Page 58 of One Hellish Passion

“Anything wrong?” she asked.

Ranveer nodded.

“You seem to watch a lot of movies.”

Maya glanced at her dress and realized he was talking about how perfect her attire was for such an occasion.

“You didn’t give me much choice to think of anything else,” she snapped. “And I groom models; I know what to wear and when.”

Ranveer shook his head in agreement.

“I hope you carry this same attitude when you are out with me,” he replied. “I don’t like women who portray themselves as fragile dolls.”

Maya rolled her eyes. She had no interest in listening to the traits of women he had dated so far. She looked outside the window. They were on the highway. The racecourse was an hour away from the city. There was a metallic black suitcase in front of her. She had no clue what a bag like that was doing here, and she didn't bother to ask.

“How is Vivek Bajaj related to you?” he suddenly asked her out of nowhere. She did not know why he wanted to know that now. Or did he already know and just wanted to confirm.

“He means nothing to me. Yet he happens to be my father,” she replied in a serious tone.

It looked like he wasn’t aware of this. He met her eyes, and she could read a lot of questions in them.

“He didn’t marry my mother. I’m their illegitimate child.”

Ranveer clenched his fingers. Why couldn’t he trace this before? Maya is Vivek Bajaj’s daughter? No wonder that man had wrapped up all his dirty secrets and still managed to play well in decoying others.

Maya’s heart pounded, recollecting how she and her mother had survived this truth for so many years. When Maya's admission was done in a school, her mother didn’t think twice before adding the last name as ‘Bajaj’ without even considering the repercussions. How could she give that name to her daughter when there was no legal commitment and hold over it? It was only later that Maya came to know that her parents had never married. That’s why she was only raised by her mother alone, and she never got to see her father except in the photos that her mother carried with her. She hated that man. He was no good to them because he never bothered if they even existed. Still, her mother never thought so. Even now, she was irrevocably in love with that man. Thus, however hard Maya tried to erase that last name from her identity, she couldn’t.

“And your mother? Is she still in touch with him?” he shot his next doubt.

“What does this have to do with our deal?” she inquired; a bit annoyed by his intrusion. “Does it bother you to fake date a woman who is an illegitimate daughter of a rich man?”

Ranveer clenched his jaw.

“Shut up,” he snapped. “I asked you something, and I need a reply.”

Maya scoffed, her nostrils flaring.

“Yes, he has been trying to contact her lately,” she admitted, being momentarily uncomfortable.

“Contact? What type of contact?” he dug further.

Maya hated to discuss her family matters with him, but she simply couldn’t avoid it.

“He is sending her cards, messages, and I feel they are even on talking terms on the phone.”

Ranveer sighed and looked outside the window for a minute. Maya tried to gauge his reactions, what he was thinking and why, but failed. This man was unpredictable; it was hard to read him. He took a minute and turned back to her.

“He had been to your home two days ago. To see your mother.”

Maya didn’t believe him.

“That’s not possible. My mother would have told me. Or even if she wanted to hide, at least Pammi aunty or Ritu would have informed me because they know I am very much against that man.”

“Ritu?” he asked.

“My mother’s caretaker.” He nodded passively.

“I have proofs that Vivek Bajaj visited your mother on Thursday.”

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