41

"No. I'm not falling." He leaned dangerously closer to me maintaining eye contact, "I have already fallen."

My heart skipped a beat hearing his words, and the world around me stopped as I stared at him dumbfounded.

Wait.

Did he just indirectly say he loves me?

Oh, please, I only understand direct things. Say it directly.

This is feeling so unreal. He is behaving unreal. I wonder if he's drunk or something. Or maybe he had gone crazy working all day. Yeah, it's probably due to those reasons.

I looked at him, he looked dead serious, and there was no uncertainty in his eyes. The fear flashed in his orbs as I didn't say anything.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Are you okay? You are behaving...strange."

He rolled his eyes, his expression turning serious again. "I'm perfectly fine. And no, there is nothing strange, I said what I felt."

I looked away, and nodded awkwardly, "Ok."

A few seconds passed, and I felt his gaze on me, adding fuel to my nervousness.

He broke the silence, "Okay? You won't say anything else?"

I blinked. "I don't know what to say."

He chuckled. "It's okay if you are confused. But know one thing; I'm serious."

I nodded.

Hearing Aaron calling me from downstair, I walked towards the door and was going to escape but then I looked at him only to find him already staring at me. I wished he could hear all the words that I'm afraid to say. The words don't seem to escape my mouth even if I wanted them to.

And I hope one day I can gather the courage and tell him about my feelings, and I hope I get to do that in this life only.

The next day, we spent entirely with Grandma, we had planned a surprise, to call her old friends in her cafe and celebrate the birthday with her.

There were not many people, but we tried to contact as many friends as we could. It was pretty hard to find everyone, but Advik has helped us a lot. It wouldn't have been possible without his help.

Grandma was unaware of that, and when the doorbell chimed, and she glanced at the customer, she was shocked to see her long-lost friends. The tears of happiness fell from her eyes as she watched the people, she had spent her days of youth with in front of her.

It was a heartwarming moment as she embraced and welcomed each one, with tears of joy coursing down her cheeks.

The next day arrived, and I was super-duper excited and a little nervous. There was an unknown fear in my heart telling me that many things would change after I returned from this trip. My intuition told me that this trip would be life-changing. And I feared that. I'm peaceful with how my life is going on now. I don't want to change anything.

"I told you we are not going on a vacation," Advik spoke, eyeing my overstuffed suitcase with a mix of amusement and exasperation.

I rolled my eyes, a playful smirk on my lips. "I'm just a girl. I need certain things. Plus, I just like to be prepared."

He sighed, shaking his head with a resigned smile. "At least you didn't bring your whole cupboard."

"Don't give me any ideas, Mr. Rude," I shot back.

We then sat on a plane, and after a few hours, landed at Mumbai Airport. The bustling energy of the city hit me as soon as we stepped off the plane. I took a deep breath, savoring the familiar scent of the sea mixed with the city's unique aroma.

Exiting the area, we saw an old man approaching us. He greeted Advik warmly and acknowledged me with a polite nod before picking up the suitcases with surprising ease.

The drive was silent as I felt sleepiness wash over me. I just wanted a good sleep, but I doubted I would get that since we were having a meeting in just four hours.

I glanced at my wristwatch; it showed 1:38 p.m. The ticking of the clock seemed to echo my growing fatigue.

Advik and I were seated in the backseat, and the old man sat in the passenger seat beside the driver. The car's gentle hum was almost soothing.

Releasing a deep breath, I put my head on Advik's shoulder, feeling the warmth and comfort of his presence. I closed my eyes, deciding to take a nap till we reached our destination. His arm wrapped around me protectively, and I felt a sense of calm despite the unease gnawing at the back of my mind.

==========================

I woke up in a dark room.

I turned on the lamp beside me and, instantly grabbed my mobile to check the timing.

It showed 7:20 p.m.

Oh God. We had the meeting at 5:30 p.m.

My eyes went wide at the realization, and I climbed down from the bed, but my leg got entangled with the duvet, and I ended up losing my balance, resulting in falling on the floor.

"Ouch!" I cursed a little too loud holding my feet and feeling the sharp pain.

I heard the faint hurried footsteps coming closer to the room, and the door opened revealing Advik.

He ran towards me.

"Ria? What happened?" His concerned-filled voice entered my ears.

I smiled sheepishly, telling him that I had just fallen due to my clumsiness. He gave me a stern look and made me sit on the bed, checking if I was hurt. Then he walked, and opened the curtains, revealing a huge glass door and balcony. I smiled as I saw the pretty sunset. Then, a question came into my mind.

"Um...What about the meeting?"

"I attended it." He spoke calmly while opening the glass doors.

"You should have woken me up."

"You were tired." He put his hands in his black trousers and leaned on the doorframe of the balcony. He had worn a white shirt, with its sleeves rolled upward, making him look devilishly handsome.

Coming out of my thoughts, I spoke, "You look tired too."

He smiled and walked towards me slowly.

"I'm fine. Let's have dinner."

I took his extended hands, and stood up, gazing at him.

Upon exiting the room, I realized that we were not in a hotel but a mansion with various rooms.

"Wait! We aren't in a hotel?" I raised my doubt.

"Nope. It's my mansion." He uttered making my eyes go wide in awe.

"Nice place," I muttered; my eyes sparkling as I looked around.

I was too stunned by the beautiful interior which gave royal vibes. It was so pretty. We climbed down the stairs, and then, he led me to the dining table. He pulled out a chair for me, I sat, and then we started eating the food decorated on the table.

After dinner, I went outside to the garden to get some fresh air in my lungs.

The mansion's garden was big and tidy, with neatly cut grass and bright flowers. There were winding paths of smooth stones and tall trees for shade. Marble statues and fountains added a fancy touch, making the garden feel peaceful and beautiful.

I felt a sense of connection as I walked barefoot in the garden. The cool grass tickled my feet, bringing a grin to my lips.

Surrounded by the beauty of nature, I felt a serene calmness wash over me, away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. I closed my eyes as I felt a cold breeze blow, making my hair fly back.

I watched as Advik exited the door, his eyes roaming in search of me. Then, a bright smile made its way to his lips when he saw me.

He walked towards me, and I saw he had changed his outfit to a loose black T-shirt, and pants.

"Why aren't you asleep yet?" I asked as he started walking slowly along with me, his steps matching mine.

"I had some files to complete," he replied, his voice tinged with a hint of exhaustion.

"Oh. You should have called me. I have helped you," I said, concern evident in my tone as I glanced up at him.

"I didn't want to disturb you," he responded, a soft smile playing on his lips. His eyes, though tired, held a warmth that made my heart flutter.

"Well, I am here for work, not enjoyment," I insisted, trying to sound stern but failing as a smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.

"It's okay." He chuckled, the sound deep and comforting, as he looked at me with a twinkle in his eye. "Don't worry. I won't cut your salary."

I laughed, the tension easing from my shoulders. Feeling the need to rest my legs, I sat on one of the benches. He sat beside me, releasing a deep breath as he leaned back, his arm brushing against mine. The simple contact sent a shiver down my spine.

We both stare at the sunset in front of us in silence. It was a comfortable silence. I watched the pretty sky with a smile, the group of birds flying back to their home.

Then, suddenly, He took hold of my hand, and intertwined it slowly, making me feel butterflies.

I don't know what thing is about holding hands that I find so beautiful, maybe our intertwined fingers can say much more than words could ever do.

I stared at his face and asked the question that had been bugging me for the past few days.

"Advik?"

"Yeah?"

"Have we met before?"

I don't know why I always feel like I have a deep connection with him. It's like I have known him longer than I know. I used to see the ocean blue eyes in my dreams, long before I met him, but I had never paid much attention to that as my dreams are always weird.

On my question, I felt him freeze, his body tensing as if he had been caught off guard. His eyes flickered with a hint of something—fear, perhaps? —before he quickly regained his composure. Clearing his throat, he spoke, "No. Why?"

I shrugged my shoulders, trying to appear nonchalant, but my heart was racing. He turned his face in my direction, locking his ocean-blue eyes with mine, and I felt a shiver run down my spine.

I spoke, "Nothing. I just feel it."

"Feel what?" His voice was steady, but there was an edge to it, a tension that hadn't been there before.

"That I know you longer than I have known you."

I saw various emotions swirling behind his ocean-blue eyes—confusion, curiosity, and something else I couldn't quite place. He looked away and was quiet for a few seconds. I was staring at his face, trying to decipher the storm of emotions playing out behind his calm exterior.

Then, he leaned back and looked at our intertwined hands, his grip tightening a little. "This feeling often happens when someone is falling in love."

He gazed into my eyes, a small smile appeared on his lips and for a moment I felt the world around me blur.

I know I am falling but I'm too afraid to admit.

Love is a big thing.

Love destroys you. My brain said.

And I agreed with it. I can't love anyone. This was not what I had planned for my life. I had planned to stay away from this thing all my life.

"You can love. Life is not what you plan and achieve, but it's more about you accepting and handling all the unexpected things that life throws at you."

I looked wide-eyed at Advik who spoke that sentence.

Wait, Did I again speak that out loud?

Or is he just good at reading me?

I don't know. I wanted to escape from this situation. I had to think about it hard before taking any decision.

No. Tell him now. Don't run away.

You won't get the chance again. Tell him before it's too late.

I stared into his hopeful eyes and opened my mouth to express my feelings but instead, something else came out of my mouth, "My grandma... she told me my parents chose you. If we had never met, how did they choose you?"

Advik's expression shifted slightly, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face. "Because I have met them once. At a business party."

"Really?" I asked, my voice tinged with surprise.

He nodded, his gaze steady.

My brows furrowed, "You didn't see me?"

"No. They didn't bring anyone," he said, leaning back and looking away, his jaw tightening.

Another question popped into my mind, "If our fathers were friends, then how come we have never met?"

"We used to live in different cities. Our fathers were always busy with their businesses, that they hardly got time," he replied, his tone matter-of-fact.

I shut my mouth, searching for another question, feeling a mix of curiosity and unease.

"But still, not even once?" I pressed, my voice softer now.

"No. I just knew you existed." He sighed deeply and straightened up, his eyes meeting mine with a hint of something unreadable as he continued. "But why are you asking me that? Even if we had met, nothing would have changed, right?"

"No. But if you were in my past, then I might have known some things I don't know." I said my voice barely above a whisper.

"But what will you do after knowing it? It's the past," he said, his words sharp but not unkind.

I let his words sink in, feeling a pang of frustration. I did not like the fact that he was right.

I shrugged, trying to mask my emotions. "I'm just curious... you know."

He reached out and gently took my hand, his touch warm and reassuring. "Curiosity is natural. But sometimes, it's better to focus on the present and the future."

I looked into his eyes, feeling a strange mix of comfort and confusion. "Maybe you're right,"

But I won't stop here. I will find it out.

He nodded, "I understand. But don't think too much about it. Let the past remain past. We cannot change anything. There's no point in discussing that."

He stood up and looked down at me, "I'm sorry if I upset you. Let's go inside or you will catch a cold."

I nodded, "You go. I'm coming."

He looked at me for a few seconds, then slowly walked away.