a helpless girl in your rich world, but please do count me out of these ridiculous stunts of yours.” In response, he pressed hard on the accelerator and, ignoring her, drove on, fuelling her anger all the more. “I am talking to you!” she said. Coolly he replied, “I am listening. Please carry on.” “Ohh! You are impossible!” She banged on the door with a fist and stared out of the window angrily. When they reached the house, he whispered, “I am sure you enjoyed the party and the ice game. Do you want a repeat performance?” He leaned towards her, stopping her from opening the door. She looked at him with fear and edged backwards, “Ved leave me alone!” She feared her reaction to him; she was already breathing deeply with desire. He moved back satisfied, “I think we will leave the repeat performance for our trip to the Maldives; after all we need to keep ourselves entertained.” She hastily clambered out of the car, bolted to her room and fell straight down onto her bed. Did he just say entertainment? He was only enjoying himself at her expense and here she was on the verge of losing her heart to him!Â