Page 110 of The Ex Factor

Once Manoj was out, I would eventually buy the company. It was my idea after all, implemented badly, and I was determinedto rescue it and build it to its fullest potential. My anger spiked at the thought of every backstabbing act Manoj had carried out over the years.

“I want him ruined. I want him out.”

“He will be when we are done with him,” Vinay assured.

“And no one gets laid off. AccessEd will absorb his employees if needed.”

“That’s your headache, not mine,” he reminded me.

“No mercy, Vinay. None. I need him running scared and desperate by the end of the month.”

“Be careful,” Vinay cautioned like the big brother he had always been to me. “This guy is not going to go down easy.”

“I will. I can take care of myself, but I won’t let him hurt others. Not anymore.”

Vinay’s voice shifted from professional to personal. “Can I ask you something?”

I hummed in response.

“Why now? You’ve been waiting patiently for years to see him drown himself.”

“Yes, I knew he’d ruin himself sooner or later. That I’d not have to lift a finger for his downfall.”

“What happened this time?”

“This time, he messed with the wrong person.”

AARTI

Ispent that weekend luxuriating in the warmth of Tara’s words. I was ready to grab my happy.

If I had read Sujit correctly, I knew he liked me. But he had enough reasons to tamp down on his feelings. After all, I wasn’t the only one in the public eye. That event with our picture in the tabloid had made it clear that Sujit had as much to lose. And if he thought our relationship would mark us for ridicule, I would understand and accept his decision.

But I wanted him to make that call because I was ready to take the plunge.

My nerves kept jangling all weekend, excited to go back into Sujit’s arms and terrified of my father’s reaction if our relationship actualized. That was the reason I chose not to divulge any of this to Mom. I hadn’t told her about my meeting with Tara either.

The society assumes and expects women to catfight over men, like they were prizes to be won. And there we were, Tara and me, sharing brunch and developing a friendship that would’ve been seen as suspect by anyone who knew our situation. The crux of the matter was, I wasn’t jealous of Tara, and she wasn’t insecure about me. I didn’t want what shehad, and she didn’t suspect I would become a thorn in their relationship. In fact, I was mildly, albeit pleasantly surprised at her reaction to my interest in Sujit. Unlike my feelings for Sameer, her admiration for Sujit hadn’t waned. She wanted him to have the happiness that he had granted her.

Although I had never cared about accolades, it was reassuring to learn that she respected me enough to believe in my happiness. To believe that I could keep Sujit happy for life. It was a grown-up, healthy approach to relationships that I hadn’t encountered before.

The mountain I needed to scale right now was my impending talk with Dad.Demand, don’t beg, Tara had advised. Finding the right words to do just that was the herculean task before me.

“What’s bothering you?” Mom asked, looking at my hand. We were at the table having a family dinner.

I stopped fiddling with the ring on my left index finger and shook my head at her. “Nothing.”

“If you don’t want to go back, you don’t have to, my child. It’s all done now. The buzz has died down,” she reassured.

“Yes,” Dad added to my surprise. He usually chose to stay silent on the subject.

I decided to tread that forbidden line. “Have you forgiven them now?” I asked in a gentle tone to suggest I wanted him to. But to my dismay, he shook his stubborn head.

“No. Never. They hurt my little girl, and I will never forgive them for it.”

I unleashed a quiet sigh of dejection and threw a glance at Aakash. He returned me a somberI told youlook. Mercifully, Aakash had chosen to underplay the gravity of our last conversation, opting instead to revel in the misconception that I had given up all association with Sujit. That was his folly, and I chose not to shatter his delusions.

Jia didn’t know about any of this and continued to eat her food in blissful ignorance. I was glad about that.

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