CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER TWO

He bangs on the elevator that just stopped and walks inside the pent house shouting,"Riddhan?"

"Riddhan."

"Yes." Riddhan walks out of the kitchen, in a vest and shorts with a mug in his hand. He raises his left eyebrow, questioning him about his presence.

"Where is she?"

"Who?" He sips from the mug sitting on the kitchen stool.

Aayan glares at him,"you know exactly who I am talking about. "

"I don't know what are you talking about Aayan. And I don't like anyone coming here without informing me. So next time do call me before heading straight here."

He finishes his coffee and starts making his way back to his bedroom but stops,"and for once be a man and stop hiding behind your parents."

"What do you mean?" He walks towards Riddhan," you think you know everything? I was ready to marry her for fuck sake. She left me without a fucking explanation. My father thinks I am the one who did something. And you're telling me not to hide behind my parents?" He spits each word with so much anger with his eyes blazing fire.

"And you didn't do anything?" Riddhan asks without caring about Aayan's anger.

"What the fuck do you want to say Riddhan. Just spit it out. You think I am responsible for her running away from the marriage?"

"Don't you?" Riddhan speaks calmly irritating the hell out of Aayan. His easy behavior irks Aayan and he glaring him once again walks out of the pent house.

Riddhan just shakes his head and walks back to his room.

Aayan walks back to his car, and getting in he punches the steering wheel groaning. He has no idea what did he do wrong. Why is everyone blaming him for everything. Why is it his fault that she ran off.

He called her. Many time but it went to voice mail. He even left her voice mails but she never replied. All his messages are unseen and none were replied back. His frustration and anger is getting out his hand and he has no idea if he'll be at peace until he knows what actually went wrong.

Everything was going so great. He was happy. His parents were happy. His whole family was happy. Him and Alia were never a good match. She was always the naive and stupid Alia he knew who'd follow him everywhere and he was always the one trying to keep her away. But Then his father had to go and kill the buzz. The only girl he never thought would make him happy was the girl his father chose for him. Arrange marriage. Could anything go anymore wrong. The girl he could not stand for one damn second was going to be his fucking wife. How great was that.

********

SIX MONTHS BEFORE

Aayan is in a business meeting wrapping up his deal with few associates. His collaboration with these clients is going to gain him a lot of benefits. Few of the associates were ready to franchise his hotel.

'Hotel princess Ryna'

His parents and uncle has started this project in the memory of their lost kid. The hotel's main purpose was charity. His parents and uncle has decided to give fifty percent of the yearly profit to the orphanage on Ryna's name. They never thought but the profit from the hotel was huge.

His Riddhi maa was the owner till few years back. She'd look after each and everything just like she'd care for each of the kids. And he was always to tag along with her to the precious place with her. She'd help him teach everything about how to be the owner. Soon his tagging along became the habit and then his passion. The only thing he could think about was opening his own hotel when he'd grow up.

When he turned twenty-three and finished his MBA, asked his father and uncle to invest on his dream but his Riddhi maa stopped and gave the papers with his name as the new owner.

He was on the top of the world. Everything was falling in place just as he wanted. His business was already running to it's best. He never had problem in his dating life. Girls would fall for his looks and money all the time and he was clear that he'd never want a serious relationship. That was for his parents and uncle aunties generation. Their's were to have hook ups and enjoy their life to the fullest.

His mind was focused only on his business. And the franchise offer was at the back of his mind when he got the offer from his associates.

As he signed the deal to open another hotel in another city, he could feel his every wish coming true.

"Congratulations Mr. Aayan. It will be a pleasure to have this business with you."

"I'd be glad too." He stood as they all shook hands and the meeting was over.

Tonight, he'd party hard, he thought.he had all the reasons to party plus he needs to blow off some steam. With all the plans and workloads about the signing the contract, he was so busy, could hardly get time.

He presses the intercom and his secretary answers,"Sia, connect me to Aarul." He orders and disconnects.

After a few seconds, his office phone rings and he grins,"yo bro. Where are you?"

"Studio." Aarul answers.

"You and your studio." He shook his head

"Not again Aayan. What do you want?"

"Arrogant bastard, let's party tonight." He said and waited. After few seconds when Aarul does not answer, he again shouts,"ass."

Aarul laughs and so does Aayan. It is Aarul's old habit to answer the phone and keep painting in which he'd be so lost, he'd lost the track of the person he's on call.

"Yes bro,whatever it is. I am in."

"Cool." Aayan is about to cut the call when he hears his best friend speak,"By the way, Alia is coming back today."And he keeps the call

Aayan stares at the phone then keeping it back, he shakes his head and taking a file, starts reading it.

Though his mind drifts to her again and again. The hurricane in his life is coming back. And again he'd be in hell. Her habits of following him everywhere has always irritated him and after 3 years of peace, he will have to again deal with her. After all the calls he has avoided from her, he'd have to respond. After all the ignorance he'd done, he'll have to talk to her and pretend to be happy having her hovering over him all the time like a shadow.

Shaking his head he finished his work and headed back to his pent house above the hotel. Cleaning up, he calls Riddhan asking to join them for partying but Riddhan passes the offer saying he is going to the airport to pick Alia. Though Aayan knew that wasn't it, he says nothing and starts getting ready.

As he's done putting his jacket, he hears the elevator ping and sighs. His sister. Only she knows the code and only she can break into the building without anyone knowing. Even him.

"Meher, why are you here?" He walks to the kitchen where she's raiding his fridge.

She peeks away from the fridge and smiles sweetly,"good to see you too big bro."

Aayan sighs again and walks upto her,"leave now Meher. I have plans and I can't babysit you. "

"Yeah I know you're going to chase skirts." She Arrogantly says and jerking his hands off, takes the beer and starts sipping. He glares at her and snatches the bottle from her,"get out of here right now Meher or I will call mom."

"Jeez, calm down mama's boy. Anyways dad's waiting down for you. He wants to have a family dinner. Mom, Riddhi maa and Ammy are on their way." She takes the chips packet and start eating.

"And why are you here when it's a serious matter as it looks?"

"Ohh, I just came to stay at your place." She says walking away from him. He frowns at her as she walks far from him.

He then glares at her asking,"what did you do?"

"Me? What would I do? I am as innocent as that beer in your hand. See that doesn't asks you to drink it. It's you who wants to drink and then you get drunk."

"MEHER GAREWAL? WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?" He blazes each word carefully not to scare her alot but to scare her enough to confess.

"I was talking to my friend teaching her how to say I love to her girlfriend and Muskie heard. She asked me who is it and I panicked. "

"What did you tell mom, Meher?"

"Look it wasn't my fault bhai. You know how mom is when I talk to boys. She says I am too young to have boys friends and I should stay away." She blabbers while Aayan keeps glaring at her to come to the point.

"What did you say?" He asks very calmly and she shivers but closes her eyes,"ISAIDTHATYOULOVEALIAANDWANTSTOMARRYHER."

She opens her eyes to see him looking at her with left raised eyebrow so she calms herself down and sighs,"okay. Here it is. I said that you love Alia and wants to marry her and you being you couldn't man up to say I love you to her so I was giving you ideas?"

And as the words are out of her mouth, she throws the chips packet at him and rushes to one of the room and closes the door.

Aayan is still standing just as Meher left him as he keeps looking at the very place he was looking. He takes all his time to register each and every word she said and tries to think what is it exactly.

Feeling nothing, he frowns and walks to where his sister is hiding.

"Why are you in the lion's den then?"

"The lion will look at all the places but his own den. Except I didn't know the lion is in so I crashed in here before getting murdered. "She speaks from behind the closed door.

"And you know that I have keys of all the rooms here and I can catch you in a minute." He says calmly.

She laughs,"that's why you have to carry your phone all the time with you. To call for backups. "

And as she finishes he hears the intercom rings.

He walks asking who's it and his father answer telling he's here with his mother and Armaan and Riddhima. Aayan sighs and let them come.

They all walk in as Aayan waits for them still staring at the door, his sister is in.

They all settle when the door opens and Meher peeks out,"hey family!"

"Why is she here?" Muskaan asks as she glares at her daughter.

"Calm down, Muskie. I just came to meet bhai and wish him luck."saying she walks out of the room and and Pats on his back then run towards the elevator.

Muskaan just sighs and glares at her husband and brother. They both laugh at her.

"Sit Aayan. We want to talk to you." Riddhima says.

"Yes. I guessed. What is it?"

"Meher said you love Alia and you wants to get married to her?" Armaan asks but before Aayan could answer he hears the intercom again.

He turns to the elders. Rahul gets up,"that must be Riddhan with potato!"

"You called her here?" And he stares his father punching the code,"how do you know the code ,dad?" He asks irritatingly.

"I just know son. That's why I am the father. " he smirks and takes back his seat.

Riddhan and Alia walks in but stops at the front as she looks at Aayan. She smiles at him and he returns the smile.

"Potato!" Rahul calls and she turning to him, runs in his arms," daddy. "

He hugs her tightly and sighs,"God the video calls were never enough. Now you're right in front of us forever."

She then walks to Armaan who kisses her forehead, "welcome back kiddo."

Riddhima wipes her tears,"I am never letting you go after this. Whatever studies you want to do, do it here."

She smiles wiping her own tears," I missed you all. Alot."

She then looks at Aayan who looks away from her.

"Okay so now that potato is here too, let's talk." Rahul says,"Meher told Muskaan that you are in love." Rahul says as he sits back next to Muskaan.

"You're in love?" Alia asks as her voice is only audible to him.

"Dad I don't want to talk about this right now. Aarul is waiting for me to pick him up. We have plans." He says ,"Mom please don't make a big deal of all this."

"But is it true?" both Muskaan and Riddhima asks together while all eyes are on him except Riddhan's who's observing each of Alia's action.

"Mom, riddhi maa, please let it go. Please."

Rahul gets up and walks to Alia,"will you marry Aayan?"

Everyone stills and stops breathing as Rahul stares at Alia and Alia looks at aayan who has his eyes closed.

"But he loves someone. " she whispers still looking at him. He opens his eyes and looks into hers.

"He loves you, Alia."muskaan says as she stands next to Rahul.

"You love me?" This time she whispers again but to him.

He keeps staring at her. Her hopes and dreams open for him in her eyes. Her belief that he'd say yes and her eyes beaming with that unspoken yet clear and loud words. He then looks at his parents who are holding their breathes looking at him expecting to say yes.

"No"

A tear roll down on her cheek and he closes his eyes regretfully.

To be continued...