Scarred Love - Chapter 13

Immediately, the dog lowered its head and backed away but Ishani was still scared. The man holding the dog slowly tugged at the chain in the opposite direction and the creature (as she would call it) followed suit.

And, the children jumped with joy just as the dog neared them.

“NO!” she shouted as she rushed towards the children and almost backed them towards the other end of the garden shielding them from the dog.

“Take him away!” she shouted at the man holding it.

“Manna, let her go,” Rudra commanded, standing on the stairs.

Instantly the man unclasped the chain and the dog bounded towards the children scaring Ishani like hell.

“SCAR!”

The moment it heard the command, it gave an excited bark and ran towards Rudra, and whimpered with joy as he caressed its neck and head.

“How dare you bring a dog at my NGO? What if he had hurt one of the children?” Ishani asked furiously as she came and stood in front of him, and then backed away as the creature growled.

“Firstly its a she, not he. Secondly, she has a name, Scar and thirdly the children had been playing with her before you came,” Rudra said in an amused tone.

“Yeah, Ishani Di, we were having so much fun. What did you have to scare her like that?” one of the children said.

“Shut up and go inside,” she commanded the children glaring at Rudra for disrupting her NGO.

Then, keeping a watchful eye on the dog, she gingerly went up the stairs. Annie, who was standing on the balcony, stifled a giggle as she neared her.

“What is he doing here?” Ishani whispered totally flustered with everything.

But before Annie could answer, she heard her friend yelp in panic as the dog again barked behind her.

“Would you please take that thing away?” she asked placing a hand on her chest trying to control her racing heart.

“Why? Are you afraid of dogs?”

“NO! But this is not a dog but a beast. Please take it away.”

Rudra gestured for Manna to take her away and then followed Ishani inside her office.

Annie excused herself with the pretext of keeping an eye on the children. Better not be there when the fireworks start, she thought.

“Why are you here?” Ishani asked him the moment they were alone.

“Coz, I want to talk to you.”

“Mr San……” she started off but stopped.

No matter how many times she tries, she cannot bring herself to utter that name again.

“You have said what you wanted. And, I have told you my decision. Just tell me what the price is and I’ll buy you out.”

“Ms Raijdas, could we please sit down and talk for some time?” Rudra implored looking at her eyes directly and within a split second saw her look away.

Inwardly he smiled; you are such a good actress but you cannot fool me. You have recognised me, Ishani Raijdas, I know it for sure.

Sighing, she gestured him to sit down and then waited for him to say whatever he had come to discuss.

Rudra flicked his gaze at her and saw her observing him.

Dammit! There’s that penetrating gaze again.

He just detested people trying to study him for they could never know the real Rudra. He needed to do something to shift her attention. Quickly, he got up from his chair and went and stood next to the window.

“In the past 1 week, I have done nothing but think about you and your NGO.”

True!

“In fact, I haven’t been sleeping well for the past 7 days.”

True!

“And, I believe you are the reason for it,” Rudra said as he turned towards her.

“Somehow I am not able to get your face out of my mind.”

True! Not entirely.

An element of surprise flashed in Ishani’s eyes but vanished immediately. She did not want to mellow down to this man who was not only threatening to take away her NGO but also had that name.

Sighing and shaking his head, Rudra slowly neared the table and slipped an envelope towards her and gestured her to look.

She picked up the envelope and shook out the contents, and her photographs fell on the table. There were not only one but several of them. At first, Ishani was about to smile looking at those lovely pictures but then her mind suddenly flared up.

“How dare you take my photographs without my permission?”

Rudra placed his hand on hers and just shook his head.

“I know and I am sorry. But there is one more thing I am sorry about.”

Although Ishani was seething, she still looked at him in a questioning manner.

“For the past 1 week I have been looking at these photographs and in every one of them you are smiling, laughing and you seem happy. But when I am there you never smile or laugh and I know I am the reason for that. And, believe it or not, that was never my intention.”

Ah ha! Nice, Rudra.

Her eyes widened with awareness as she heard him. She looked up and saw him looking at her face with intensity. For a split second, Ishani felt his guard slipping and then again it was back, but still, there was a vulnerability in him that was definitely new.

“Ish……sorry. Ms Raijdas, I would do anything and everything in my power to get that smile back on your face. Even if it meant letting you continue with the NGO without the SGH name.”

Surprised and baffled, Ishani looked at him and tried to find anything that would point this thing to be dubious but couldn’t. Whatever she was hearing was absolutely genuine from his side, even if she did not believe it.

“You would do that?” she asked incredulously.

“Yes! For you, I’ll do anything.”

Then, he turned and started walking towards the door, but just before he stepped out, he turned his head and looked at her with a sad smile.

“And, one more thing, I am not a Sangawat. I am adopted. Hope that makes a difference to you.”

Saying this, he left.

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