0°Celsius: To thaw a frozen heart
0°Celsius: Chapter 9

Petty tasks enormous pressure.

Few weeks later.

I was back to normal now.

Andro not even once came to visit me and I somewhere in my heart did felt bad.

But again who was I to expect when I don’t even deserve him.

Today I resumed my work and the first duty was to clean his bedroom.

I was aware that Andrea and him were sharing the room since last one month but my heart was not ready to accept that they were sleeping together.

As I knocked and opened the door the sight that welcomed me opened my eyes into reality.

Both of them were sleeping peacefully ..Andrea’s head was resting on his chest while his arm engulfed her waist.

They were cuddling together and involuntarily a memory flashed in my mind that made me take a step back…

Flashback

‘Stay’ He spoke a single word but his eyes conveyed millions.

I debated staying as we had only met twice and I didn’t knew much about him.

But then in these 2 days I had felt what I never felt in so many years.

I stepped towards him slowly but it seemed he couldn’t wait any longer.

He predicted my decision from my action.

Grabbing my wrist he pushed me on top of him and stared into my eyes..

I felt extremely uncomfortable as never had anyone looked so deeply in my eyes..

I tried looking somewhere else but he didn’t want that.

Turning me around he laid me on the soft bed and held my gaze.

I felt heat travel my cheeks and my body was playing in the tune in which he wanted it to play.

His stare shifted from my eyes to my lips and a fear entered my mind.

Rejection..

He will definitely hate me after this…

As his face neared I decided to voice my fears…

‘And..ro….. I….don’t ..know how …to..’

He smiled as he again looked back into my eyes

‘Fu**** innocent. Bambino…you can drive a man crazy…’

Confused and embarrassed at his words I decided to explain him my lack of experience and knowledge when he placed his finger on my lips…

‘Shh…just open your doors bambino. I’ll conquer the heart inside the castle on my own’

With this his lips landed softly on mine and my body heated like an extinct volcano erupts after years of inactivity.

I opened my lips and gave him access to the place which was never explored till now.

His hand on my neck…cologne of his perfume and taste of his lips were enough to make me loose control and surrender myself to him unguarded.

Surrender never felt this victorious before and desire never felt this uncontrollable before.

I knew there and then that this man had given life to those emotions which I was oblivious of and had broken those barriers which can never be barred again.

He had conquered the castle unarmed without the queen even knowing of his intrusion..

He was a stealer of hearts and my heart had already betrayed me and started beating inside his chest.

He was truly a master in the game of hearts and my untamed heart had unknowingly surrendered to him.

Lost in my thoughts I didn’t realise when my body collided with a lamp behind and the noise made both of them sit up alarmed…

‘What are you doing here!!’

Came his heavy morning voice laced with anger and dislike.

‘I…was ..just her-‘

‘Who gave you the permission to enter?’

‘No….no one sir’

I replied keeping my eyes fixed on the ground.

‘Go learn some manners first and then decide to show your ugly face first thing in the morning..now get out!’

Andrea held his arm and tried to calm him.

‘It’s okay….she’ll learn.’

‘She better or we have better replacements..’

I looked up at him again.

Big mistake.

His forehead creased and his eyes narrowed.

‘I said leave!! Didn’t you here me ?’

I nodded and turned to leave. But before I could his last line crushed my already wounded heart..

‘I saw her face early in the morning. My day is going to be worst…’

He sighed

I don’t know why this entire world was against me because the words he spoke proved very true.

The first bad thing I got to know is that his PA resigned without even informing him.

He was furious would be an understatement…

Since last 2 hrs he has been yelling non stop on his phone on one person or the other.

Even at breakfast table he didn’t even touch his food while Andrea kept requesting him to.

But then my worst luck began….

I was picking up the cutlery when he roared at me…

‘If I hadn’t seen your unlucky face in the morning all this wouldn’t have happened!! I will loose a 20 million deal!! Do you even know how many zeroes are in it..you ungrateful bit**..’

The word was enough to break me altogether…I understand he is angry and he is directing it all towards me…but still I never expected him to humiliate me in front of others…but little did I knew that this was just the beginning.

‘Get ready in 5 minutes …you are to come with me to my office…you will work as my PA..my assistant…my maid. My slave …whatever I want you to…you will do whatever I ask you to…am I clear??’

Everyone stood shocked but no one dared to stop him….they expected me to refuse. But they didn’t know we had a history where my faults are yet to be bridged.

‘Yes sir’

I nodded

I know he will treat me like a nobody…like a betrayer but I had to accept it…I will accept with open hands whatever he asks me to do…

If this was my only chance of repayment than be it.

His Jaguar was ready to leave when I sat next to him…

He drifted and speeded up while I tightly held my seat trying not to roll like a rag doll.

He kept on scolding one of his employees on Bluetooth while I kept my mouth shut.

After 15 minutes of a roller coaster ride we reached the 80 level skyscraper.

‘Follow me.’

Came his first command.

The keys were handed over to the vale while he entered the glass doors with aura deadly and expression as cold as ice.

Everyone stood wherever they were and nodded their heads as a welcome gesture while he didn’t even looked at them.

When we entered I was the only one following him but soon people joined me with clipboards in their hands..or piles of papers stocked inside their arms…

Some started talking to him but his legs didn’t stop…he entered his private golden elevator and within seconds it was stocked with people..I lagged behind and got lost in the crowd and before I could step into the elevator it was already full and the door closed on my face…

I searched other elevators but they all were going up till god knows which floor …I couldn’t wait …

I had to complete my first task to follow him…if I can’t even do that what will he think of me.

My eyes landed on the marbled staircase and my legs had their own mind….

I climbed 4 floors and at each floor I saw the elevator still moving up only

I kept pressing the down button on each floor in hope that it comes down fast.

79th floor.

His office floor.

And it was still 70 floors above….

My clothes were already soaked with sweat…my hair were sticking to my neck and my breath was uncontrollable…

At 10 th floor my saturation point came…I decided to wait near the elevator not able to climb up any more.

The doctor had asked me not to over exert myself. My anxiety attacks may worsen with more adrenaline rush in my body.

While waiting I decided to calm myself…I swallowed the tablet and started taking deep breaths..

At last after 10 long minutes the elevator arrived and took me to my destination.

As I landed on his floor titled- the nimbus piano.

I was welcomed with serenity and order…

I expected it to be noisy,busy and full of people but I got the complete opposite.

A lady sat at the reception table engrossed in her work.

Before I could tell her what I wanted she pointed her finger towards a door and resumed her work after saying.

‘Sir is waiting for you since last 20 minutes.’

I knocked on his door and came his cold reply.

‘Come in.’

As I opened the door my eyes landed straight on his angry ones.

I gulped and he started coming straight to business.

‘Start with photocopying these documents. Once done take this file and get it typed without a single typo error…complete this and come back in 1 hour…’

‘Oh sorry 40 minutes…you already wasted 20 minutes coming upstairs’

I picked up the file and the first thing I decided to see was the last page..

200 pages.

Oh god typing it in 40 minutes was next to impossible…

‘You will replace the laptop and photocopy machine in the room to your right …get started..’

Without further adieu I started my task….

It was a thermal printer but that’s the only thing I knew about it.

I placed the a4 size sheets in a bucket to it’s side and tried to pick it’s top.

But the problem being that there was no top …

I circumcircled the machine trying to replace the scanning screen but I couldn’t replace any….

10 minutes already passed…

My room was separated from his just by a glass wall…but the problem being I couldn’t see him while he could see me.

If he sees that I don’t even know how to photocopy some papers…he will definitely embarrass me….

Instead of wasting more time on it I decided to do the other task…typing

40 minutes later…..

I had just typed 8 pages…just 8

And my fingers were already ready to break off…

Don’t judge me…I don’t use computer much…I couldn’t even replace some of the letters….so you know where most of the time went.

My time was up and he entered

‘Miss brown …I hope you have at least photocopied till now?

‘..eh….Andr-..’

‘It’s Sir for you Miss Brown…I don’t think you are neither in a position nor status to call me by my pet name.’

‘Ye..s ..’

‘No…I mean no Sir…’

‘Actually……you see this machine…is very different….from the …..earlier…one…’

‘Do I look look like I have time to listen to you bullsh** miss Brown…you completed your work or no?’

‘…no…Sir…I haven’t…’

He approached the Photostat machine and first turned on the power switch which I completely forgot….

Next he pressed a button and the top opened up….

What the hell!!

Was there a top cover…why didn’t I see it..

He smirked at my shocked face and I felt my cheeks redden with embarrassment.

I wanted to become a rabbit and dig a deep hole now..

‘How many pages have you typed….?’

‘…I am almost ..halfway….’

I seriously wanted to laugh at my lie…in reality I was not even at the half of the half of the half…ie…100..50…25…12…whatever…

‘Oh really miss Brown..’

‘Yes Sir’

I said trying to lie with confidence.

He moved towards the laptop but I blocked his view…

I’ll complete it in an hour sir….’

‘You better or else you are not leaving this building till I get an email of the file..’

He was gone and my face lost all it’s colour…

Few hours later.

9:10 ….pm.

I gained up speed with time.

And automatically my fingers pressed the correct letter

Now just one last page was left….

But my back was next to breaking.

My stomach growling.

My eyes ready to burn.

And my head ready to burst….

On completing the last page I got up from the seat but due to sudden movement my head felt dizzy and I held the table for support.

On gaining my balance I moved out of my room to see the lights in other rooms were switched off…

Except Andro’s office.

He was sitting there holding a cup of coffee in his hand and looking through some papers.

As I entered he looked up and placed the cup down.

‘I see you have mailed me the file…but you have made 25 typing mistakes in total….’

I just emailed him 5 min before …how could he have detected all my mistakes….

‘I am leaving …you are to leave only after you correct those 25 mistakes..good night miss Brown..

How the hell will I detect them from 200 pages!!

He pulled his coat from his chair and left me gawking at his back….

30 min later…..

I was pissed…..

Till now I have only detected 5 of my mistakes….

Ahhhh!!

‘ Dear it’s getting late..why don’t you complete this work tomorrow?’

I looked up to see an uncle with light grey hair looking at me with concern.

His hands were holding multiple keys and his clothes told me he was one of the guards.

‘Uncle actually Sir told me I can’t leave till I have detected my mistakes in the file…’

‘Which mistakes if I may ask my child?’

‘Just some typing errors I did…’

‘Oh…why don’t you use auto check…’

‘Auto check…’

I haven’t heard of it before.

‘Here child let me show you…’

The uncle clicked an icon and magic happened..

All my mistakes got automatically corrected..

Wow!! I squeaked with happiness and uncle smiled…

But Andro could have done this in a second…why did he asked me to do it…unless he deliberately wanted to over burden me.

He truly proved that I am an Idiot

Which now I believe I am….

Even uncle looked at me like he was surprised to know that a girl like me working in such a big office didn’t know of spell check.

As I made my way out of the building a new tension surfaced…

How will I reach home….

The streets were deserted…my head was dizzy…and my purse was empty…

Oh no I didn’t carry cash….

In a hurry I forgot and I thought Andro will drive me back just like he took me..

But again I was wrong…

So with a heavy heart I started my journey southwards on foot

If my fingers were not enough I think my legs will also brake off once this 7 km journey ends.

Under freezing winds…wearing 3 inch heel….and with an already exhausted body I started my journey to the AR Mansion..

I just hope this day ends soon.