The Velvet Healer (The Roys, #1) ✔

Chapter 7- Conflict

14th July

Mind can travel faster than air. Even faster than the light rays coming from the sun. Controlling the mind is an arduous task. Mind distracts with worries all the time and is perfectly capable of making a lively person silent in a matter of seconds. Now, it is up to you whether you control your mind or let your mind have control over you. At times, circumstances can be turbulent. But it is up to you to decide how you can keep your mind unaffected by them.

~~~

The projector made a strange noise and shut down suddenly. A low rumble rose around the table until Vikram forbade and called the technical (hardware) support team.

Priyasha looked up, straight ahead and met a pair of brooding eyes. Abhiraj was sulking over the uncalled interruption. As their eyes met, he blinked and averted his gaze. His eyes roamed around, judging everyone until they returned and settled on her again and stared unblinkingly.

Priyasha inhaled and gazed down on her notepad.

Vikram had already given a presentation on client requirements. It was now time for distribution of respective module allotment.

Priyasha's disobedient eyes once again found their ways ahead and took a sneak peek at him just to find out his intimidating eyes were still studying her unwaveringly. She felt self-conscious, then decided to stare back at him. She shouldn't back down so easily. But it didn't work. Abhiraj blinked leisurely and continued staring. His tightly pursed lips only twitched slightly as he leaned back in his chair.

Priyasha frowned and looked away. He was one hell of a weirdo! He made her uncomfortable without really trying.

Priyasha turned her focus on Vikram and asked, "Vikram, are we supposed to work individually, or you'll assign us team-mates?"

That caught everyone's attention. Some appreciated her query by nodding and uttering small words of approval.

Vikram responded, "Well, team of course. The coding part will be done by one, and the other will do the database part. Be free to seek help from each other and after the completion of the first module, we'll examine the progress. If needed, then we'll swap team members. Although, that's very unlikely."

Priyasha nodded understandingly and fell quiet.

"However, Priyasha, the sooner this project will end, the sooner we will focus on our next big one. And you're one of the few I want in that team," Vikram declared in front of everyone. Priyasha blushed as her eyes moved toward Abhiraj. But his clenched jaws made her blush vanish immediately. She gulped watching his frown deepen. He picked up a pen and leaned over his notepad. His fingers started working furiously, scribbling something down on it.

Priyasha shifted in her seat uneasily and decided to distract her mind from the thoughts of this strange man.

After the meeting was over, she excused herself from the meeting table and left immediately.

To be honest, Abhiraj was a difficult character, and Priyasha had realized that well enough by now. His actions were all confusing and contradictory. And then, the way he watched her from afar, it really made her uncomfortable. She couldn't yet understand who he actually was and what intentions he had. Since last night specifically, his presence had started to scare her. How could she trust him?

Sometime in past,

Maya slapped Priyasha across her already abused face that it stung raw. She looked up with her teary eyes at her mother, who was shaking, feeling the raw pain of her daughter's violation.