41 Dumb

When Aliya took it in her hand, she found it that was a brown-colored glass bottle. As she smelled it, she felt the urge to vomit. And she quickly recognized it, as she was familiar with what it was. She hated people who drink alcohol on a regular basis. What enraged her more was that Rishi had earlier mentioned he had quit drinking. She knew she cannot trust this man.... And as she started drawing opinions about Rishi, he quickly justified his actions

"It is not that what you think."

"Then?"

"Actually, drinking this beverage will help one feel warm, so I-I had to.... Otherwise I DON'T DRINK. Believe me."

"Are you really a CEO of this company? Or are you just faking it?"

"What!?"

"Yes! You heard it right. Don't you know drinking alcohol won't help you in this weather? Of course it will help you to give warmth, BUT RISHI it will damage your other body mechanisms to resist cold. That is why I asked you, are you really a CEO of one of the biggest magazine company of our country? Because you do things like these. I wonder if you are actually the owner of millions of dollars."

Rishi had his head drooped down. He was thinking that he is superior to everyone in the world but when he is with her, he is the greatest dumbass of the universe.

"I didn't know."

"I knew it that YOU didn't know. Because you haven't studied such things. I USED TO TELL YOU. Rishi please study, concentrate, exams are near, Rishi study. But no! This brat has his father's money already in his name, why will he study? Do you even remember that we had studied this in science? Oops! I asked you a wrong question. Why will you remember? You haven't even studied it. And from how many days are you drinking this shit?"

"T-Two days."

"Thank God I stopped you! Dumb!.... Now are you continuing to gulp this or stopping this habit once and for all?"

Rishi's drooped neck had started paining by this time. When he heard her asking this, without wasting a second, he snatched the bottle from her hands and smashed it on the rock besides him. Aliya sighed on his foolishness. She turned and headed towards the bonfire while whispering something

'Oh God! How do you do this? This dumb is a CEO of this huge company! And me, uhh, I am just born to hear people scowling at me! I wish I had an option of role reversal. I would have definitely exchanged life with him, and I am pretty sure that my behaviour would have pleased his parents and I wouldn't have gone through those shocks!'

Though Rishi was trying hard to follow and hear her cursing someone, but all his efforts went in vain. She scurried towards the bonfire. But wait! No one is here! She only found glowing embers in the place where woods were burning few minutes ago. She looked till the distance her eyes could go but of no use. No one was present. She was about to leave but Rishi called her from behind

"Aliya! Sorry! Because of me you missed this."

"You did something that I was wishing for. I was feeling very uncomfortable. I came here because my boss had personally asked me or else I would have rested with Bhavna in her room."

"But what made you uncomfortable? That guy? Raghav?"

"Not at all! He was the only person from whom I received a warm welcome. I was talking about those 'classy-sassy' people, who were busy making me feel inferior in front of them. I know they are not able to digest that a girl like me is anyone's superior. But it is their opinion. I can't help it."

When Aliya had mentioned Raghav as a sweet person, Rishi clenched his fists. But as she spoke about his own judgmental employees, he looked down in shame. As if he was the main culprit behind all the discrimination among employees happening in his office.

"You really don't need to feel guilty for all this. These are the real illiterate, uneducated and ignorant people for whom people like us can only sigh. Anyways, let us go."

Rishi just gave a little smile at how Aliya could read his mind. But he resolved to teach those narrow-minded people a lesson.

"By the way, please don't cut some bucks from my salary because I called you 'dumb'."

As Aliya cracked this jest to lighten the atmosphere, Rishi chuckled.

"I won't, because I like when you scold me. It always reminds me of our school days. And honestly, I too believe that I am a dumbass, in front of you."