Bonded by Fate *Completed*

45. The Sweet Poison

The next morning, as his alarm went off, Akshat left his bed and decided to check on Guddan.  Stepping out of his room, he recalled that it was barely 5 and Guddan would still be sleeping. But the door to her room was slightly ajar and thus curious Akshat peaked through the miniscule space to find her bed empty. Surprised, he stepped in and found her missing.

“Now, where did she go?” He had started wondering when he could make out a mix of hushed voices coming from outside.

Approaching the balcony, as he leaned over the railing, he saw Viraj and Guddan stretching in the lawns.

‘I guess it’s not a surprise now that she has started her career’, Akshat smiled glad to see the smile on her face, even though he wasn’t the cause of it.

~*~*~*~*~

“Guddan…”

Viraj trailed turning to Guddan, who had started to do squats.

“Haan?!” Guddan stopped and turned to him.

“I w-was….uh…you know thinking that like….your relations with your husband are kind of strained…” Guddan stiffened as she heard him continue, “…so then why don’t you gi--

“Stop right there!” Guddan interrupted him with a frosty voice.

Pursing his lips shut, Viraj looked at her as she approached him with a scowl on her lips.

“Our relations are not for you to interfere in, Viraj…”

Viraj nodded as Guddan continued, “and if you’re going to go against the terms we agreed on, I’d rather cut this friendship short”.

Viraj nodded yet again, his face contorting in pain. “I am sorry. I won’t do it again. It’s just that….I never intended to put you in a spot..”  he whispered clenching his fist.

Guddan let out a long sigh,letting the steel in her facial muscles fade away. “I am sorry too. I didn’t intend to come off rude. You are important Viraj and you know it. I just hope that we can continue to cherish this relation we have”.

And with that Guddan turned around to leave but her face went and crashed straight against a rather hard surface.

‘Did a wall walk into me or what?’

That question became invalid the instant a familiar scent invaded her senses and she took a hasty step back.Looking up, she saw Akshat dressed up in vest and track pants while his hair was being held back by a head band.

“Are you fine?” The two men in her vicinity asked at the same time as Guddan noddedwhile the duo just shared a look.

Clearing his throat, Akshat was the first one to break the awkward silence.

“I hope arrangements were to your comfort, Viraj”.

“Yes Mr. Jindal, I appreciate the gesture”.

Akshat nodded and turned his face towards Guddan only for her to steal her eyes away from him.

“Alright then, I’ll see you guys at breakfast” and with that Akshat jogged off while Guddan finally let her face fall into the comfort of her palms and started mumbling some incoherent words.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As Priyanshi walked into the board room with her chin held high and sass in her body language, Akshat couldn’t help but marvel at the difference between her and Guddan. Rather than speaking fiercely, her words laced with wit and sarcasm had every person in the boardroom hanging to their patience by a mere thread. They were trying not to burst apart but when the chairman lost his composure, that slight quirk in her lips had him fist bumping the air as if it was his victory.