CHAPTER FOUR.

Ishika had her phone in her hand as she made her way down the stairs, her forehead was creased into a frown and she looked angry.

She has been calling her grandfather but he had blatantly refused to answer his call and even switched off his phone at a certain point. The thought of it annoyed her the most and she had just finished speaking with his assistant who assured her he was on his way to look for him.

Her grandfather always does this, he would leave the house without telling anyone and come back late. When would he realize that he was not a teenage boy anymore?

Heaving a long sigh, she lowered herself on the cushion and continued to dial his number but it was switched off, she was so angry.

“Come on grandfather” she muttered under her breath.

“Miss Ishika,” one of the security guards, walked up to her and bowed lightly, “it seems Elder Bharat has gone out with the deluxe taxi again. The gate man just told me”

Ishika almost went mad with anger, why does he keep doing this?

“His mobile is switched off, can you track his phone?”

“Yes ma’am” he answered with a bow, “I will get right to it” he further added and scurried out of the room while she leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes.

Ever since she took over the company, her grandfather has been having the time of his life. He picked up a weird hobby and bought a taxi. Just the mere thought of it made Ishika heave another sigh. 

What would people think when they find out that her grandfather was a taxi driver?

“Cherry” she called out to one of the female workers and she came running into the room.

“Miss Ishika, you called for me,” she said with a slight bow.

“Grab me my jacket, I need to go bring grandfather home”

“Yes ma’am”

She left the room and came back almost immediately with a beige jacket and handed it over to Ishika who collected it and made her way out of the house.

She needn’t change because it was not like she had an important meeting to attend. she was only going to see her grandfather and bring him back home.

“Miss ishika” this security guard walked up to her again, “I found out where elder Bharat is”

“Tell me”

“He is at the royal oaks”

Ishika clenched her fist in anger, why does he keep going to that place! He was not even in the least concerned about his health, she was sure he was taking some alcohol too.

“Get the car ready” she ordered and he bowed again.

******

Meanwhile Kiel kept listening to the old man as he narrated the story of his days in the army. 

Despite not being in the mood, he couldn’t stop the old man from narrating his story of when he was in the army and how he became a taxi driver, apparently it was a hobby.

“You don't seem interested in my story, right?” The old man asked when he noticed him staring out of the window.

“Of course not sir” Kiel answered politely, “i just have a lot on my mind and I don’t think it is the right time for me to listen to your story”

“Of course” he flashed Kiel a small smile, “you should drink and forget your sorrows, I will pay for it all”

“Hmmm” Kiel nodded and picked up his glass, “I guess I could do that”

The image of Roselyn and Andrew wound it’s way into his head again and he almost went mad with anger. How could she betray him like this? How could she make a mockery of him and his love, how…

“You want to talk about it?” The old man asked him after a while, “maybe it would help to alleviate your mood”

“I am not so sure, sir” Kiel told him, “I am too embarrassed to even think about it”

“Maybe we should order the most expensive liquor in the store, you might be able to let go of your worries when you have a taste. '' After talking he gestured to the seller who immediately walked up to their table and bowed lightly to them.

“Bring us your most expensive liquor” the old man ordered.

“Yes sir” he made to move but Kiel stopped him.

“I don’t think that would be necessary sir, you have bought enough for me already. You can not just buy the most expensive liquor in the store just because you earn too well from your taxi business, you should save for rainy days”

The old man was impressed at his outburst and smirked at him a little, Kiel was a considerate one.

“I have worked all my life, young man” he put forward after a few minutes, “now I will only enjoy and take some liquor. Do you understand what I am saying?”

“Yes sir”

Kiel didn’t want to force him  and just let him do as he pleased, it was not like it was his own money.

“So tell me” the old man began again, “what did your wife do?”

Kiel heaved a sigh, he was even too embarrassed to think about it. How could he tell the man in front of him about what Roselyn did?

“Tell me, I won’t go and bite your wife” he joked and despite his anger, Kiel laughed a little. He couldn’t lie, the old man was a bit hilarious.

“Apparently she got pregnant and gave birth to a son for a man far richer and more experienced than me” Kiel scoffed as he narrated his story, he couldn’t still believe it.

“This is sad '' the old man exclaimed, “how could she do something like that? Who is your wife?” He asked again, “I should talk some senses into her”

“You don’t need to worry sir” he relied, “we are already divorced by the way”

“Hmmm”

“Grandfather” a voice filtered into both their ears and the two of them turned.

For a moment, Kiel was stunned to see the woman walking up to them. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Dressed in a pair of skirts that clung onto her body perfectly,  he couldn’t help but notice her hourglass figure. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail which left the remaining part reaching her waist and he couldn’t help nor notice how flawless her skin looked. Just who was this ethereal beauty that graced the store with her dominating presence? 

Kiel didn’t know her but her aura was different and she looked very intelligent even from the way she walked.

Kiel watched as she walked up to their table and grabbed the drink from the old man’s hand.

“Really, grandfather?” She raised a brow at the old man.

“Ishika” , his lips curled into a small smile, “How did you find me?" he asked her.

“Is that why you switched off your phone?”

“Of course not my dear” the old man was clearly joking around, “I was getting bored so I decided to come out for a drink”

“But you did take the taxi” ishika was furious, “do you even 

care about your health?”

“I think you should lower your voice when you talk to him, he is older than you” Kiel chipped in, he wasn’t particularly a friend of noise.

It was at this moment that she turned to him and for a split second, she was mesmerized. Who the hell was this fine young man? This was the first time she was seeing an American with naturally blue eyes and dark hair that suited him perfectly and let her not get started on those biceps that were peeking through his shirt.

“And you are?” Ishika asked him, her eyes not leaving him for even a second.

“You should be nice to him, ishika” her old man retorted, “he just got divorced a while ago”

“I see” she flashed him a smile and Kiel couldn’t be more baffled, she looked so pretty underneath a smile, “should I say congratulations or?”

“You shouldn’t worry about that?” Kiel replied and she nodded at him before turning to her grandfather again.

“We should get going grandpa, you need to take your medication”

“Of course”

“Sir” the waiter walked up to them, “ the most expensive liquor in our store” he dropped the wine on the table and the old man chuckled lightly.

“We should share a glass with a grieving man, ishika” he suggested.

“Of course not father, I have an important meeting tomorrow morning. I can not drink”

“Just a glass”

“How about you just watch him?” Kiel chipped in, “he seems adamant, you shouldn’t refuse him”

She heaved a sigh, at times her grandfather was just too much to handle.

“Just a glass”

“Just a glass,” he replied with a smile.

Rolling her eyes, Ishika lowered herself on the space beside her grandfather while Kiel went ahead to open the drink. Even from the bottle, he could see how expensive it was. How was this old man able to afford a drink worth more than one million dollars when he only drove a taxi?

“This looks so expensive,” he said almost in a whisper.

“Twenty six million crore” ishika responded, “one of the best in the world” 

Kiel was a bit surprised, he wasn’t expecting her to know much about it.

“Guess who is the inventor of this wine?” A hint of pride was laced in the old man’s voice as he took a sip.

“It must be from someone very great” Kiel said, he was not much of a liquor fan.

“Of course” the grin on the old man’s face widened, “the Bharat winery has been standing for seventy eight years, I am a great inventor of course”

At the mention of the Bharat winery, Kiel froze. Does this mean he was seated with the richest man in Indian America history? Pashanth Bharat?

“Are you pasthanth Bharat?” He couldn’t help but ask and the old man nodded with pride.

Kiel’s eyes opened wide in horror and surprise, he was in front of Pashanth Bharat, a first generation Indian building mogul.