He Hates Me Or Does He?

PART 19: BADGE OF STALKER

Vihaan grabs my wrist tightly while I try to go away.
" I can't do it. It's private." I say deadly.
He lets out a laugh.  "I am not politely asking anymore. I hope you understand what an order means now ." He says strictly.

His face is dropping waters of seriousness. He knew it. He knew it was me hence the behaviour. He was just playing it cool and I am such a fool.

" If it's private then what's up with your breaths Anika. Is it because you don't have courage to stand up to your truth?" He lifts my chin up. I look at his face. " or is it because this is the first time I am standing so close to you or is it both." He says seriously.

" I don't have any idea ah."
He takes my hand towards the machine and fixes my thumb there. The biometric censor stays still for 5-6 seconds and after a span of 15 seconds, the match of my fingerprint turns green on the PC.

Vihaan lets out a sigh. I am truly scared at this point. I am trembling out of fear. I want to cry.

"Why were you not scared the same way yesterday while committing the crime." He asks looking at me.

" I was expecting something fishy from you but this is beyond my expectations. You are a really selfish person Anika. " He says grimly.

" I am sorry sir." I say sadly to him.

" Well lets inform your father what his lovely daughter is really doing. Shall we." He says while dialing my father's number and I am deadstruck. Everything's happening so fast and I am just unable to comprehend anything.

I take his phone hurriedly from his hands and put it behind my back. " Sir please I can explain. I just want you to."

Vihaan starts walking towards me. I am done today. I try to walk beside the glass but these Glasses can only get down through his shitty remote.

Vihaan pulls me rashly towards him by pulling my hand from the back. He tries to take the phone but I have hold on to it so tightly and I won't let it go.

He tries one to two times and in the third attempt takes it away hastily.

I try to take the phone again from his hands. He is pissed. He keeps the phone on the table and pulls me towards him while holding on to both my hands from behind. My wrists hurt. I need to think. I need to come up with an argument.

"Stop trying so hard. I am sorry to say but you are doomed now." He says looking down at me with his angry eyes.

"Sir I can really explain. Please give me a chance. Please." I say trying to find some hope in his eyes.

" Not even in your wildest dreams. Since yesterday, I was testing you and not even once you thought of confessing. Only if you had taken help of the truth, I would have let it go. But now no, I hate cheaters but more than that I hate liars. The act you've put up since the very start has engraed me so much that I just  can't." He rashly lets go of me and turns towards his table. I've never seen him angry like this. I am visibly shivering now.

" Sir I had a reason. I have never lied this badly before I swear. I got angry and.. " I try to stutter everything so honestly .

He turns towards me again. " Reason. Really? I am speechless on what to even call you? Reason Anika? really. Speak." He takes a pause. " Speak the reason". He says loudly.

I muster all the courage and let it all out. " Sir. I did it for revenge. I was very overwhelmed yesterday." I say but he starts jerking his head again in a no. I continue. " Sir please listen me out. You have only explored the wrong side. What I have done is terrible and I even regretted it but could not gather up the courage. Coming to the point, Sir I was frustrated by the things people were saying behind my back and even by my own ones. I wasin despair and the fact that you were selling the same story too made me feel hateful towards you. I was too full of anger and pride that I was unable to understand what's up with me." I say.

He is still staring at me. I continue. " and Sir I got to know that things are beings said behind my back against my character. Even my own cousins were making fun of me and accusing me of having the emotions that never really even crossed my mind. I love the books so much and they all know it yet they make their own stories that I am reading a particular genre in order to fascinate or impress you. I even challenged Aashna Di the other day that even if I'll hurt you I won't feel bad because I feel nothing towards you. But in all this race of defending my character, I destroyed my whole set of ethos and morals and I regret it truly. Please, don't give me salary for the month or please fire me even for that matter but please sir I urge you, don't let this out. I am truly sorry. It didn't feel like a big thing and I thought that I would look cool and bossy but I was wrong. All I ask is some empathy."
I finish. I have not been this honest with somebody from a long time. I can't even meet his eyes.

" you're really something huh. I've been in a lot of tough situations before. But what you did Anika is truly horrible. How can you be so evil? If you had that much of anger against me, you could have just shout or better slap? But showcasing my vulnerability on a fucking noticeboard. What the hell really? You don't have a tiny bit of idea what it feels like to lose a parent, to lose a mother who was asking for help but I couldn't help. The reason I trusted Aashnaa blindly with her opinions on you is her ability to empathise with people. But you." He laughs and then straightens again " you made a mockery out of me for being vulnerable of losing a mother. That poetry was something that speaks billions of words. You don't even know what it's like to lose a parent let alone empathise, playing with people so you could take your little revenge."

" Sorry to interrupt but you are really not understanding. Firstly, I did not handpick that page, it was just a matter of fate. You can check the fingerprints. You will find them in only a page or two. Lastly, losing a parent is every child's fear ever. How can you even accuse me of feeling something so terrible? I am sorry and I am saying it again but sir it was not a part of my plan. I was just in a fury and did it as your diary was lying open and I just had to do something in order to get rid of the anger I had for you. Sorry for being immature." I say calmly.

He listens everything and then says " You know, I am not going to let it slip that easily. You'll surely have to pay." He moves towards his laptop and starts typing. He prints the paper and hands over to me. " Sign it." He says

I take a look. It's a pact. Nothing will be leaked out until I agree to do some extra work and activities which might be important for his organisation/company/construction with a condition that I can't resign myself until the next month which is already in my contract. I see no harm there.

" urm okay. As long as the favours aren't anything sexual or bizarre. It's okay with me." I say casually.

" You wish. Also it's not a favour let me remind you." He says while handing me the pen.

I sign on it. I am a hardworking woman so I know that I can work hard if it will require me to. And If a situation arrives where he starts demanding something unusual, I'll just get back. The worse thing he can do is spill my tea. So let be it. Before that, I'll find a bigger tea to spill.