Part 28

I was eating with Robert at my favourite restaurant.

We had some formal talks about the progress of his company.

"So.." I started.

"So what?" He asked.

"You haven't mentioned about the reason of your coming." I said and kept my glass on the table.

"Umm.. yeah.. how are you?" He asked.

"You came all the way to ask me this?" He laughed it and picked out something from his pocket.

"Actually I came here for this." He extended the gift towards me.

It was a small blue box and which looked like that it contained ...

A finger ring?

No..no..no..please no..

"What is it?" I asked him nervously.

"Open it." He was looking nervous too.

"Hmm.."

I opened it and...

BAM!

"HEY..." I shouted and stood up.

Everyone in the restaurant started looking towards us and then suddenly Robert started laughing.

"Look at you." He laughed at me.

"I will kill you." I sat down and hissed at him.

"It was not a real one thought.." he was trying to control his laughter.

"Shut up."

"I thought it was a rumour that you are afraid of cockroaches." He laughed again.

"Stop laughing unless you want me to kill you." I narrowed my eyes while pointing a fork towards him.

"I doubt if it could kill me." He said in amusement.

Before I could have said anything he revealed a second a box.

"Now what is it?" I asked.

"Open it."

"No way." I crossed my hands.

"Seriously there's nothing like that. Please." He said sincerely.

It would be better if there is a cockroach instead of ....a ring..

"Okay.."

I opened it to reveal a beautiful diamond ring.

I averted my eyes from the ring towards him with no emotion on my face.

"I could have asked you in a better way...like I could have be on my knee and asked to be my wi... fiance.. but I was not wanting to make it a big news on the media tomorrow..though I am unsure if anyone noticed here." He shrugged.

"Hmm.."

"You haven't answered yet." He asked looking at me. "Oh sorry.. I didn't ask you properly." He cleared his throat and started.

"Miss Liza Miller, will you... marry me?" He asked looking into my eyes.

"I..I..need some time to think about it." I said feeling unsure.

"Take your time. Even if you will disagree, I will be your friend always. I will be there for you Everytime and anytime." He said with a sincere smile.

"I know you could be irritating at times, but you are a true friend." I smiled.

******

I kept on thinking about Robert's proposal the whole night.

Should I?

Should I not?

No. I can't.

He is a friend, it would be awkward to marry him.

You are over thinking..

No.. I.. I can't think of him like that, I haven't thought of him like that for once.

You haven't thought of anyone like that.

Yes..but I had some feelings for...

Suddenly my phone started vibrating.

I searched for it under the blanket as I always kept it on the bed then lose it among the blankets and pillows.

I opened the screen lock to retrieve a message from an unknown number.

Robert is using you..

Whoa!!

Really?

I raised my eyebrows at the message.

So the person already came to know that I met Robert a few hours ago?

And he also know that he will use me?

I laughed at the stupidity of the person.

Is it.. James?

Whoa!! His name is sounding foreign to me..

Since when have I not taken his name?

Liza stop your nonsense thinking and think about this stupid message.

Whoever send it, I don't care it's my life and I will decide my future.

I deleted the message and tried to sleep.

******

My mother kept on looking at during the breakfast without telling a single word.

"Mama if you want to say something then spill it and stop annoying me by your look." She coughed.

"Don't you think you have become more rude these days?"

"Mama sorry please.."

"Okay fine. It's nothing. I was expecting that you will share with me about your last dinner. But anyways it's your life.." she said while picking up her empty plate and put it in the washer.

I rolled my eyes at her back.

"Mama he proposed me for marriage." I said looking towards her.

Her expression changed in seconds.

"I knew it. He is perfect for you Liz. Good looking, handsome, rich, responsible, well mannered and polite too unlike your boss." She said all in a single breathe.

"He is not my boss anymore and why are you comparing him with Robert." I stood up and put the plates.

"Yes you are right I should not compare him with that arrogant piece of.." I looked at my mother and she stopped in mid sentence. "Whatever ." She huffed and sat on the couch.

"Mama I haven't replied to his proposal yet.. I am confused." I sat down beside her.

"Liz I know it's your life and you should take the decision by yourself but as far as I know about Robert , he is a caring person, even though having such an arrogant father he was able to keep his family united, it was he who saved his family from destruction. His father would have divorced his mother but it was he who never let that happen. Even he always kept in touch with his brother Diego, who eloped because of his father's attitude towards his girlfriend."

"Mama I know all these already please don't repeat his life story."

"Yes you know everything still you worked for that James."

"Now..why are you bringing him in here?"

I was getting irritated.

Why is she bringing him Everytime?

She don't even know anything about us or him.

"Yes because it was James who destroyed the love life of Robert and you know it very well."

"It was in high school, and they are still friends, now please stop discussing about their life."

"Friends? It was Robert who always wanted the best for his crazy best friend that he never left him alone or he would have destroyed everything. He would have been on streets because of his attitude towards the clients. He is good for nothing. He is still the same ten years old stubborn boy who..."

"Why have you stopped? I have the whole day to listen to you." I shut my eyes and rest my head on the couch.

"He has always created problems in the life of everyone who loved him, who cared for him."

Hmm...I could agree with that..

She was silent, so I open my eyes and she was looking at the television screen but was having an angry expression.

"I was talking about my future, why did you bring him out if nowhere?" She didn't respond.

"And you don't know him personally to say about him like that. You only know about him what you have heard or what you have seen but you don't know everything about him."

"Are you taking his side? That arrogant man who have insulted you always?"

"I am not taking his side. I am only explanaining the fact. And he is too capable of handling his clients. Maybe you are unaware of his achievements but I know. He his having a chain of hotels in our town, did you know this? No you don't, because his parents too are unaware of it. He worked hard on his own, working for others during his college days because his father think of him as a stubborn little child who will not be able to handle his business, he has gone through so much in his life, but no one knows about it..."

"Then how do you come to know?" My mother asked without showing any emotion on her face.

"A friend... a mutual friend of his whom I met at a party."

S***! Now I again started feeling for him.

He has done nothing good to you Liza, don't forgive him ever.

"I am going to the boutique." I said to my mother and went to my room to change.

I want to forget him but how?

Now my mother made me to think about him again...

But he was insulting him, not praising him..

Whatever! She shouldn't have bring him in the middle of our conversation.

I hate him. I hate him and I hate him.

******

******

I hope you liked it 😉