Part - 12

"If You Love Something, Let It Go. If It Is Meant For You, It Will Come Back To You"

(Writer's POV)

"Is this Karthik's office? It's so huge, Sanjeev" Mithra tells Sanjeev stepping out of the car & looking up at a huge building which happens to Karthik's Singapore office.

"Yes. It is" Sanjeev says & pulls out their luggage from the trunk of the car. Sanjeev has accompanied Mithra to Singapore as Karthik doesn't like Mithra travelling on her own. Yeah! It’s another request or you could say order made by Karthik to his poor friend Sanjeev.

"Why you brought me to his office? Take me to his home." Mithra tells him.

"He lives in this building only. Penthouse" he clarifies her.

"Oh I see. Have you been here already? If so how many times have you been here?" Mithra asks out of curiosity as Sanjeev knows the place as the back of his hand.

"This is the 4th time I’m visiting Singapore. Twice before you both got married when he worked here for two years. Then after you both got divorce once I came to see how he is doing & now I am here with you" he explains.

"How was he when you have last seen him?" Mithra asks in a low voice.

"Oh well, he was grand as he doesn't have the duty of babysitting you all day" he says mockingly. She turns her face away feeling hurt and embarrassed.

"Come" he says & guides her to the elevator.

“Karthik!" Mithra shrieks as soon as Karthik opens the door & throws herself in his arms.

"I missed you so much" She hugs him hard & he hugs her back with a smile as he ruffled her hair affectionately. He feels great having his baby brat in his arms.

"How was your journey, baby?" Karthik asks but before she could answer, Sanjeev pushes her aside & hugs Karthik almost knocking him down making Mithra gasp & wonder whether they are really gay, seeing their open display of affection.

“Karthik, don't forget what I asked you in return for bringing this brat safely here" Sanjeev whispers to Karthik.

"I won't be coming in. I will just drop you there, okay?" Karthik says softly.

"Where you two are planning to go?" Mithra pipes in with a curious frown. Sanjeev ignores her & take Karthik a little away from her & insists "It's will be so much fun, Karthik so please join me."

"No way in hell I am going to stripe club with you, Sanjeev" Karthik says sternly but maintained his voice low so that no one will hear, mainly Mithra.

"Stripe club?" Mithra shouts from behind hearing Karthik's whispered voice too. After all she has snake ears.

Both Sanjeev & Karthik closed their eyes in dread and shook their heads.

"I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. Please take me with you, Sanjeev." She begs Sanjeev jumping up & down.

"You are not going to such places, Mithra, ever!" Karthik hisses.

"Why, Karthik? Even you come with us. It will be so exciting." Mithra says clasping her hands together.

"What excitement she will get seeing girls stripe their clothes & do pole dance?" Sanjeev mutters under his breath.

"Are you by any chance a lesbian?" Sanjeev asks with a smirk taking revenge on her for asking him whether he was a gay.

"What? No!" Mithra says angrily.

"I heard in stripe club even men use to stripe their cloths, I have never ever seen a nude man in my life" Mithra says jumping up and down like a small kid who’s about to get candy making Karthik grit his teeth & bunch his hand in a fist.

"Oh Mithra, I wish I could take you but you know babies are not allowed in such clubs. It’s only for adults." Sanjeev says mockingly.

"I'm not a baby, you idiot. I am an adult too. Don't you see me?" She says angrily, straightening her shoulder, pushing her chest forward and placing her hands firmly on her hips. But quickly Karthik steps before her hiding her asset from Sanjeev's view.

"Will you take me or not?" Mithra asks pushing Karthik away & takes a threatening step towards Sanjeev.

"No. I won't take you to stripe club, you kiddo" Sanjeev says pushing her forehead with his fingers.

"First I will see how you are going, Sanjeev" They heard a roaring voice of a lady.

"What the hell Deeps is doing here, Karthik?" Sanjeev asks to Karthik in a whisper recognizing the voice.

"As a token of appreciation for bring Mithra here, I only called Deeps to come over and asked her not to tell you about the plan so that we can surprise you & I thought you both can enjoy a short holiday here but never thought my surprise will backfire." Karthik says in a single breath, in a contrite voice.

"You bloody ungrateful wretch. Why didn't you tell me before man? At least you could have stopped me when I was talking about stripe club as you know she was in there" Sanjeev barks at Karthik.

"Sorry, dude" Karthik says, honestly feeling apologetic.

Sanjeev glares at him murderously and mutters "I'm cursing the day we met & became friends"

“Sanjeev, Deeps is waiting for you. Go face the music. Till then I will talk with Karthik as I know neither of us is going to that stripe club." Mithra yells the word ‘stripe’ to rail up Deepa’s anger.

"I will kill you, little witch" Sanjeev shouts bringing his hands close to Mithra's neck to kill her but she runs and hides behind Karthik.

"Deeps, my jaanu... I’m not going to such bad place, it was actually Karthik’s idea…”

“Liar!” Mithra shouts. Sanjeev stamps her foot asking her to shut her mouth.

“Jaanu, please don’t be mad at me and come give me a hug" Sanjeev coos softly.

"Come in, you bas***d" Deepa spits the word & marches to the guest room where Karthik asked her to settle in.

"So how are you, Mithu baby?" Karthik asks taking her to the dining table & handing her a glass of orange juice & then he poured a glass of white wine for himself.

"Good. I missed you so badly but now I’m so happy seeing you. But I think you totally forgot your little friend." she says sipping the juice from the glass.

"I will never forget my friend" Karthik smiles & ruffles her hair lovingly.

I only have forgotten my wife, my broken marriage... but… but why still the wound that terrible phase gave me is so fresh & paining me so badly? Maybe because I haven't forgotten anything, maybe I haven't moved on in my life, maybe I am still stuck up with my past. Karthik thought.

"Are you happy, Karthik?" Mithra asks hesitantly.

"Yep" he lies faking a smile. She smiles back not realizing his smile wasn’t genuine one.

"Come. I will show you, your room" he stands up from his chair & holds his hand out for her to take.

"How is your girlfriend?" Mithra asks.

"Girlfriend? Oh Nisha. Yeah, she is grand. You will see her tomorrow morning."

"She is not staying here…with you?" she asks with undisguised shock.

"Why would she?" Karthik asks confused.

"I thought you both were living together" she says and sighs in relief.

"Her house is just two blocks away from mine. We can hang up anytime we please so she didn't bother moving in with me" Karthik says coolly. He is anything but cool. He was so pissed at Mithra. He wants to knock hard on her dumb head & scream out loud that Nisha is just a good friend but he doesn't want to do so. He doesn't care anymore what she thinks about him, his relationship with Nisha.

"Oh" Mithra says meekly.

"She daily comes here & cooks breakfast for me & we eat together. Sometimes we will go out for dinner if I get any free time from my work. You know, she has become my support system after coming back to Singapore" Karthik tells smiling and it’s true statement. If it wasn’t for Nisha, he might have gone into depression.

"How is your work going?" Mithra asks not wanting to hear anymore about Nisha.

"My work is everything now to me as It keeps me focused."

"You should not be like that, Karthik? Work is not everything. See, soon Nisha will get bored of you if you show more importance to your work than to her"

"I m surprised seeing you talk all matured." He smirks. "But trust me, she won't get bored of me, if she does & leaves me also I don't care because it's nothing new to me"

"I... Karthik..."

“Mithra, you must be tired.” He cuts her off. “You go sleep. Will see you in the morning" he says and drags her to her room.

“Karthik... You have changed" Mithra says hugging him burying her face in his chest.

"Yes, I am" Karthik says wrapping his arms around her inhaling her calming scent which soothes him.

"Did I lose my friend?" She asks in worry.

"No. he is still alive" only your husband... oops ex-husband is dead.

"You sleep. Good night" He kisses her temple & releases her from his arms & walks out of her room.

(Next day, morning)

Karthik woke up earlier than usual. He hardly slept since the day Mithra asked him for divorce.

After coming to Singapore, he fully engrossed himself in work. He works like a maniac & only Nisha gives him the much needed stress break by taking him out for dinner or something like that to free his mind.

He looks out through the window and it’s still dark outside so he tried to sleep but he couldn’t sleep anymore so he creeps out of his room & went to Mithra's room to check on her.

He finds her sleeping peacefully like a small kid curled up on the bed like a ball. He covers her properly with a satin bed sheet & heads to the basement gym in the same building.

Karthik starts running on the tread mill, lost in his thoughts.

"Good morning, Karthik" Nisha wishes him but she didn’t get any reply.

Nisha use to work out in his private gym every morning.

Nisha understood that something is bothering Karthik so she let him be and doesn’t probe him. He will tell her if he feels like sharing. She thought and starts warming up by stretching her legs wide & touching her toe with her fingers.

Suddenly she notices the speed of the treadmill increasing and Karthik starts running on it instead of jogging or walking.

“Karthik, slow down!" Nisha warns. But he keeps increasing the speed.

A moment later, Karthik falls out of the treadmill & gets his knees & elbow hitting his body on the hard floor.

“Karthik" Nisha screams & runs to him to help him sit up.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Nisha shouts at him. Karthik winces in pain as he holds his elbow tightly.

"Show me. I will spray on your injury before it starts swelling" She says taking out the magic spray tin from her gym bag.

"No. I'm fine" Karthik resists her. But she glares at him & snatches his hand rudely & sprays over the injured region of his elbow.

"You are going mad, Karthik" she shouts angrily.

"You know me so well, Nisha" Karthik chuckles

"Don't do this, Karthik. Please, don't bottle up your pain or anger. Just pour it out, unburden it or else it will kill you.” she shouts as she slaps him hard across his face to knock some sense to him. Karthik turns his face and looks at the black space. “I know all your rigorous work outs, depriving your sleep, not eating well or caring for yourself & working like a machine are just to shut out the thoughts of Mithra... but enough is enough, please. If you find Mithra in your condition how you will feel? Won’t you feel terrible? Well, I feel terrible now, Karthik. I can't see my friend like this, like a broken man. I beg you, please move on" Nisha cries, joining her hands as if worshipping and she begs him. Karthik embraces her in his arms and hugs her tightly, comforting her.

"I am sorry, Nisha. I'm trying but I can't help. Seeing Mithra here, it rekindled all the old memories which I am trying to forget." he says his voice hoarse.

"I told you not to see her till you completely forget your past." Nisha says still in his arms but this she’s the one comforting him by brushing his hair gently with her fingers.

"I can't keep running from my Mithra." He mumbles.

"She is here to see her friend. She is already worried that she is losing her friend with the distance I have put between us so I can’t send her away from me now. Besides I am truly so happy to have my friend here. It's just... I can't see her only as my friend..."

"Oh please. Stop thinking about Mithra" Nisha chides him & right then enters Mithra to do her workout. Sanjeev already told her there was a big private gym in the basement the previous day.

Mithra stops in track seeing both Karthik and Nisha sitting on the floor, hugging.

"Um... I ... I am sorry..." Hearing Mithra's voice both Karthik & Nisha breaks free from their hug & sits up straight, looking puzzled for why she apologized.

"It's okay Mithra come on in" Karthik calls her when she turns to walk out.

"Sorry, I didn't me to intrude while... er... you both were making out" Mithra assumes their closeness as they were making out in gym. Though she feels a bang of jealously seeing her Karthik in Nisha's arms she managed to hide it successfully as that's exactly what she wants, Karthik and Nisha’s closeness.

"Making out? f**k" Karthik cursed under his breath. I should have better let her walk back instead of stopping her. You are a fool, Karthik. He chides himself.

“Mithra, darling, you don't have to apologize. You know we are so crazy for each other & we can't keep our hands off each other & we start making out anywhere and everywhere, not bothering of our surrounding" Nisha says as sweetly as she can. Karthik turns to her in shock & Nisha winks at him. Mithra just stares at her embarrassed & also feeling little hurtful.

Then Nisha swiftly stood up and helps Karthik to stand on his feet. Karthik winces & limps as he got his right knee hurt when he was thrown out of the treadmill and landed on the floor with a thud.

“Karthik, what happened?" Mithra rushes to him & holds his hand to support him.

"He fell from the treadmill & got his knee & elbow hurt." Nisha tells her.

"So you were helping him?" Mithra asks realizing they were not making out as she thiught but Nisha was just helping him, proof the spray bottle lying unceremoniously on the floor. Oh god! She was just tending his injury. Stupid, you Mithra, you misunderstood. Mithra chides herself in her mind.

"Don't be so judgmental, Mithra. That leads you to nowhere" Nisha advises.

"I'm sorry" Mithra mutters and bites her lowe lip to prevent it from trembling.

"You are seeing all the unwanted things but failing to see the needed ones." Nisha marches out leaving Karthik & Mithra alone, after making that remark.

"What was she trying to say?" Mithra asks Karthik confused.

"Just leave it, baby" Karthik says.

"Am I bothering you?" Mithra asks as she slowly leads him to his room.

"Why do you ask so?" Karthik asks.

"I feel like I am coming in your private zone." Karthik frowns hearing her hesitant words. "I know you won't mind as I am your best friend but Nisha might feel bad for me coming in between you two. See, even now she is cross with me. Not even said a proper 'hi' to me. She doesn't like me and she doesn't want me here. I better go back to India..." Mithra tells hesitantly as her eyes welled up.

"You are mistaking again. Nisha is such a sweet girl and I don't care whether she likes your stay here or not because she has no say in that matter" Karthik says sternly.

"I know... I am sorry. Nisha means a lot to you... I started wondering..." She stops & looks down at her knotted fingers.

"Started wondering?" Karthik asks tipping her chin up forcing her to see him.

"You hate me! I don't have any place in your heart. I mean nothing to you. I am just a burder here" she says & cries hugging him.

"Yes. I hate you..." Karthik whispers. She leans up to look at him as he continues "... for even thinking I will hate you... Yes I agree Nisha means a great deal to me but you are everything to me... You know that, dont you?"

“Karthik... I am sorry... I don't know why I said all that... I...I just got insecure of losing you... Losing you to Nisha..." She admits to him, soaking his tshirt with tears.

"You won't lose me because I don't belong to anyone. If I do then it's to myself. I am in my own company" he tells to her in a way explanation that there is nothing... Absolutely nothing going between him & Nisha but with her silence and continuous crying he realized his words went to her deaf ears.

"It's okay. Stop crying, baby. You are wetting my tshirt" he says to cheer up her mood and it worked.

"It's not my tears. It's your sweat" she tells wiping her nose with his tshirt. He chuckles.

"You go workout. I will go take my shower" Karthik tells her.

"No. I will do my exercise this evening" she says.

"Then go to your room & take your shower" Karthik instruct her.

"No. I take my bath later. I will sit here in your room. If you don't mind can I play Temple Run game in your phone?" Mithra asks.

"When you started asking my permission to take my things?" Karthik asks raising a brow.

"I know... But you have changed a lot now... So I thought to ask..." She tells & he just shakes his head.

"Still your phone password is 'Mithu' or did you change it to 'Nishu'?" She asks teasingly but inside she's hell serious about the matter.

"Yeah I have changed it... But not Nishu..." He tells.

"Then" Mithra asks.

"F.U.C.K" Karthik spells it out & Mithra types it without thinking.

"It's showing wrong password, Karthik" Mithra tells him.

"Find the right one then" Karthik tells & walks into the bathroom grabbing a towel on his way.

Then she tried various possibilities of the password like Nisha, Mithra, Password, Error, Popsicle but nothing worked. She even typed Sanjeev as she knows Karthik loves him. But no use.

“Karthik... Help me nah? Please" she shouts standing outside the bathroom and banging it loudly.

"No clues. You find on your own, baby" Karthik shouts back. Baby? Baby brat... Got it! She typed 'babybrat' & it got unlocked.

A huge smile creeps on Mithra's face seeing hers & her Karthik's close up picture set as wallpaper which they have taken in Andaman, their most memorable holiday trip.

"I got it, Karthik. Thanks for your hint" she says grinning & quickly runs back to the bed & jumps on it. She settles herself comfortable on the bed with her legs crossed and back plastered to the bed post & starts playing the game.

“Karthik, breakfast ready" Nisha barges into Karthik's bedroom.

"Nisha, for heaven sake knock the door & come in when I permit you to, please" Karthik says irately as he picks out his white shirt and black pants from his wardrobe to get ready for office.

"No. If I knock & come then you will get alert & I wont get to feast my eyes with your sexy body" Nisha says in a flirtatious tone.

"You are shameless, Nisha." Karthik says chuckling.

"Now if you could go out I can get dressed"

"No. I won't. Change in front of me." Nisha demands.

"No way I am changing in front of a girl" Karthik says with finality.

"Then who she is? Boy huh?" Nisha points to Mithra who is so engrossed in playing Temple Run.

"I know she won't look at me unlike you. You are an eye-f**king bitch" Karthik tells faking anger only to make Nisha laugh out loud.

"Except Mithra, every single female species will die to ogle you. You are an eye candy, you know" Nisha winks.

"Are you planning to ditch, Micheal?" Karthik asks her softly.

"Oh yeah... I need a favour from you, Karthik?" Nisha asks.

"Tell me?" Karthik encourages her.

"You get ready & come. I will tell you my plan"

"Plan?" Karthik asks puzzled.

"Yep!” she winks and then turns to Mithra. “Hey, breakfast is ready. Join us" Nisha says to her more politely.

"Sure" Mithra smiles back.

"Is Temple Run more tempting than Karthik's wet body?" Nisha asks Mithra out of curiosity, sitting beside Mithra as Karthik went into the dressing room to get changed into his formals.

"Karthik's body is nothing new to me" Mithra tells still focusing on the game "You know, Karthik has 9 moles on his skin in total"

"What?" Nisha shouts in shock. “You have counted his moles?”

... To be continued!!!

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