Chapter27

Janani walked up the red carpet apprehensively, her fingers gripping tightly to Armaan's rock
hard biceps .
There was a huge crowd in the foyer and cameras were flashing in all the directions and she
felt very uncomfortable with all the attention they were receiving.
She had always known that Armaan is kind of a celebrity in his world. But she never
expected this overwhelming attention they were receiving.
They paused to talk to a couple who seemed vaguely familiar .They were foreigners and she
had no idea how she knew them. But she is pretty darn sure she knows them.
Relieved to see at least two friendly faces and trying to figure out where she had seen them
before, Janani smiled and chatted, finding them surprisingly approachable.
She definitely knew them from somewhere. And they know her too. Why else would they talk
to her so freely? She thought with a confused smile.
As Armaan led her away into the foyer, she was still smiling.
"They were nice. I know I have met them before somewhere, but I can't remember where.
Do they work with you? What are their names? Which country are they from??"
When he told her, she stared at him in mortified silence.
"Right. Both of them are Hollywood stars. The reason I know their faces is because I have
seen them both in the movies. Now I am embarrassed. Oh, my God! They must have
wondered why I was grinning at them like a fool." She cried in embarrassment
"You were charming and not at all star-struck. And you didn't ask for their autograph nor a
selfie, which is always refreshing for someone who is always chased for either" Armaan said
softly
"That's because I didn't recognize them. If I had, I would have definitely asked for an
autograph" Janani said, tightening her grip on his arms.
"Do you think they realized?? What if I offended them??" Janani asked
"They enjoyed talking to you, Janani. There is no need to make holes in my arm" Armaan
said, gritting his teeth and Janani loosening her grip.
Finally he saw Janani Trivedi in action.
This is how she does her magic around people.
Janani was relieved when they moved into the event hall but the relief was short lived as she
was forced to separate away from Armaan, the only person she knows here, by the hostess
of the event.
She became even more apprehensive when the hostess made her sit between two old men
roughly in their early seventies who appeared to have a poker face.
A while later Armaan was talking to Arjun Shastri the PRO of the hospital for which the
charity event is conducted
"I thought you were off the dating scene, Armaan. I thought you would be coming alone for
the event like you did for the last one year" Cassie, the hostess said as she approached
them.
She stroked her long red fingernails on his sleeves and continued
"So tell me what's it about her that brought you out of your self imposed celibacy??"
"You need to ask??" Armaan asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Well, she's pretty, of course. But she is not your usual type. She seems pretty clueless
about what's happening around. But maybe that's her attraction. Men might find it very
appealing"
There was a flinty glint in Cassie's eyes and Armaan turned his head and noticed Janani
laughing uninhibitedly with the two South Indian billionaires, both known for their arrogant
refusal to speak English at social events.
They were taciturn, remote and notoriously unapproachable and yet both appeared to be
listening to Janani with rapt attention.
How was she making herself understood??
From across the table, Armaan tried to hear what she was saying. She was chatting
non-stop, her hands moving as she illustrated her point. Occasionally she paused to sip
champagne or listen to their response.
"Clever of you to find a woman who speaks both Tamil and Malayalam" Tabitha said "given
your business interests with them. Is that how you met? Is she an interpreter or something?"
Janani spoke Tamil and Malayalam??
Unable to hear her above the noise from the surrounding tables, Armaan focused his gaze
on her lips and realised that she was indeed speaking a different language.
His hostess was watching him.
"You didn't know, did you? Well, if she can persuade them to open their wallets when the
charity auction begins, then she'll certainly get my vote." She said and walked away
Where had Janani learned to speak their language?
Why hadn't she mentioned it when he'd told her that they didn't speak good English and that
she wouldn't be able to communicate without an interpreter?
And then he remembered her telling him that she wouldn't need an interpreter. When she
told him that, he had thought she meant that she would be using sign language and lots of
smiles. Never did it occur to him that she might know their language.
"Isn't that Janani Trivedi???" He heard Arjun Shastri asking
Armaan stiffened
How does Arjun know Janani?
Did she have a fling with him too??
"You know her???" Armaan asked and held his breath.
Arjun looked a little uncomfortable and then answered vaguely.
"Through a friend. My roommate at university ,Vikram, is from Janani's hometown. I have
met her a few times'' Arjun said, avoiding Armaan's eyes.
Armaan tensed hearing the name Vikram
"Dr Vikram Thakur??" He asked for confirmation and saw the startled look in Arjun's eyes.
"You know about Vikram??" he asked and then sighed in relief
"That's good anyway. I am happy that Janani has finally moved on, even though it took two
years for her. Don't hurt her Armaan. She had been hurt pretty badly by Vikram. I know you
are not into commitment. Don't give her hope if you have no intention to keep her. She won't
be able to take it a second time" Arjun said and Armaan didn't know what to feel.
Two years he said?
Wasn't it two years before she came for the surrogacy?
It was in only the last two years, there were multiple crimes in her name.
Before two years, she had an absolutely clean chart.
What happened two years ago??
Was that heartbreak the reason for her to go off the trails for the last two years?
It seems like a very convincing reason.
People behave differently when heartbroken.
Janani might have had a terrible one if she did things so out of her character.
And maybe having Advi brought her back to track.
Having Advi might have helped her to get over her heartache.
But the thought of her being so in love with Vikram Thakur brought a strange ache in him.
He sighed!
Now he is making excuses for her behaviour.
Great!!
He is definitely going crazy.
He came out of his mental discussion and saw Janani having a brief talk with Arjun after
which she returned back to Rajath Pillai and Raghu Ramaswamy.
Coffee was served as the auction began and there was a sudden flurry of movement as
people swapped seats.
Her cheeks pink with excitement, Janani swayed to her feet and found her way to the seat
next to him.
"I am having such a nice time. Those men are so sweet. Not at all like how you described.
You should have mentioned" Janani said
Armaan tightened his grip on the glass.
"Just as you should possibly have mentioned the fact that you're fluent in their language "
"You were being so full of yourself and looking down your nose at everyone. I thought it
would be more fun to just surprise you. I thought it might teach you not to underestimate
people." Janani said, with her nose up in the air.
Armaan rolled his eyes.
"What's happening now?" She asked looking around
Armaan took another sip of champagne with a thoughtful look on his face.
"I do not underestimate people." He said, feeling offended at her comment.
"Of course you do. But you probably can't help it. It's ingrained in your character" she said
kindly.
"Is there going to be dancing?" She asked before he could even respond to her comment.
"Yes. But the auction will happen first. The bidding will raise money for the hospital charity."
Armaan was still watching her in fascination .
"Do you speak any other languages?" He asked
"A little bit of Kannada and Telugu. So am I allowed to bid for something?" Janani asked,
curious about the event.
"You speak four languages?" Armaan asked in surprise.
"Six, if you count Hindi and English. How much am I allowed to bid?" Janani asked. She was
too curious to shut her mouth.
"Why didn't you learn any foreign languages??" He asked sarcastically
"Maa wouldn't allow me to watch foreign movies when I was a kid as they have so much
kissing and all" Janani said regretfully. She had recently started watching a Spanish show
and is learning a little bit of Spanish now.
"Movies??? Are you telling me that you learned all these languages on your own" he asked
and Janani laughed taking another sip of her champagne
"I am a movie buff, Armaan. And I am a sucker for south Indian movies. At nursery age when
my friends used to watch cartoons I was fascinated by movies and serials."
Armaan brooded.
Everything about Janani Trivedi is so very contradicting and he is so damn confused.
He was dimly aware of Janani leaning across the table, coaxing the South Indian
billionaires into bidding enormous sums of money in the charity auction.
Even Cassie was looking impressed as Janani switched between Tamil Malayalam and
Hindi, extracting more money from the billionaires.
If the circumstances had been different, Armaan would have laughed. As it was, he just
wanted to leave.
Armaan watched with a frown as Cassie made sure that Janani's glass was kept topped up.
She was drinking the champagne as if it were water, and he realised that if he didn't get her
out from this table quickly she was going to be drunk. Probably that was Cassie's intention.
As the auction ended and a band started warming up on the stage, Armaan drained his
glass and turned to Janani.
"We're leaving."
"No way. The dancing is about to start" Janani swayed in her seat
"I have never known Armaan to dance. If I didn't know better, I would think he didn't have
rhythm." Cassie said, looking at Armaan, giving him a suggestive look and he saw
Janani's happy smile falter as she understood the double meaning behind those words.
And as it is an already established fact that he could do anything to make her smile he pulled
her into his arms and made his way to the dance floor, making people who know Armaan
Verma look on in wonder.
"Smile." Armaan said as he slid his arms around her waist
"What is there to smile about? She's flaunting the fact she's had sex with you. She's vicious.
And you have no taste. No wonder you've never wanted to settle down with anyone if she's
the sort of person you've been dating." Janani said
She is definitely drunk.
She would have never said that if she is not.
"I have not had sex with her" Armaan breathed out, bending his head so that he spoke the
words in her ear and couldn't be overheard.
Immediately, her perfume wound itself round his senses.
"She was trying to cause trouble. Trying to hurt you. Don't let her. You're just over-emotional
because you've had too much champagne. Now smile" Armaan said softly
"Well, if I was really in a relationship with you as she thinks we are, I would have punched
her. And I am not over emotional, I am just enough emotional." She said
They swayed together on the dance floor on the romantic number.
Armaan felt every cell in his body getting alive as they were plastered to each other chest to
chest, hip to hip.
Janani hiccuped and then looked at him apologetically.
"Sorry. I may have drunk just a little bit too much champagne. I have never had it before and
it's so darn tasty."
"You've never had champagne before?" He asked frowning suspiciously
"Never." She said leaning her forehead against his chest.
He lifted his hand and removed a strand of hair that have managed to loop itself around his
bowtie.
"I think I would better take you home" Armaan
"No way. I want to dance more. I like it here and I have never been to a party like this before"
she swayed forcing him to sway along.
Never been to a party like this before??
"There is another event tomorrow. I will take you with me for that. And I will make sure to not
give you champagne" he muttered the last sentence under his breath.
"I don't care about tomorrow. I want to live for today. I like this party." She slid her arms
around his neck and pressed herself against him, her breath warm against his neck.
"Please, Armaan, dance with me. You know you want to."
He locked his fingers around her wrists, intending to remove her arms, but then she smiled
up at him and he found himself so captivated by that smile that instead of removing her
arms, he slid his hands down her warm skin.
Her back was bare, her skin warm and smooth and tempting and raw lust shot through him.
Without thinking about what he was doing, Armaan lowered his mouth towards hers.
"Teri Galiya… galiyaa teri..."
Armaan froze as she started to sing along
"Janani" Armaan felt tension prickle down his spine
"I like singing while dancing" she giggled merrily
Armaan picked up a drunk Janani in a swift move making her squeal.
She wound her arms tightly around his neck and her face nuzzled against his neck
increasing the tension in Armaan's body
"You smell so good" she mumbled, making him groan as he took long strides across the hall.
As soon as he dumped her in her room he could have a cold cold shower.
Driving with a drunk Janani in the passenger seat singing nursery rhymes to herself, he
cursed under his breath.
He had no idea Janani had such a low tolerance for alcohol.
Once he dropped her in her room and turned to go he heard her wailing loudly
"Where are my babies??" She asked looking around the room.
"They are sleeping Janani. You too go to sleep" Armaan said
"Sleeping?? Without me?? I want to see my babies" she cried and he sighed in frustration.
What had he brought upon himself?
"You will wake them up, Janani" he tried to make her understand
"I won't" she said, straightening up and placing her index finger on her lips indicating that she
would be silent.
She is not going to lie down without seeing them.
So he took her to Ava's room where both Ava and Advi are cuddled together with pillow walls
around them and Mrs Seth on her bed already sleeping.
They walked in without waking them and stood there looking contentedly at the children.
Armaan felt the scene too intimate.
He wanted this forever, the unbidden thought rushed into his mind and Janani chose that
moment to lean her head on to his shoulders.
"Don't take my babies away from me, Armaan" she mumbled before passing out.
He silently picked her up and carried her to her room and placed her on the bed
He unhooked the buttons of her dress to make her more comfortable without removing the
dress and he covered her with the duvet.
He slowly tucked the wayward fringes of her hair behind her ears and bent down to press a
light kiss on her forehead
"Why are you so difficult to understand, Janani??"