Married to my Ex-boyfriend

CHAPTER - 6 THE ANGUISH (PART - 2)

  "When it's gone, you'll know what a gift love was. You'll suffer like this. So go back and fight to keep it."
― Ian McEwan, Enduring Love

Netra:

"Are you alright?" Kartik asked me after he took me in a corner, away from the listening ears.

"Yes, thank you for saving me." 

"Yeah, no problem. Geez not a month in Delhi and you have already faced the fucker."

I nervously  turned back to look at Moulik and found him staring at Kartik and me, still standing where I left him with his fist clenched at his sides. 

"Hey" Kartik grasped both of my elbows in a comforting manner and  brought my mind to him "Be calm, okay. Nothing can affect you. Focus on what you came to do here. That bastard does not deserve your time or energy."

"Yes, thanks." I took few deep breathes to calm my nerves.

"Alright?"

"Yup." 

"Good, let that asshole suffer."

"Oye, stop cursing." Kartik has always been a gentleman but starts cursing like a sailor once his white knight complexity comes out. 

Raising an eyebrow he asks me "Defending him, are you?"

I gasped. "What? No! But I like you without all your cursing."

He scoffs. "Look who's talking."

"Hey, I do not curse.... that much." Okay, I curse a lot. Half of the boys has rejected or bad mouthed about me in the past because they could not stand my cursing and think it makes  me less of a lady.

Well, my reply to all of them - FUCK YOU.

But no the biggest problem in cursing is that sometimes I slip in front of my parents; especially my mom. She too thinks that it's very unladylike habit and will reduce my chance of getting married. Hence, she threatens me with an arranged marriage whenever she hears me swearing. Honestly, not having a problem with my abusive language was one of the reason why I liked Moulik, he didn't corrected me or tried to stop me cuz he knew I never use such language with the intention of actually cursing, just reliving my frustration.  

"Okay, fine. I do. Now, let's get to the party. I have work to do." So that I can leave this place as quickly as possible. 

Kartik looked behind me towards the crowd and furrowed his eyes. "Okay, but let me know when you wanna leave, I'll drop you. Okay?"

My heart fluttered - in a totally platonic way - by seeing his concern for me. I don't know why, but I don't have lot of friends and this guy was concerned over a little thing. I smiled and gently pinched his cheeks. 

"Awww, you look so cute being all worried about me." I laughed when he scrunched his nose.

"God Netra, please call me anything but cute."

"But you are cute." 

"C'mon, let's get to work and get the hell out of here before you completely snatch my man card away." He took me back to Apurva who had now moved on to new set of people.

But whatever I tried to do or think, my mind never left Moulik. I was constantly aware of his presence and his eyes following me. Many a times, I caught him staring at me and many unlucky times, he caught me staring at him. 

After about an hour and half, I sighed tiredly. Post meeting Moulik, I couldn't concentrate much but still got some new possibilities of collaboration. Plus my heels were killing me. I decided it was time to leave. I saw off Apurva and my boss, told Kartik to be ready to leave in 5 minutes and went to use the loo.