BLAZE: Of Passion And Allure

16. BELIEVE

𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐬, 𝐢𝐟 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞. 𝐈'𝐦 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐊𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐥, 𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐞. 𝐇𝐞'𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧, 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭. 𝐍𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞'𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬.

~ 𝐀𝐛𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐮 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐚

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Prisha's POV

There's something wrong with me. I'm sure it's that, because there's no way I would've agreed for that lunch. I always keep business to business, my business associates have no place in my personal time. And I gave him access to that.

The only people I have my meals with are my family or I'll eat alone. So I'm still contemplating why I made an exception this time. I was clearly out of mind when I said yes.

And that might just be the truth, his words had unsettled me. It might've been a slip of tongue but it took me down the memory lane and before I knew what I was doing I was saying yes to the lunch. I wanted to shake those memories and anything would've worked as a distraction at that time.

I just had no idea what my moment of weakness would lead to.
The lunch wasn't uncomfortable by any means and that is exactly what worries me. We didn't even talk the whole time we were there but I had never felt more at ease than then. I shouldn't feel like that. It's been years since I last allowed myself to be at ease.

My senses have been super alert since three years ago, not only because I had to be attentive for aadi. But also because my unawareness regarding the people around me had led me to nothing but betrayal.

Since then I've made it a habit to notice things, to be on my highest alert. To note every single detail about the person I'm interacting with and it has led me to profitable decisions more than enough times.

But with him all I notice is how he notices me. It unsettles me and makes me unable to notice anything else. If I didn't know any better I would think he has a crush on me.
That's hilarious to be honest because he is exactly a person girls would fall to their knees for.

For him to have a crush on a widow, much less a mother is simply….. Impossible.

But I know there's something too, he might not have a crush on me but he definitely is interested in whatever he sees in me. I know that look, and I also remember the consequences it had.

Someone else's interest in me had cost me my life and that alone is enough for me to know this interest isn't good for me. I didn't like where the last one led to, except for aadi, and I don't want to know what this one might lead to.

But that's not the worst part. The worst part is I don't find myself disliking it. Even after knowing it might be nothing, I am acutely aware of every time his gaze slides to me. Every time he looks at me while his pen taps the table, pretending he is listening.