Chapter 208 - I can drive...

Just as Shreya walked out of her office, she heard footsteps following her.

"I can drive myself, Srinivas…" Shreya muttered without turning back. His footsteps were familiar to her by now. She could distinguish them from other very easily.

Zack's were always quick and fleeting as if he was barely touching the floor. Srinivas's, on the other hand, were actually lazy. As if he was talking a leisure stroll in the corridor no matter where he was walking.

But Srinivas did not stop even after hearing her. He did not even bother to acknowledge that he had heard her. He just pushed the elevator buttons and waited, standing beside her.

"I can drive…" Shreya said all over again once she entered the elevator.

Srinivas did not budge but this time around, he actually bothered to answer, "I know, Shreya… I have seen you drive." He said pressing the elevator to the parking garage.

"Argh" Shreya let out a frustrated sigh. "I now know why Zeenath was so frustrated…"

"I am just doing my job Shreya… a job you assigned." Srinivas said with his lips twitching in its corners, "And I know why Zee and you got along so well!"

"Well, you might have just convinced me to actually change your assignment…" Shreya said sarcastically.

"You can do that… you're the boss!" Srinivas said with a chuckle.

"Don't tempt me," Shreya said walking out the front door of the building where Vicky was waiting for her with a car. Both Shreya and Srinivas got in the back and the car zoomed into the city.

It took them 15 minutes to reach the Imperial. Vicky parked the car in front of the lobby and Shreya got out.

"Park the car in the lot and wait… it might take a while," Srinivas instructed and alight the car following Shreya.

"Are you planning to annoy me the whole day?" Shreya asked while simultaneously walking towards the elevators. All the employees around greeted Shreya with a nod and a smile which Shreya reciprocated dutifully. But nobody approached her outright though. They just gave way for her as she strode through as if she owned the place, which she did.

"By 'annoy'- you mean am I going to follow you around the whole day? Then 'yes'… you are going to be very annoyed." Srinivas said smirking.

"Argh," Shreya grunted.

"It's my job Shreya. Anywhere outside of Sri corp… I am supposed to follow you to ensure your safety…" Srinivas replied patiently as the elevator ascended up to the floor with the presidential suite.

"I am amazed by how Zee had not yet bitten your head off!!" Shreya exclaimed half sarcastic and half-amused.

Srinivas let out a chuckle as he replied, "Oh, she tried. Trust me… she tried her best." His little wild cat had tried several times only to be defeated each and every time. He could always see through Zeenath's sly tricks which were her primary strength.

"Don't gloat. If I decide to bite your head off, you wouldn't have the head. Trust me…" Shreya said rolling her eyes at him. Even if she can't defeat him with her strength, Shreya was confident she could find someone who could. She was a very resourceful person after all.

"Bring it on…" Srinivas humbly accepted the challenge. After all, he had seen Shreya train… and she was not an easy opponent.

"What about the work I had just given?" Shreya asked. She changed the subject knowing that she couldn't get rid of Srinivas no matter how much she argued and Shreya never wasted energy on useless things anyway.

"Zack can handle it. After all, he had more connections and a higher ranking than me. Even otherwise… while you have your meeting, I will make the calls." Srinivas clarified.

After all, Zack had reached the highest point at the administrative level when he retired and had invariably made connections in high places within the army. While Srinivas, on the other hand, had been a field agent whole of his career. He had seen way too many combats but not too many doc.u.ments.

"How are you planning to tame her anyways?" Shreya asked after a pause. Shreya was really curious as to how Srinivas was planning on getting to Zeenath. After all, even after knowing Zee for so many years… even she couldn't break her shells… but then Shreya did not really put in too much effort into it. She did not like being nosy… it takes too much effort.

"I'm not planning on taming anyone," Srinivas answered shrugging his shoulders.

"Then you should have the patience of a saint. She is like a tortoise… smallest sight of a predator- which would be you in this case… that is just an FYI. Oh! What was I saying… yes, the smallest sight of you, she is going to go inside her shell and never come back…" Shreya explained while moving her hands around to add a dramatic effect to her story.

Srinivas chuckled but he cannot deny her. After all, Shreya had nailed it on the head when it came to Zee… the smallest sign of his, she goes into hiding just like she is doing now.

"But you forgot something Shreya. I am a patient man." Srinivas said smiling warmly.

"More like a saint." Shreya's voice dripped with sarcasm as she rolled her eyes.

"You can help me poke her shell every now and then…" Srinivas suggested slyly. Even though he did not want to force Zee into doing anything she did not want to… he still felt Zee was a mountain he was not going to be able to climb in a straight forward way. He needed to be sly with her if he ever wanted to get to her. He was grasping on straws as it was.

"What am I going to get in return?" Shreya asked arching her brows.

"What do you need?" Srinivas asked back.

Shreya thought for a while… jokingly at first. But then her face became serious as she said, "I want you to go talk to your sister…"

Srinivas was shocked at first but then paled. But after a while he just nodded.

They did not talk after that. Shreya strolled in the corridor leading to her room. She needed a shower before she could go to work. She had called in all the department heads for a meeting today.

But just as she approached her room doors, someone came out from inside. A little girl who looked like a rabbit wearing a maids uniform.

Shreya was early after all. So, it was not really that much of an odd occurrence. But what was odd was that the little girl stopped Shreya on her track.

The girl was short and petite. She was pushing the cleaning cart out of the room. She was pretty and looked barely 20 years old. Her innocent pair of eyes stared back at Shreya looking intimidated.

"Uhm… Mam, sorry. Maybe the front desk had made a mistake… But you can't go in there…" The little girl said guarding the door with her small body. Her palms were sweating with nervousness. She was new to the job here… and her manager specifically instructed the nobody except the President can go inside this suite and that this whole floor is reserved for her and her family exclusively.

But then again, she did not know how to be rude to people in general which was the main reason why she was selected instead of the person before her.

Shreya looked amused at her hesitant but firm self. Just by the sudden sparkle in her eyes, Srinivas could tell she was going to tease the little girl in front of her to no end.

"And why is that little butterfly…?" Shreya asked giving the little girl a smile that would have looked flirtatious if only Shreya was a man. But then again Shreya does forget that she was young and a woman most of the time anyway.

The little girl was startled for a second. She was getting ready to be met with angry glares and insults. After all, she was just a maid… for today at least. And even though the female in front of her was not dressed properly enough, the man behind her was dressed prim and proper which said they were not ordinary people.

"Sorry… I did not mean to be rude… it is just… this room is exclusively booked for the President. This whole floor is just for him and his family… I can escort you to your room once you can confirm the room number with the front desk… They probably messed up with the numbers somewhere." The little girl blabbered away.

Shreya frowned for a moment before turning to Srinivas and asked pointing at herself with her index finger, "Do I look like a 'he' to you?"

"No… but you behave like one…" Srinivas rebutted smirking leaving Shreya utterly speechless.

So, she turned away from Srinivas and instead turned to the little girl and asked, "Do I not look like the President??" Shreya had a mischievous smile on her face. She herself did not know but she was enjoying teasing the little girl who looked like an innocent little rabbit.

The little girl visibly paled… she just stared back at Shreya and she looked scared out of her wits.