16) Am I in heaven?

Happy Holi, peeps!

Here's a little festival gift from my side. *blows kisses*

PS- Some of you forgot how Arjun looked like and I was like???? How can you forget our Mr. Grumpy??? So I put a picture of him with this chapter.

Kiara's POV

"So, this is the beautiful girl who has managed to charm the pants out of the great Arjun Singhania."

I turned around to see a man smiling at us.

Great! Another good-looking guy.

Wait, he was the adorable bunny guy from the café. I remembered him.

His eyes crinkled at sides and his black ebony hair were styled perfectly. And guess what, he had dimples, too. There was a good vibe to him. You know, the kind of comfortable vibe that immediately makes you feel relaxed in their presence.

And what vibes did you get from the devil?

There were sirens ringing in my head with a big board screaming danger. Still, me being the moron I am, waved a red flag in front of that angry, cocky bull.

Dressed in a blue suit, the bunny guy walked towards us as if modeling for a brand and forwarded his hand, "Siddharth Oberoi."

Feeling a little nervous, I shook his hand. "Kiara Sharma." I replied.

"We're gonna be the best of friends." He exclaimed and pulled me for a hug. My face reflected pure shock at his sudden actions.

He seemed a bit... forward.

"Sid, you are going to choke her." Arjun deadpanned.

"Oh, sorry." Siddharth broke the hug and smiled apologetically.

"By the way, I loved the way you spilled coffee on this hulk the other day at the cafe." He winked.

I pursed my lips to stop myself from laughing out loud at the memory. I didn't want to sound like a dying whale and scare off people on my engagement.

"Shut the fuck up, Sid." Arjun growled, giving a glare to Siddharth.

Rolling his eyes at his friend's words, Sid whined, "Why do you have to be so grumpy and rude all the time? God knows how I put with you." He sighed, shaking his head. "Anyway, I'm his best friend. I have known him since we were 10 years old."

Oh.

"And I still regret the day." Arjun sighed audibly, his face expressing annoyance.

"How do you even handle this arrogant bastard?" Siddharth complained, looking at me.

We are definitely gonna be the best of friends.

"What can I say?" I sighed moodily.

Sid threw his head back and laughed out loud at my dramatic act, his dimples visible on his face. "Well, I must say that you are quite witty. And gorgeous." He finished with a wink.

And you are quite hot.

"I know that, babe." He smirked.

Shit. I think I said it aloud.

"Yes, you certainly did."

Oh god!

I need to tape my mouth. Or put a damn filter on it.

"Are you two done flirting with each other?" Arjun asked in a hard voice. Oops. I forgot he was there. Judging by the look on his face, he was extremely irritated by us. Either he was allergic to me or this was his normal face.

In the small time that I had known him, I have come to realize that it is just him being his normal self, he's irritated with everyone. I'm under the impression that he even scolds people for breathing near him.

"Why, are you jealous, honey poo?" Sid teased him with a smirk and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Honey poo?

What the heck?

A loud giggle left my lips that sounded more like a tractor being started and I clamped my hand on my mouth with wide eyes.

Did he just call him honey poo?

"You know very well what I'm capable of, Sid. Don't tempt me to break your face." Arjun threatened in a plain but cold voice that was enough to send chills down my spine.

"Nah, you wouldn't do that." Sid waved him off.

I must say that this guy had guts. He was literally walking into the lion's den. He wasn't even fazed by Arjun's threats.

A waiter passed by us and Sid stopped him, helping himself with a glass of champagne. Arjun, too, picked a glass and started drinking.

"Would you like anything to drink, Kiara? Wine, maybe?" Sid asked politely.

"Um, no. Actually, I don't drink alcohol." I clarified. Sid nodded his head in understanding but I heard a scoff beside me.

Looking sideways, I found Arjun already gazing at me. "What are you, 12?" He sniggered, his eyes sharp.

Deep breaths, Kia. Deep breaths. Control.

You won't look good in black and white stripes. Plus, there's no internet connection or books in jail.

Sighing heavily, I smiled at him. Sweetly. Sickeningly sweetly.

"On the scale of one to ten, definitely." I cocked my head sideways and crossed my arms in front of my chest.

Oooooh. Burn!

Arjun quirked one of his perfect brows and his lips twitched upwards by a fraction. His eyes were shining in amusement and something else I couldn't put my hands on. I knew he wasn't going to stop here. He wasn't the one to accept defeat this easily. Just as he was about to retort with a comeback, Sid interrupted.

"Man, I am gonna love this." He exclaimed, looking at us as if FIFA World Cup final was going on, his eyes shining with mirth.

"Love what?" Arjun asked, annoyed.

"This." He pointed between the two of us. "You two fighting. Honestly, you're the only girl who has managed to stand against him, Kia."

I smiled proudly at the compliment, my head high and looked at Arjun who ignored my presence like one ignores their ex.

"So, where are your friends?" Sid asked, looking around.

"My friends?"

"Your girlfriends, to be precise."

"Mmm hmm. Why do you ask?" I nodded, a small smile playing on my lips. Though I had an idea, I still wanted to hear it from him.

"Oh, come on, Kiara. You wouldn't like your bff to die single, would you?" Sid pouted. He actually pouted.

Gosh, he looked cute.

Though not as cute as Arjun would have looked if he pouted.

Just a thought.

Wait a second.

Did I just think that?

Oh god! What's happening to me?

Arjun Singhania would not look cute if he pouted, got it?

Yeah, and Emma Watson isn't pretty.

"Hello? Kia?" Sid asked, waving his hand in front of me, breaking me from my horrible thoughts.

"Huh? Yeah. Well, they are there." I pointed at the table they were sitting. And giggling. And possibly drooling.

"Damn." He whistled lowly while I slapped lightly on his shoulder.

"Behave." I warned him, widening my eyes.

"Of course, I will." Sid looked at me innocently. Too innocently.

"Now, come on and introduce me to them. Be my wingman." He put his hands on my shoulder and led me to the table where my friends were.

"Technically, it's wingwoman since I'm a girl." I corrected him.

"Oh, shush, lady." He glanced back at Arjun. "Are you coming with us, honey poo?" He asked in a shrill girly voice, batting his eyelashes.

"If you call me that one more time, I'll break your nose. Then we'll see how you impress girls with that. And I'm not interested in watching your lame, pathetic attempts at flirting. So, cheers." Arjun raised his glass and went away.

"Don't mind him. He's just a little..."

"Scary? Mad? Bipolar?" I offered.

"Different. And misunderstood." He finished off with a concentrated frown on his face.

Yeah, sure.

We both reached the table and I introduced Sid to my friends.

"Guys, this is Sid, Arjun's friend. And Sid, these are my friends. " I announced, gaining their attention.

All of them looked up at once and I casted a cautious glance at Maahi and moved a little towards her, in case she jumps from her seat in over excitement, I'll be there to at least hold her.

Luckily, there were empty chairs and Sid pulled out one for me. I thanked him and sat down.

Such a gentleman! Why couldn't that devil be like him?

He would probably pull the chair out of my reach so that I fall down.

"Well, hello ladies." Sid sat next to me and smiled at the girls. "I must say, Kia, you've got a lot of friends." He chuckled.

"That, I do." I smiled. Some people believe in quality over quantity when it comes to having friends. I was lucky to have both in these idiots.

My friends are crazy, for sure, but they are the best.

"Okay, so this is Anushka," She waved at him, "Saumya, Nandini and M-" but when it came to Maahi, Sid smirked and bent towards her, forwarding his hand, "And who this gorgeous lady might be?"

"Maahi Verma." She shook hands with him, smiling flirtatiously.

"Nice to meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine." She nodded, still smiling, which had started to look a little creepy.

"Do you have a sunburn or are you really this hot?" Sid asked, with utmost sincerity on his face.

I raised my eyebrows and bit my lip, trying not to laugh at the stupid but cute pick-up line.

Maahi giggled at the comment like a cheerleader while the others sniggered.

Everyone started talking but my gaze went to a certain devil standing a few feet away from us, with a prominent scowl on his face. Someone approached him and his scowl dropped immediately, replaced by the biggest smile on his face I've ever seen. His eyes lit up like that of a child being offered candy. It was the first time I had seen him so happy. The person, who happened to be a guy, hugged him and said something in his ear which caused Arjun to laugh out loud.

Am I in heaven?

Or has the sun risen from West today?

Because Arjun Singhania laughing is definitely a rare sight to see.

I couldn't see the other guy's face but he had a well-built body. But now, I was curious.

Who was this guy?

Tapping Sid on the shoulder, who was busy flirting with my friends, I asked him, "Who's that with Arjun?" I pointed out.

Sid's gaze left mine and went towards the duo. His eyes perked immediately at the sight. "He's our best friend. Rohan. Rohan Singhania. We, three, are friends since childhood."

The word Singhania caught my ears. "Is he a relative of Arjun?"

He nodded. "He's Arjun's cousin. Only son of Rajveer uncle's brother."

"Hey, Rohan." Sid shouted loud enough for him to hear. "Over here."

The guy turned around and...

Lord, where were all these hot guys were coming from?

Is there a factory where they are made?

If so, can I please get the address of the place?

Aren't you almost engaged to like one of the hottest guys you've ever laid your eyes on? My sub-conscious remarked.

It doesn't hurt to sooth your eyes, does it?

Rohan walked towards us with Arjun while Sid waved at him like a small child. Sid stood up and hugged him, patting his back. "Finally, you're here."

Up close, I could make out his features- angular jaw, green eyes and a brunette.

"It's been a long time, eh?" Rohan chuckled and I heard a 'fuck' beside me.

Uh-oh.

Maahi was looking at him with saucer like eyes and a wide mouth that was enough to catch flies. She snapped her eyes to me and mouthed, "Oh. My. God."

"Hold your horses." I whispered to her. The boys were standing a little away so they couldn't hear us.

"How the hell can I calm down when a hot as fuck guy, with bright green eyes and a fucking British accent, comes in waddling, like a photoshoot is going on here?" Maahi almost screeched in a whisper while I closed my eyes in annoyance. This girl couldn't live without cursing.

Maahi has a thing for British guys.

One guesses why.

"And there she goes." Anushka said in a sing-song voice.

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" Maahi chanted to herself.

"A 100 rupee bet that she'll hyperventilate when this guy talks to her." Saumya chuckled.

"Make it 200. And she'll faint even if this guy winks at her." Nandini said and high-fived Saumya.

"Kia?" Sid called and motioned me to come closer. I stood up and went there. "This is Rohan."

I shook hands with him. "Hey."

"Hi." He smiled and..

He had dimples too!

Who are they? The dimple guys?

"May I have your attention, please?" Mr. Rajveer announced in a loud voice, efficiently interrupting our conversation and we all turned towards him.

"Thank you. Arjun! Come here, son." He called out and Arjun nodded slightly, gesturing me to come along with him.

Was it really necessary to go with him?

No, you can go hide under a table.

Arjun came closer to me, put a hand around my waist and started walking. We reached near Rajveer and Arjun's hand left my waist, not before giving a light squeeze, warning me to act accordingly.

I smiled a little and tried to think of happy things so that I do not like I'm having a mental breakdown.

Think of Chris Hemsworth.

I want to look happy, not a doe-eyed, panting dog with drool coming out of the corner of my mouth.

"I am very happy to announce that today we will be welcoming a new person in our family, Kiara Sharma." Suddenly, every eye in the hall was on me and the place filled with cheers and applause.

I fiddled with my hands, a habit I've acquired whenever I was nervous. My palms became sweaty and sweat beads started forming on my forehead.

"It's time to exchange the rings. Roshni!" Mr. Rajveer called his wife who came with a tray in her hand that had two rings.

"Arjun, you go first."

Shit. It's happening.

Arjun picked one of the rings and faced me, his face blank, as usual and a crease on his forehead. My heart stopped beating as he took hold of my left hand which had turned ice cold and was shaking lightly.

This was it.

And then, he slid the ring on my third finger while I kept staring at him, still in a daze. My eyes shifted to the ring on my hand and I gasped lightly. The ring was beautiful. A big, silver diamond rested on the middle of the band, giving it a royal look.

The ring didn't weigh too much but the responsibility it brought, felt too heavy on my shoulders.

"It's your turn, Kiara." Roshni forwarded the tray towards me and I picked the silver band. Not thinking much about it, I slid it on his ring finger. A deafening applause could be heard and when I looked around, everyone was smiling. My gaze connected to that of my mom, who was crying. She's a little over dramatic. Just beside her, dad was smiling encouragingly at me. My friends were there, too, smiling and giggling. Shaking my head at their antics, I looked away to find Sid showing a thumbs up to me.

Before our family and friends could congratulate us, Mr. Rajveer interrupted. "Arjun! Kiara! Meet Shaina." He introduced us to a lady in her late 40s. "She is a very old acquaintance and our business partner. She is on a tight schedule and has to leave early. So, she's here to congratulate you first."

"You both look lovely together." The lady clapped her hands together, looking at us as if we were her own son and daughter in law.

Mr. Rajveer took this as his cue to leave. "Well, I have an important matter to deal with, I'll join you guys later."

"So, where did you two meet?" Shaina asked, smiling widely and showing her perfectly yellow teeth.

Shoot! We didn't think of our backstory.

"Forest."

"Party."

We both answered at the same time.

I whipped my head towards Arjun who looked...horrified (I think?) at my answer. His face clearly screamed that he was questioning my mental health. And why wouldn't he?

Seriously Kia? A forest. A freaking forest? You met your future husband at a forest?

"Huh?" The lady asked, looking suspicious at two different answers.

"A forest party." I exclaimed suddenly. "What we mean to say is that we met at a forest party. Yeah." I chuckled nervously.

"What's that?" She asked, looking more suspicious than ever.

Excellent, Kia. A forest party.

Slow claps for me, please.

What the heck is a forest party?

Were you having a tea party with the monkeys and giraffes, hippopotamus being the special guest there? Or were you both dancing and hopping around with the local natives, dressed in leaves and flowers?

"Umm." I gulped and looked sideways. Arjun stood there, staring at me as if I had grown a moustache.

"Don't you know about the forest parties?" I pretended to be shocked.

"Uh... no?" She narrowed her eyes at me. I fake laughed and wound my hand around Arjun's arm.

"Well, it's a new tradition. Arjun organized a big party in one of his tree houses in the forest and I met him there." I finished with a proud smile on my face.

"Oh." She still didn't look fully convinced but the explanation would do as for now. My brain was tired making such absurd excuses.

And who started it in the first place?

Well.

"Hey, Shaina. Come here. We need to discuss the Mehta's offer." Someone called her and I thanked God for it.

"Coming." She looked at me and smiled. "It was nice to talk to you. God bless you both." And then, she went away.

"What the hell was that?" Arjun snapped with a murderous glare on his face.

"I panicked, okay? I couldn't think of anything else. So, I blurted what came into mind first."

"So, you came up with the idea of a fucking forest party that no one has ever heard of?" He asked incredously.

"Well, what else did you expect me to say?" I defended myself.

"You could have come up with a 100 different reasons."

"Yeah? Like what? That you're a werewolf and I'm your mate and that is why we met in a forest?"

"You don't eve- Wait, I'm a what now?"

"We don't have time to discuss fantasy creatures." I snapped, my voice urgent.

"What the fuck have I gotten myself into?" He muttered angrily to himself.

"Listen, I need to talk to you."

His brows creased. "What is it?"

"We need to find a way to get out of this shitshow." I was worried.

He sighed. "I know. I'm trying to come up with an elaborate plan so that we don't have to deal with this nonsense."

"We don't have enough time-" I was interrupted by Mr. Rajveer.

What is it with people stopping me midway?

"Ladies and gentlemen. I have an important announcement to make."