Golden Sunset (On Hold)

Chapter 9

Unedited:

It is so silent in the car that Prachi can hear the race of her heartbeat. She is feeling like a fish out of water. Everything around her screams supremacy. The car, no, not any simple car, looks like a freaking Toyota. Though she doesn't have much idea regarding the variety of brand names of the cars, she is well aware of this one. It is kind of déjà vu.
Toyota..the car ride..this supremacy..the glass that separates them from the front row of the car..and a handsome arrogant hot bachelor sitting beside her..all of these, together, are reminding her those ominous days in India, when she was fool enough to be the pawn of people's games, she was silly enough to not distinguish the difference between real and fake, she was immature enough not to see through the mask and recognise the true identity.
One by one as her past begins to intrude in her memory once again, her breathing level seems to increase. She begins to panic. For some moments, she forgets she is in London. She feels like she is that naive Prachi living in Mumbai. She can feel that Adam hasn't yet realised her condition as he is busy in his mobile doing his work while the little angle is sleeping peacefully in her father's lap.
For a moment Prachi feels if she doesn't come out of this car soon, she will collapse. She tries to find her medicine in her bag into a frenzy of her present state and luckily she gets the box there. She doesn't hesitate to take two of it at once and swallow them with the water from the small bottle from her bag.
What she didn't realise is that nothing of this had actually escaped from Adam's eyes. He was behaving to be busy in his work but noticed every single thing happened within last few minutes. As he opens his mouth to ask question, the car comes to a halt and he realises they are in front of the coffee house as per his instruction. So he closes her mouth deciding to enquire later and steps out of the car at once.
As the medicine has helped Prachi to take a proper grip of herself, she is well aware of her surrounding now. She was somehow surprised as the car stopped in front of the coffee shop. Throughout the ride, neither she nor Adam spoke a single thing to each other for which Prachi had no idea where they were going. But she didn't expect to be here also.
Coming out of her zone, she decides to follow the dark suited tall figure who had already entered the coffee shop.
No sooner does she enter the shop than her heart is filled with a strange warmth. The coffee shop is neither small nor a large one. But there is a strange sense of homely atmosphere once you step into it.
Prachi is beyond shocked that a billionaire businessman like Adam has chosen this one leaving the other classic and elegant ones. Well, it seems like it is not really fair to judge a book by it's cover always.
While reaching at the table where Adam is already seated with the little chipmunk in his lap, she can't help but realise that Adam is not really someone like he tries to portray.
"What took you so long? Did you need an invitation card or something? My time is precious Miss Chi-chi, unlike some brat who likes to spend her time in leisure, gossiping and romancing wherever and whenever she wishes," spat Adam angrily.
Rolling her eyes as Prachi opens her mouth to reply, she is rudely interrupted by someone. A blonde waitress in her mid twenties approaches them. She is pretty undoubtedly. But her face is caked up with a lot amount of make up. In her little skimpy outfits she looks literally sexy. Coming to their table, she bends towards Adam in flirtatious manner ignoring the presence of the lady seated opposite him. She winks at him and tries to whine in a seductive manner, "Oh sir. What a pleasant surprise. What do you like to have?"
Adam seems to know this minx already and replies her with a smirk, "What do you like to offer, Mia?"
Until now, she was trying to burn the seductress in front of her with her glare but listening to the words of Adam, she becomes furious.
She can't believe they are flirting with each other in such a way as if she is invisible there.
Her nostrils flare and she tries to control the urge to murder any one of them, or maybe both of them. As she notices how Adam is also ogling Mia from top to bottom, her temper increases and she abruptly stands up. Not giving any time to any of them to realise the sudden change of her mood, she excuses herself and stomps towards the washroom to cool her mind as well as her temper.
Entering the washroom, she tries to control herself, but she can't understand why she is feeling such rage inside herself. She is sure that it is not jealousy. Why would it be? It's not like she likes Adam or something. In fact her feeling is exactly opposite. But then? Why is she feeling this way? Shaking her head she tries to remove the thought and decides to wait a few minutes to calm herself before heading outside.
After a few minutes as she comes outside to join them,her steps halt looking at the scene in front of her. Mia is already seated in Prachi's place and they are flirting each other continuously. It may be for the sake of the sleeping Anna in his lap, they are restraining themselves from doing something else.
Prachi decides to stand for herself in that moment and comes forward. Standing exactly behind Mia, she speaks through her clenched teeth , "Pardon me if I am interrupting something, but I guess Miss Mia, you should abstain from seducing your customer and at the same time you should restrain yourself from seating in a customer's seat in your working hours. If you have so much problem to follow the rules of your workplace, I really need to talk to your manager."
Mia pales for a moment then hurriedly stands up muttering a small sorry to Prachi.
Adam rolls his eyes and ignoring Prachi looks up to Mia and murmurs winking at her, "Never mind. She might have woken up in the wrong side of the bed today. Anyway, please send two cups of coffee mocha along with a plate of sandwich as soon as possible. We will be waiting."
Mia doesn't wait for Prachi's order and flees from there.
Prachi thinks her primary opinion regarding this place is absolutely wrong. However she decides to break the silence between them.
"How dare you to decide yourself what I should order or not! Am I really and absolutely invisible to you?"
Adam raises his one eyebrow at her in challenging manner and replies calmly, "Whoa.whoa. No need to get your panty in twist Miss. I have saved time by giving orders together and I really don't have time for your silly accusations."
Prachi also raises her eyebrows at him and speaks up, "Really? But just a few moments ago, it didn't look like you don't have time for silly conversation. In fact you were quite enjoying the process of wasting time with Mia. Weren't you?"
Adam smirks at her and responds smugly, "Why? Are you jealous that I like to spend my precious time flirting with Mia instead of seating quietly in front of this boring you?"
Ouch..
His words hurts her more than it should. And Prachi doesn't know why. Nonetheless she decides to ignore his pinch of words and replies steadily, "You can go and flirt or maybe sleep with whoever you wish and I don't give a shit about your personal life. However you have brought me here and I really don't know the reason yet. Moreover you might have forgotten that Anna is with you now. So I guess you really should hurry up now. Tell me why we are here. You don't look that hungry that you won't survive. I also have some important task. I need to leave soon."
Adam sighs and decides it is time to clarify his intention to her.
He clears his throat. Looking directly at her eyes, he continues, "Well. I have a proposal to you. I mean I know my short temper is the part of the reason of your unemployment now. Although it was not completely my fault but I agree that I shouldn't have fired you instantly. I..I regret my action and I want to rectify my fault by offering you another job."
His words are interrupted by the arrival of their food.
Prachi in her utter astonishment doesn't notice this. She was already about to choke in free air hearing his apology. Then his job offer literally made her jaw wide open.
It doesn't help her condition as Adam puts the plate of sandwich in front of her and murmurs softly, "You look like you haven't eaten anything for a long time. I have ordered this for you. Go on. Then we will continue our discussion."
Prachi seems to be in a dilemma whether she should force her jaw to come up from the floor first or to force her eyeballs to return in their sockets first.
Even after minutes of struggling, she doesn't find her voice to reply.
Adam, realising her pathetic situation, sighs audibly and touches her hand reaching on the opposite of the table.
His touch jolts her awake from her freezing condition. She opens her mouth and closes it for a few times but can't find any proper word to reply.
Adam gives a light squeeze in her hand and encourages her to eat signalling at her plate.
Prachi decides it's better to eat first as she needs time to process his words. So for the first time, she follows his words without any question.
Adam waits patiently while sipping his coffee. He is shocked himself how easily he apologized to her. He can't yet remember the last day when he apologized to anybody so smoothly.
Even Stella had to work hard in order to gain a simple apology from him.
The memory of Stella suddenly comes in his mind and his previous cheerfulness seems to have evaporated. He looks like the well known ruthless grumpy Adam again, whose face mask doesn't betray a single emotion.
The sudden change of mood and expression in his face doesn't get unnoticed by Prachi and it confuses her for a moment.
But she decides not to interrupt in his private space and keeps quiet.
After a few moments Adam notices that Prachi's plate is clear and she is sipping her coffee also while waiting for him to resume his discussion.
Adam places his cup on the table after finishing his coffee in one last sip and continues, "Well, I want to offer you the job of taking care of my daughter. I know you are jobless now for me and I also know that you need a job to provide your family. However once I fire someone, I can't take him/her back in my office no matter what. This is absolutely against my rule. So I can't give you back your previous job. But my daughter needs someone to take care of herself. Her previous nanny was responsible for her today's pain."
He clenches his jaws for a moment and then sighs before continuing, "My baby is motherless. Her father can't give her much time as you know. She really needs someone who can love her unconditionally and takes proper care of her. And after looking you with her today I know, only you can be that person. So tell me. What is your answer."
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to be continued...