Chapter 77

Lena found AP Singh in his conference room, discussing the first quarter results with his financial people. When he saw her face, he asked them to excuse him, calling an early lunch break.

"I told you," he said smugly when the door had shut behind the last accountant. "I shouldn't say so, but dammit, Lena, I told you. The guy was just a loser. That's why his wife walked out on him. How could you actually think that he would help you bring down Myanmar?"

He chuckled at the thought, relishing his moment of petty victory.

Lena was silent. She stared out the one-way glass at the activity in the Bikini Bowlarama. A group of Kargil veterans and their wives were being entertained with free bowling and food for the day. There seemed to be as many press reporters and photographers as jawans in the place. AP was proud of the many different ways he kept finding to keep Sin City in the news and on the front page of Mumbai Times. He made her a drink, her usual, and handed it to her.

She took it without a word, and continued staring out the window without sipping it. He frowned. He had never known Lena to be so upset. True, she had sounded quite unlike herself when she had called to tell him she was flying back from Frisco. But he had assumed it was because she hadn't been able to do any real damage to Myanmar as she'd wanted.

Now, he was beginning to think that maybe there was more to it. That perhaps, for once in her life, Lena was actually upset over a man. Not a business rival, which was what Myanmar really was, but a man. One man in particular: Arif Merchant.

He should have seen it before. The way she scooted off to Frisco with him at the drop of a hat. The way she spoke about having him eating out of her hands. The over-enthusiasm in her voice every time she'd called from Frisco. The number of days she had idled away before taking him to Myanmar's place.

AP should have seen the signs before. Now, they were unmistakable. Lena had fallen for this man, this idiot, Arif Merchant. And Merchant had dumped her!

It was quite remarkable actually. AP resolved to meet Arif Merchant and spend time getting to know him better. What was so special about him that had attracted Lena so powerfully? That had caused the world's greatest swinger to lose her ... um, swing? He was also curious to know what Lena planned to do next. Besides mope over Arif, as she seemed to be doing right now.

This question was answered an instant later when Lena turned around to face him, her eyes smoking with a rage that was so cold, so chilling, he found it more terrifying than her usual red-hot explosions of anger. This cold rage was lethal. She wasn't just a woman scorned, she was a woman out for revenge.

"I'm going to wipe him out, AP," she said. "I'm going to destroy Arif Merchant. No man walks away from me and survives. I'm going to make his life a living hell, just wait and see."

AP agreed that he would indeed wait and see. Knowing Lena and her vicious penchant for vindictiveness, he knew it would be quite a show.