Besabriyaan

Chapter 43

N A N D I N I

"I don't like traitors." My lips were tight in a straight line as I shot daggers looking at Mr. Manik Malhotra.

"Traitor?" For a second, he widened his eyes looking behind to see if I was referring to someone behind him. "Wait-did  you call me a traitor?" His index finger pointed at his chest stressing on me.

"Yes, Sir. Correct me if I am wrong but weren't you the one who promised me a milkshake and aren't we now sitting at this bar? Are we or are we not?" I crossed arms across my chest leaning back on my chair opposite his. He opened his mouth to reason with but ended up drumming his knuckles on the table looking around.

"First, I didn't make any promise, all right and second, I took you to that bistro. It's not my problem if you came running out of it." He exhaled mildly.

"It's not my fault that there was a guy creeping the hell out of me!" I still could imagine those eyes of that obnoxious waiter.

"Fine, then. Here we are now and stop being a crybaby." He somewhat sounded like a pissed off boyfriend.

As our server came, Manik ordered a large rum and coke for him and after he was done ordering, his eyebrows shot up gesturing me to place my order.

"No, thank you. I am good." I looked away making him scoff.

"Listen, have something. A little of something." That sounded more of a command than a request.

"Uh," I turned to the waiter "Can you get me a little of blueberry milkshake, please?" The waiter dropped his pad whilst Manik casted me a displeased look.

"This is a goddamn bar, Murthy." His eyebrows were stitched in confusion.

"Exactly. This is a goddamn bar....Sir." I smiled watching him sigh at the ceiling.

Something about my surrounding reminded me that I had to behave and the stature of the man I was accompanying. There weren't many people in the bar but the way the Manager greeted Manik stated clearly that he was regular over there. I could see some of the staffs elbowing one another and thus I had to tame my tongue.

"Umm I can have a coke." Manik smirked giving me a hard time suppressing my smile.

After the waiter was gone, Manik tried engaging me in some conversation but I found it easier staring at the muted music channel on the television on the wall to ignore him. He kept changing topics but seeing me react to none, he eventually gave up digging into his phone. I cleared my voice to have his attention on the fact that I wasn't attentive to him but that didn't even reach his ears. Ultimately, having no other choice, I tapped the empty glass of water on the table which made him look up straight at me. Puzzled, I looked back at the television and he at his mobile but there was this smug smile on his face which interpreted well that he was testing my desperation.

Ugh.

I dropped the napkin purposely which he noticed from the corner of his eyes which still were glued to that stupid gadget but when he stared back at me, suddenly, I didn't know what to say or do.

"What?" I derided.

"What?" He raised an eyebrow.

"What?" I lifted my shoulders giving a light shrug.

"What?" He repeated, bewildered.

"Stop repeating me." I miffed. He was the one who literally requested me to spend the night with him over a milkshake and now he was paying zero attention to me. That's just a wow thing.