47) She's a keeper

*hiding behind David*

So...

*chuckles nervously*

I know I said I'll update soon but-

*screeches as readers run after me*

SAVE ME, DAVID!

*pushes David in front of you all and vanishes in air*

Kiara's POV

I was rooted in my place as Arjun entered the auditorium and the crowd erupted in cheers. He strode over to the stage with perfect grace, buttoning his suit while I stood there dumb-founded, unable to believe my eyes.

What was happening?

Arjun waved to the crowd and the deafening cheers got louder. A few girls went berserk and started chanting his name in unison. Someone thrusted a bouquet of flowers in my hands and pushed me towards the stage.

I stared at the flowers in my hands dumbly and then at the stage.

"Go." The host whispered in my ear and I snapped out of my dazed state, forcing my legs to move.

Right. I was supposed to welcome the chief guest.

Smacking my lips, I clutched the flowers in a death grip while my ever-so-slow brain was still taking its time to grab the hold of the situation. With hesitant steps, I approached Arjun slowly and handed him the bouquet, my heart ready to beat out of my chest. "Welcome, Mr. Singhania."

It was a miracle that I managed to stay upright and speak without stuttering.

"Thank you, Mrs. Singhania." His voice was a low whisper so that only I could hear him and he accepted the flowers with a polite nod, his fingers brushing mine for a fleeting moment. My breath faltered and his lips curved in a tiny smirk, his face smug on catching me off-guard.

I still couldn't believe he was here. My eyes raked down his figure and damn, he looked good. But then again, when does he not?

Control your emotions, Kia. There are hundreds of people watching you thirst over your husband.

The principal ushered him to his seat while I took my position behind the podium when the host announced my name.

Arjun sat on the chair, straightening his tie and crossed a leg over the other, keeping his piercing gaze on me. My anxiety increased ten folds and I fumbled with my hands, trying to calm down.

"All the best." He mouthed as his left eye dropped in a subtle wink and I had a hard time looking away from him.

I was so busy fretting over everything else that I didn't have time to gush over him. The host passed me the mic and I stepped forward.

You've got this.

Taking a deep breath, I started my speech in a confident voice, glancing at Arjun every now and then. He had a proud smile on his face as he watched me recite the same lines he had already heard so many times before at home.

Whenever nerves got the best of me, I would glance at Arjun and his stare would calm me down somehow.

I finished off my speech with a 'thank you' and my heart skipped a beat at the moment of silence that followed. The whole auditorium was quiet and I thought I had messed up when Arjun started clapping. One by one, everyone joined him, applauding for me and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Talk about a typical Bollywood scene!

My gaze flickered to my husband who sat there with a soft smile on his face and I couldn't help but mirror his expressions.

The host reappeared on stage and it was my cue to leave. I went backstage with a giddy smile, lost in Arjun's thoughts and thinking about the way he was looking at me as if I was the only one present in the whole auditorium.

I searched for my friends but Maahi had texted me saying they were sitting in the audience right behind Arjun.

How come I didn't notice them?

Cause you were too busy admiring your husband.

Well...

I decided to watch the rest of the event from backstage because-

One, I could easily stare at Arjun's face from here.

And second, I had no interest hearing two old people talk about stocks and shares.

Around fifteen minutes later, Arjun excused himself and stood up, walking in my direction.

I backed away in a secluded corner, waiting for him to come near and when he did, I jumped in his arms with a wide grin that had all my thirty-two teeth on display.

He chuckled softly, wrapping his arms around me. "You did an amazing job. I'm proud of you."

I pulled back just enough to look at him, my cheeks tinting red. "How come you're here?"

"Did you really think I would miss something that's so important to you?"

I peered at him lovingly, controlling the urge to kiss the hell out of him.

"So, you knew about it before?" I asked him in a breathless whisper.

He nodded. "I got the invitation three days back but I wanted it to be a surprise for you."

"And here I thought you won't attend the event."

"I told you," His eyes were soft as they darted between my own, his knuckles grazing my jaw. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

My breath stuck in my throat.

Such simple words and yet they were strong enough to create a havoc in my heart.

And as I stood there in front of him, his black orbs gazing at me as if I was the most precious thing in the world, I realized it in that moment that I had fallen for him.

Among our fights and kisses, morning banters and midnight talks, random days and special moments, I had fallen for him.

Badly.

Madly.

And there was no going back now.

I couldn't deny my feelings anymore.

I love Arjun.

I love him.

"Arjun," I gulped the huge lump in my throat, my own voice sounding foreign to my ears. "I l-"

A loud, outrageous gasp cut me off and I whipped my head to find an old lady gawking at us as if she had caught us performing a satanic ritual to sacrifice her babies.

I tried to step away from Arjun but he held me tighter, rolling his eyes at the gaping woman.

"I'm her husband." He told her in a not-so-polite way. "Fuck off."

"What are you doing?" I hissed in his ear. "She is a guest."

"Then I guess she has better things to do than poking her nose in others' business." He fixed his glare on the woman and she scurried off in haste, eager to go away from my personal glare laser.

"Poor soul." I grimaced but Arjun paid no heed to my words and stepped away from me, adjusting his suit.

"I think I should go back before someone else notices us."

"And you scare them away with your deadly glare." I quipped innocently and he looked at me the way every woman wants to be looked at by her partner- with a blank stare and his lips pursed in an unimpressed straight line.

Isn't he a dream guy?

He went back to his seat while I joined my friends who congratulated me with excited smiles and happy faces and I smiled back at them, feeling slightly uneasy. There was a nagging feeling in my chest as my gaze flitted to Arjun, the words burning at the tip of my tongue.

I love you.

*

"I know I may sound crazy but it's the truth. I don't know how and when it happened but it did. All it took was one glance and I was head over heels for you." I bit my lip, glancing shyly at his handsome face.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but," I paused, taking in a shaky breath, "I love you." My eyes fluttered close as I feared his reaction but when I opened them, he was staring right at me. His lips were pulled in a soft smile, his dimples making him look even more attractive and I blushed, looking away from his penetrating gaze.

"Well?" I probed. "Don't you have anything to say?"

I looked back at the photo of Chris in my phone and then sighed, dropping my phone on the bed. Raking a hand through my unruly hair, I stood up from the bed and walked out of the room.

Confessing my love to Chris was so easy but my mouth seemed to sew itself shut in Arjun's presence whenever I even tried to think about the L-word, let alone say it.

I had tried twice but ended up saying 'I love unicorns' and 'I like to irritate you' instead which only made him look like he was reconsidering all his life decisions.

"What do I do?" Placing one hand on my forehead and other on my waist, I paced in the hall. "What do I do? What do I do?"

Now that I had realized that I was in love with Arjun, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Should I tell him or just keep quiet and continue with my life as if nothing happened?

No, I couldn't do that. I needed to confess to him. But how?

Should I do something romantic for him?

Arjun? Romantic?

Right. I forgot that my husband is an alien from outer space who doesn't know what emotions are. If I did something cheesy for him, he would just stare at me like I had lost my senses and later make fun of me till I die.

I groaned, nearly scratching my eye out in annoyance.

Why did my husband have to be a robot?

Should I just break into a song while talking to him?

We don't want him turning deaf now, do we?

Should I try poetry?

Roses are red,

The sky is blue.

Oh my dear husband,

I love you.

You're supposed to confess your love, not give him a reason to divorce you.

I screamed in frustration, kicking the couch angrily.

Come on, Kia. You've read so many romantic books. Think!

Should I just walk up to him and tell him straight away how I feel?

Only if my stupid brain and even stupider mouth would co-operate with me.

I picked up a vase from a nearby stand and held it in front of me. Imagining Arjun's face on the vase, I breathed deeply.

"Now listen here you obnoxious, arrogant son of a devil." I started. "You-"

"What in God's name are you doing?"

The sudden voice behind me caused me to jump in air and let out a horrifying scream like I had encountered a ghost in a haunted house. The vase slipped from my hand in shock but Arjun dived for it and caught it in time.

He snapped his head to me when I stopped screaming. "What!?"

"Stop creeping me out like that." I hollered in a hoarse voice, keeping a hand on my furiously beating heart.

"I creep you out?" His voice was incredulous as he spoke. "You were talking to a vase."

"S-so?" I raised my head and crossed my arms in a defensive stance.

"You worry me sometimes." His tone was dead serious as he regarded me like I was a strange animal he was seeing for the first time in his life.

I let out an angry scoff and turned sideways, trying to hide my flustered cheeks from him.

"Anyway," He placed the vase back in its place. "Have you seen my white sweatshirt?"

I perked up at the mention of sweatshirt. "The one that makes you look like an adorable snowflake and a handsome jock at the same time?"

Great! When I want to confess, I turn mute but when I have to blurt out extreme gibberish to embarrass myself, I talk faster than Eminem raps.

"Yes." He spoke slowly, his half-amused, half-weirded out smile on display. "That one."

Cursing my inability to filter my perverted thoughts, I chuckled nervously. "No, I haven't."

"Can you check for it in the locked room?" He tossed me a key. "I'll go search in my study."

"Okay." I nodded, turning to leave but my feet staggered to a sudden stop when I realized what he had said. "Wait."

I whipped my head to him with wide eyes. "What did you say?"

With a puzzled face, he repeated his words.

Was he actually asking me to go there?

When he saw me standing there stupefied, he asked. "Is there any problem?"

I shook my head quickly, trying hard to hide my grin. "No. I'll go check in the room."

Without waiting for him to respond, I ran upstairs, my head brimming with thoughts.

I reached the mysterious room and glanced down at my hand that held the key. My hand enclosed around the key as I bit the inside of my cheek, staring at the door in doubt. This was something personal to Arjun and he was sharing it with me. Which obviously meant that he trusted me. And as much as the thought excited me, I was also scared shitless, not knowing what horrible secret lied behind that door.

What if it's a secret door to an enchanted magic land?

I unlocked the door slowly, my heart thundering outrageously in my chest.

I would finally get to know what's inside.

Please don't be dead bodies. Please don't be dead bodies.

Holding my breath, I turned the doorknob and opened the door.

I was half-expecting a wrecked dungeon where Arjun tortured his victims but to my surprise, it was an ordinary room. There was some old stuff lying around and the only interesting thing that grabbed my attention were the paintings hanging around.

I stepped inside the room, glancing around in awe when Arjun entered behind me.

I turned to him. "You paint?"

"No. Mom did."

Oh.

My eyes wandered around the room once again. "These are so beautiful."

I blinked in astonishment as a rare smile graced his lips. "She was quite a painter."

My eyes stopped at a particular painting and I walked towards it, the tiny boy on the canvas seeming familiar to me. Squinting my eyes at the boy, I gasped aloud when I realized who it was.

I whipped to Arjun. "Is that you?"

He sighed, nodding reluctantly and I grinned widely, turning back to the painting. The little boy, dressed in a suit, was trying to fix his bowtie with a concentrated look on his face.

"You looked so cute." I gushed, placing a palm on my cheek.

Arjun cleared his throat. "I'd prefer the term 'handsome'."

"You were a kid." I deadpanned.

"A handsome kid." He corrected and I rolled my eyes at his stubbornness, focusing back on his tiny version on canvas.

At least the painting won't talk back to me.

"I loved wearing suits." Arjun came to stand beside me.

"You still do. If it was up to you, you would have declared suits as the national uniform of the country."

He gave me another one of his major eye-rolls and I giggled. If I had a coin for every time he had rolled his eyes at me, I would have created my own chocolate brand.

"Have you tried painting?" I asked.

"No." He scoffed. "I'm horrible at it. Once I tried to draw a penguin and my teacher mistook it for a duck. Never tried again."

My giggles turned into full-blown laughter at the thought of little Arjun trying to draw and then scowling at his teacher for making fun of him.

"I keep mom's stuff here, the things that remind me of her." He rubbed his forearms, his eyes scanning the room subtly. "The shawl that I gave you, it was hers. I gifted it to her on her last birthday."

WHAT?

"I.." My mouth hung open and I was at a loss of words.

The shawl was so special to him and yet he gave it to me.

"I want you to keep it." He said in a low voice. "It looks good on you."

My heart swelled in my chest and I pressed my fingers against my mouth, trying not to bawl like a baby in front of him.

God, I love this man.

It was the right moment.

Tell him!

"Arjun..." My mouth dried up and I started shaking with a thousand possibilities of how this could go wrong.

His face was expectant as his gaze flickered to me.

"I.. uh.." I licked my lips. "I wanted to say that.."

The ringtone of his phone cut me off and I clenched my hands into fists, barely stopping myself from snatching his phone and throwing it across the room.

How hard is it to say three simple words?

"Just a minute." He gestured me and picked the call.

"Yes? Okay. No problem. I'll be there in a few minutes. Yeah." He cut the call and kept the phone back in his pocket, facing me. "You were saying something?"

I'm in love with you, you oblivious toad.

"Yeah. Uhhh...." I drawled, quickly thinking of an excuse. "I didn't find your sweatshirt."

Squinting his eyes at my flustered figure, he stalked towards me and I stepped back instinctively, his unnerving gaze turning me into a hot mess. My breathing hitched when he got really close, my hand clutching my jeans. Just as I thought he was going to kiss me, he went past me and picked his sweatshirt from a chair, raising it for me to see.

My face blanched as I stared at the sweatshirt in his hand. He tilted his head, cocking a brow as I fumbled for an answer.

"Wow. I didn't see it there." I let out a forced laugh, cringing at my horrible lie.

Arjun pursed his lips in amusement and nodded, not believing a word I said.

"I have to go to office for some work. I will be back in an hour or so." He said and I nodded, hoping not to make a bigger fool of myself.

He kissed my forehead and walked out, leaving me standing there with a dazed look and a goofy grin plastered on my face.

Boy, I'm way too deep.

Snapping out of my love-sick mode, I marched out of the room, locking it properly and since I was alone at home, I decided to cook some pasta. Not a smart decision on my part but I needed something to distract myself because my newfound feelings for my husband were eating me alive.

To my utter surprise, the pasta actually turned out to be good. Bonus point- I didn't set anything on fire.

After doing a three-minute-long victory dance, I decided to take some pasta to David's as a token of thanks for keeping up with my bipolar husband's daily mood swings. That man needed all the appreciation in the world. If it was up to me, I would have awarded him with every bravery award in the world.

Carefully handling the pasta in my hands, I stepped out of the elevator on the tenth floor and knocked on the door but there was no response. The door was slightly ajar which made me a bit suspicious. Knocking again, I waited for another 15 seconds and then pushed the door open.

"David are you here- OH MY GOD I'M SORRY." I clamped a hand over my round, owlish eyes, holding the bowl in the other hand and spun around faster than helicopter blades.

There was a loud gasp accompanied with a string of colorful words and I refrained from drowning myself in embarrassment.

I just walked on David making out with someone.

Oh god.

Damn me to hell and back.

Trust me to barge in wrong places at the wrong time.

"I'm so sorry." I squeaked, my voice thinner than usual. "The door was open and I thought you were at home but I didn't know you had company-"

"It's okay, ma'am." David quickly interjected, cutting me off mid-ramble.

Why do I keep embarrassing myself like that?

I was already planning on running out of here and shift to Australia to live happily ever after with Arjun and our two kangaroos when I heard David coughing in the background.

Mentally complaining to the one above writing my fate, I turned around to find David as red as a tomato and a girl grinning from ear to ear.

Unable to look at David after this very awkward encounter, I shifted my focus to the girl beside him. She was wearing a cut-sleeve denim jacket over a black tank top and leather jeans. Her left arm was covered in vibrant tattoos and her pixie cut made her face look more angular.

Standing side by side, they looked like a power couple, the one who would fight side by side in an action movie and kick everyone's butt. Since both of them were wearing black, they were giving major badass vibes.

David cleared his throat. "Ma'am, this is Alaiya. My girlfriend."

David has a girlfriend.

I didn't know how to process this information.

"Hi, nice to meet you." Alaiya forwarded her hand.

I closed my half open mouth and shook her hand, introducing myself.

While David looked like he was having a mental breakdown, Alaiya was at total ease as she smiled at me.

"You look beautiful." I complimented her and her face split in a wide grin.

"And you're damn hot." She winked. "If you weren't his boss," she nudged the blushing bodyguard beside her who suddenly seemed very interested in the floor, "I would have totally asked you out."

David came out of his trance and snapped his head towards her with a ridiculed look on his face. "We are dating."

"I know." She grinned cheekily and I laughed at David's betrayed expression.

They are so cute. I ship them.

Alaiya glanced over at me and I tried not to creep her out with my 'Joker' grin. My lips pulled in what I'm hoping was a convincing smile. "I love your tattoos."

"Thanks. I'm a tattoo artist."

"Wow. That's so cool."

I glanced down at the bowl in my hands, suddenly remembering the purpose of my visit and extended it towards her. "Here, I brought some pasta for you guys."

David casted an alarmed look at the bowl when Alaiya took it from me quite cheerfully. "Hell yeah! Who says no to food?"

I nodded at David in acceptance, pointing at Alaiya. "She's a keeper."

Two red spots appeared on his cheeks and it was so fun to watch the always prim and proper bodyguard so flustered on being caught with his girlfriend.

I should leave before they throw me out themselves.

"Well, I have to go somewhere." I clapped my hands together, my gaze darting between the two of them. "I'll catch up with you later. Have fun."

I left the apartment, squealing internally.

David has a girlfriend!

*

"Why can't we just stay at home and watch Thor instead?"

I stopped combing my hair and glared at Arjun who was sitting on the bed. "Don't you dare tempt me with Thor."

"We can have a Harry Potter marathon if you want." His expressions were full of hope and I reminded myself not to fall for that gorgeous face.

I refused to answer him and continued brushing my hair.

"I will bring chocolates for you." He tried again and I was about to cave in when I remembered that he is a very skilled businessman and that's what he does on a daily basis.

He surely knows how to lure people in his deals.

"No. I had already told Mrs. Singhania we were coming. We can't back out now."

His shoulders slumped in defeat and he let out a dramatic sigh, rolling his eyes.

We were supposed to have dinner with Arjun's family today and Mr. I-hate-everyone had spent the whole evening sulking around because he didn't want to go.

"Fine." Arjun stood up, dusting his jeans. "You owe me big time."

I blew him a kiss and his scowl turned deeper.

"Fuck me." He mumbled angrily, walking past me.

Gladly.

I scoffed, tying my hair in a ponytail. The shocked silence in the room made me realize that I had accidentally muttered it aloud.

Shit.

My horrified eyes clashed with Arjun's highly entertained ones in the mirror. He had his arms crossed over his chest, a knowing smirk playing on his lips as he regarded me with amusement and an unknown emotion.

"I didn't know my princess had such a dirty mind."

I slapped a hand over my face, crying out in regret.

Someone please tape my mouth shut forever.

Why don't you just kill me and get over with it? I complained to God.

"I mean, I'm ready if you want to."

I yelped at the sudden whisper in my ear. My eyes flew open and I gasped on finding Arjun right behind me, his chest touching my back. A shiver travelled down my spine as his breath caressed my face and I stepped forward, creating some space between us.

"I'm up for anything you want." He raised his hands, shrugging and I nudged him in the ribs harshly which had no effect on him as he laughed hysterically.

Is he made of rocks?

"We are getting late. Come on." Collecting my phone and purse, I avoided his gaze and hurried out of the room with Arjun trailing behind me lazily.

Only I knew how tempted I was to pull him back in the bedroom.

I need some holy water.

I tried not to look at him while we were in the elevator but there was no chance I could've missed that damned smirk on his damned face even from miles away.

Reaching the parking lot, Arjun decided to drive the black Mercedes which was my favourite among his other cars.

"David's not coming?" I asked when he took the driver seat.

"No. He's out with Alaiya."

"Why didn't you tell me that he has a girlfriend?" I sat in the car.

"Because you never asked." He looked at me as if I was dumb.

Never mind.

"Alaiya seems like a nice girl. She said she was ready to leave David for me." I boasted, flipping my hair.

Arjun started the car, not even sparing me a glance. "I'll give her forty-eight hours before she comes back herself and returns you to me."

He ignored my gobsmacked face and drove out on the street.

"Not even forty-eight hours," He wondered to himself. "I think she will return you back in thirty-six." His eyes then flitted to my outraged ones. "Only I can handle your multiple personalities."

Look who's talking.

My jaw hung open and I wished he crashed in a pole but since I was in the car with him, I settled with imagining him being chased by bloodthirsty wolves.

Twenty minutes later, we stood in front of the mansion and I peeked a look at my terrifying hulk from the corner of my eyes.

His face was dark, no hint of any smile. I poked his bicep and he turned to me.

"If I sell half of your company shares just to meet Chris Hemsworth, what would you do?" I asked him.

His face scrunched up. "Excuse me?"

"What if I ask you to leave the company and buy a bakery instead?" I poked his cheek twice.

"What?"

His face turned more confused and I grinned up at him. "I am kidding. I just wanted to see how annoyed you are. You didn't make your come-near-me-and-I-will-chop-you-into-pieces face. So, we can say everything is good."

And here is another beautifully executed eye roll.

"Relax. I'm not going to tear the place apart in anger if that's what you are worried about."

You can exactly do that and you know it mister.

I stayed silent, my face blank as I stared at him.

"Fine." He said after ten seconds. "I'll try to behave."

"Thank you."

"But don't expect me to be civil to that brat."

"But Riya is your step-sister." I tried to protest but one look at the withering patience on his face and I quickly changed my mind. "On the other hand, I agree with you. Let's go."

Looping an arm around his elbow, I rang the bell whereas his other arm came around me in a swift motion and he pecked my lips.

I blinked in a daze as he straightened himself. "What was that for?"

He didn't answer and just then Mrs. Singhania opened the door with a radiant smile. "Come in, both of you."

Arjun managed a microscopic smile and I nearly wept at the progress.

Mrs. Singhania took us to the long dining table.

"Let me call Rajveer and Riya downstairs. Make yourself at home till then." She marched off in the opposite direction and I looked around.

Arjun pulled out a chair for me and I placed a hand on my heart, gasping dramatically. "My, my. The great Arjun Singhania being a gentleman. What's happe-"

He sat on the chair before I could complete my sentence. I gaped at his action and non-chalant expression to which he merely said, "You were taking too much time."

I keep forgetting that the devil can't be a gentleman.

Sitting beside him, I gave him a major side-eye which he conveniently ignored. The sound of heels clicking the floor caught my attention and Riya came into view, sitting opposite me.

"Hi." I waved at her but she ignored me.

I whipped my head to Arjun with an outrageous did you see what just happened look and he merely shrugged in response as if saying I told you so.

Huffing at the arrogant step-siblings, i busied myself in staring at a random flower vase when Mr. Singhania entered the dining hall. "There you are."

"Hello, sir." I smiled politely as he sat at the head of the table.

"How are you both?" Mrs. Singhania joined us, sitting between her husband and daughter.

"We are good." Arjun nodded and a few maids arrived with lots of food that had me gawking like I hadn't eaten in months.

I didn't know we were having a royal feast.

There was so much food to eat.

Riya started serving herself and Mr. Singhania followed her lead. My eyes widened on seeing that and I panicked. We were supposed to serve ourselves?

The clumsiest person on the earth had to serve herself food from the expensive looking crockery.

Easy-peasy.

As easy as getting a perfectly winged eye-liner on both your eyelids.

I casted a helpless glance at the table.

Don't make a fool of yourself in front of your in-laws.

I was going to pick the bowl when Arjun took it instead and serving me. He blinked at me reassuringly, as if saying I got you. I gave him a sheepish smile in response.

"I don't think Mrs. Singhania will be able to survive the heartbreak if you broke her precious china crockery." He whispered and my mouth formed an 'o'.

"She's obsessed with it." He added after a moment and I thank the Gods that I didn't mess up.

I picked the fork to start eating but scowled when I found broccoli in my plate.

I hate it.

"Stop making that face. You look like you're having a seizure." Arjun pushed his plate towards me and I transferred the broccoli to his plate silently, grinning.

The room grew quiet and I was startled at everyone's attention on us. Arjun's dad looked smug while Mrs. Singhania was smiling softly. As for Riya, well, let's not talk about her.

Why were they looking at us like this?

Arjun cleared his throat. "Let's start."

The dinner started and we indulged in light conversation. I kept glancing at Arjun every now and then, cautious of him since the the ticking human-bomb could go off at any time. Thankfully, he remained calm and even gave a few inputs in the conversation rather than being his broody self.

After dinner, a maid brought a chocolate cake next and my mouth watered at the delicacy.

"Rohan told me that you love chocolates." Mrs. Singhania smiled and I could have hugged her at that moment.

"You are drooling all over the table, princess." Arjun whispered in my ear and I closed my mouth, shifting in my seat.

The maid placed a piece of cake in front of me and I dug in, moaning softly at the delicious taste.

"This is amazing." I gobbled down the cake and Mrs. Singhania chuckled at my over-enthusiasm.

I finished my cake sooner than everyone else and nearly died when Arjun offered me half of his cake.

"Really?" I asked with a twinkle in my eyes.

"Yup, I'm full."

I happily took it from him.

Ladies, that's what true love looks like.

"You're the best husband ever." I whisper-yelled and he shook his head, his lips pulling in a slight smile.

Everyone finished their dessert and Riya, who was busy in her phone throughout the dinner, suddenly seemed excited as she hopped up from her seat.

"Mom. Dad. I have a surprise for you guys."

"What?"

"Just a minute." She made her way out of the mansion, bouncing gleefully which made me highly suspicious of her behaviour.

Arjun's phone started ringing and he excused himself to attend the call while Mr. and Mrs. Singhania were busy discussing something. I sat there idly for about a minute when Arjun returned, looking highly disturbed as he took a seat beside me.

"What is it?" I asked him, keeping my voice low.

He was staring at the floor, his face perplexed. "The police called. They found the other guy and he gave the name of their boss."

A chill ran through my body and I gripped his hand. "Who?"

He looked up. "Karan Sehgal."

I took in a sharp breath, frowning. "Your business associate?"

Arjun nodded slowly. He looked conflicted as he pondered on the situation.

"But what does he have to do with it?"

"I don't know. Why would he do something like that?" Arjun rubbed his forefinger on his lower lip, deep in thought. He ran a hand through his hair, the crease lines on his forehead deepening. "We need to leave."

Just as we were about to get up, Riya entered the hall smiling but she wasn't alone this time. A man walked alongside her, his hand in hers and I paled in my seat, blood draining from my face as I looked at the guy.

What was Dhruv doing here?

I stopped breathing and my body turned numb, the world around me seeming to fade into nothing.

Arjun stood up abruptly, his eyes filled with rage while I glanced at him in puzzlement.

How did he know Dhruv? They have never met before.

Riya placed a palm on Dhruv's arm as they both stood right in front of us. "Meet my boyfriend, Karan Sehgal."

Oops. 👀

*gasps* Karan and Dhruv are the same person.

Who's eager to see how Arjun reacts to this new information? *smiles creepily*

*runs away before anyone catches me*