Part 5

"Just because something isn't a lie does not mean that it isn't deceptive. A liar knows that he is a liar, but one who speaks mere portions of truth in order to deceive is a craftsman of destruction."

― Criss Jami

His dark piercing gaze glided upon her like a warm silken cloth, tickling her senses as his eyes moved from her head to toe taking her all in at once and Mahi felt an odd tingling sensation passing through the back of her neck, which couldn't be entirely termed as unpleasant.

But it wasn't for long, the soft smooth drawl of Arjun Rao sounded beside her, breaking them both out of their revive. "Hello brother." And the warmth in those gazes were suddenly gone, instead Kartik's eyes turned into hard icy stones, his whole demeanor changed as he silently looked at her and then at his brother together, standing side by side.

'Furious' might be the right word, Mahi realized as she looked at Kartik's wide rigid shoulders that stiffened in response to their presence here, his jaws hardening as if he was preparing for a fight right here in the middle of the ball room but she wasn't prepared for it, she hadn't really thought in a hundred years that the bastard Arjun would deliberately bring her somewhere to encounter Kartik face to face after what had happened between them and she wasn't prepared to deal with such a scenario just now.

She wasn't ready to face him yet, perhaps never will!

Her heart thudded in her chest, as she took off from the hall, not looking where she was going but just blindingly running through the throngs of people, to get away.

She didn't know what was wrong with her, she knew very well that Arjun was the real danger here, a creep and slightly loose in the head but she failed to understand how it was his sane headed brooding banker elder brother that made her a nervous wreak, her otherwise sharp mind turning blank as her limbs turned limp at the same time, whenever she came anywhere near him.

After a whole long tour of the place, Mahi was finally in front of the ladies restroom where she threw herself into a empty stall and locked the door and leaned on it trying to catch her breath and collect her thoughts.

'It must be the shock!' She told herself. 'Shock of seeing him here - that's what had made her nervous like that.'

'It must be! It could be the only reason to explain her strange reaction on seeing him! Shock! That was all it was!'

She was acting out of character, being in the media industry the first requirement for her career was to say goodbye to nervousness and discomfort and never ever run away from a question or situation but she had done all three of those in last one hour thanks to that Kartik Rao and that bastard Arjun. He really was a nasty piece of art.

And Mahi felt a bit bad for the Kartik, it had been very clear from his earlier actions that Kartik was very protective of his family and was therefore guarding whatever secrets his family held and Mahi out of all the people understood and respected that and so, she wasn't going after any stupid scandals just to take her revenge on him but of course their last conversation in that empty park had also made it very clear that he didn't believe anything she said and still suspected her of knowing his well guarded secret.

'But it won't be such a well guarded secret for much longer, anyway.' Mahi grimaced. If his younger brother Arjun's enthusiasm 'To tell the whole story' to a rather stranger like her, is anything to go by.

Mahi knew that even if she had refused to listen to Rao family's secret from Arjun, it wouldn't take very long before he spills his beans in front of someone else and set tongues wagging. Because it had been no Herculean task to figure the fact out that Arjun hated his elder brother Kartik, resented him for some reason and he was ready to go to any length to cause him pain and hurt if he could.

'What a weird family!' Mahi thought as she washed her hands in the white, immaculate basin after finally getting out of her stall. It was then that she caught her own reflection in the mirrors hanging on the wall. Her face was white and pale and no amount of makeup was able to hide the simple truth that she was highly distressed. She just wanted to go home and sleep this night off and forget she had ever met the Rao brothers but it was all easier said than done because her pale reflection was no longer alone but a familiar dark pair of orbs glared at her from within the smooth surface of the mirror and she gasped loudly.

Turning around she saw Kartik Rao in his pricey, well tailored grey suit standing there like he owned the place.

"What the hell are you doing in the ladies restroom?" She screeched, afraid that she was once again letting her nervousness show.

"We need to talk." Came his short reply as he continued to tear her apart with his murderous glares. Mahi gulped. "What's there to talk about?"

"Many things but not here!" He purposefully strode towards her and the action reminded Mahi of a tiger lurking in the shadows waiting for his prey to show up.

"Look here!" Mahi tried her best to look and sound as professional as she could. "Mr. Rao I didn't like what you did in that interview and how you insulted me on national television and for quite some time I wanted revenge but I have realized it's a futile attempt and I no longer hold any grudges against you either so -so." Her voice suddenly chocked up, her words getting mixed up in her nerves as her glanced around helplessly under his scrutinizing gaze. "So, let's just end it here, shall we?" She stopped speaking finally looking into those dark eyes but alas, they hadn't softened one bit.

"I don't believe you Miss Acharya you have spent 20,000 rupees to bail Arjun out of jail and then had been following him ever since to get any sort of story or scandal out of him to get back at me! And that's exactly why you are here with him. Aren't you? You little minx!" He seethed near her ear, "You have no idea what you are dealing with. I can and I will tear your whole career apart if so much as a whisper comes out about my family through that lying mouth of yours."

"I am sorry to break the sad news to you Kartik Rao but if any story about your family does comes out in public then it would be coming from your crazy little brother's mouth, not mine because I don't have a single clue about any scandal that involves your family." She screeched back, her own temper rising as she saw how little that man thought of her. " I am not some sort of crazy gossip monger who would go to any length to unearth some scandal for the fun the fun of it."

"Oh really?" Kartik scoffed in mock amusement but his eyes still held that murderous glint that pointed Mahi guilty as charged. "Playing innocent now are we?"

"You are one manipulative little bitch, lying all the time!" He suddenly thundered. "You are parading around with Arjun in a high society gala and no doubt giving him the time of his life in bed just to get the story out of him, aren't you?"

"Shut up!" She looked at the deep red finger marks of her hand across his right cheek, yes she had slapped him. Stumbling out of her momentary shock she looked pointedly at him. "Don't ever dare..." but her words remained incomplete as they heard the telltale sound of clicking heels. Someone was coming their way!

"Quick get out of here!" With tight grip on her wrist he steered her away and out of the ladies restroom before they could get found out in there squabbling like bulls but found out they were because a beautiful dark haired woman was right outside the door who opened and closed her mouth like a gaping fish out of water when she saw a man coming out of the ladies restroom.

"Kartik, darling what are you doing here?" The woman then curiously looked at Mahi before her eyes flitted back to Kartik. "I had been looking for you all over the place!" she then clung to his left arm like an stupid little ape, smiling sweetly at him while Mahi gritted her teeth in annoyance.

And it looked like Mahi wasn't the only one to get annoyed at her, Kartik frowned at the woman and slowly got his arm out of her twinning grip. "Disha I am sorry but I have a far urgent matter to deal with right now."

"Wait! Wait! You are Disha Irani, the dectective tv series actress?" Mahi suddenly asked curiously looking at the woman. Well, yes she did look like that half Parisian and half Indian beauty who's tv series was at the top of TRP from last many weeks.

A tinkling high pitched laugh reached Mahi making her almost flinch but she stood her ground, this was her chance to grab another interview if she could. From weeks her channel had tried contacting Disha Irani to get her to give an interview yet all they have got in reply was her manager telling them that 'She is currently busy!'

"Why yes, I am Disha Irani but I am afraid I am not ready to sign autographs or take selfies with fans darling." The haughtiness in her voice didn't surprise Mahi she knew most of the public celebrities were like this self centered and narcissistic.

"No, I am actually a reporter ma'am. " Mahi slid her card out of her purse and handed it to the actress. "And it would be so lovely to get an interview before the launch of second season of your detective series."

"Humm....A reporter." The actresses's eyes glimpsed at her again and her rather simple dress before she spoke again. "I guess, it would be good to do an interview after all no publicity is bad publicity right?" She smiled and Mahi wanted to jump up and down in pure elation, she had got Disha Irani's interview, although all she said was, "Great then, please give me a call on that number and we could set a date for doing it."

"Sure, I will tell my manager to do it!" The actress nodded while pocketing her card when she felt Kartik's grip on her wrist tightening again and she looked up to find his distinctly hostile eyes, like that of a shark upon her.

"Excuse us now Disha, we have an urgent business to deal with!" And with that curt reply, he once again started to drag her through the empty corridors, leading her towards the back door of the building.

"What are you doing? Stop!"

"Not until we talk!" he snapped as they came out of the back door into the silence of the night.

"What is there to talk about?" She cried, trying to get her wrist out of his strong grip.

"What did you come here with Arjun tonight?" His question was simple and straightforward yet it's answer was anything but.

"Arjun asked me to dinner to say thank you because I bailed him out that night!" She replied, still thinking how much she should tell him about that bastard brother of his.

"Still playing innocent?" He snarled. "So, you will still pretend that you know nothing?"

"I am not pretending for god's sake!" She hurled back. "I REALLY don't know anything!"

"Lair! Then what were you doing with Arjun tonight? And don't pretend about any thank you dinner because we both know very well that Arjun , that lousy bastard doesn't care about anything and ...'Thank you'....'Sorry' are the words that never comes out of his mouth! He had bought you here to flaunt it in my face that now, you know the secret! Isn't that true?" He snarled again, making Mahi furious like never before.

This man was a large arrogant ass who cared about nothing but himself and no matter how many times she tells him that she doesn't know anything about his family, he damn wouldn't believe it and Mahi had enough of this!

"Fine then!" She cried at last. "Believe what you want! I am not going to explain myself anymore."

Suddenly her phone bleeped in her hand, indicating a new message and she was glad for the distraction. She unlocked her phone, it was Tony Zacharia, her boss. "Well done Mahi, I heard what you just snagged up girl, I would like to hear all about it in the morning." The message read and taking in a shaky breath she looked up.

Something like hurt flashed up in Kartik's angryeyes and it became very clear that he had read Tony's message too and drew upall the wrong conclusions from it. By the next moment, he had let her wrist goand then started walking away in the darkness and before Mahi could decide ifshe should go behind him and try to explain herself again, Kartik had already disappearedin the dark.

Hey guys, so I wanted to ask something from you all. Do you think the story lacks details? Like what the heroine was wearing or how her hair was done or about the details of the hotel they went to? If so please let me know and I will add them.

Thank you!