Arranged Marriage

13. new romantics

Meera

I looked out at the sprinting trees from the window of Rudra's car. After he had cornered me at the club, he had also tried to explain it all to me. But I didn't want to listen to him with people present all around us.

I had then bid goodbye to both my friends. Naina was barely listening as she was shooting daggers at her brother, while Vedika had threatened him in no uncertain words.

It was only Kunaal who was able to keep her in place, or she wouldn't have let me come with Rudra. How Vedika and Kunaal were looking at each other, the heat between them palpable, I refused to analyze.

I didn't have the mind to that when my own heart was currently in shambles.

None of us had spoken for a long time. Not for the lack of trying, though. He had tried a few times, but I'd told him to wait until we reach his penthouse.

We couldn't very well do this at my house, where my parents would have been privy to everything.

The car finally came to a halt as we reached the front door of his penthouse.

Wordlessly, I got out of the car without waiting for him. I typed in the password for his door, which I had seen him do the past time.

Thinking about it brought an ache in my heart. I'd thought we were finally getting close, but I guess it was all a lie.

I entered inside and went directly to the living room and sat down on the comfortable sofa. I resisted the urge to groan out my frustration to the ceiling.

I heard Rudra's footsteps in the house. He saw me on the sofa and held my eyes for a minute. His eyes were not cold and unreadable right now, they spoke volumes. They spoke of guilt and regret.

Mine probably were shards of ice, cutting through the distance.

He then went further inside and came back with two glasses of water. I grabbed one glass and chugged down the water greeding.

"Let me explain, please." He said, his voice so unlike before. This time, it was soft and low, giving me a choice.

The choice was easy to make. I wasn't someone to disregard something without hearing their side of the story.

I nodded for him to speak. My anger had gone down a few notches, and I was glad for that.

"Kunaal and Devansh had arranged my bachelor party in that club. I wasn't surprised, but I wasn't eager either. Both of them were enjoying themselves while I was just sitting on the bar, waiting for the party to be over soon.

But both of them came and forced me to join them on the floor. I went begrudgingly, knowing that they'd never let me live this down. It was only us three. But suddenly, this girl came barging into your brother, like some long lost friend.

She was one of his friends, I gathered. As soon as he saw her, he turned around and started to dance with another girl. Devansh did the same, and only her and I were left. Before I could move away, she came close to me and started clawing all over me."

He took a breath and came a step closer to me, speaking with his voice low, "Please, believe me, Meera. I'd never do that intentionally. The moment you came in, I was finally able to convince her to get away. It wasn't what you understood. At all."

He stopped then.

"I'm sorry, baby." He whispers at last.

Looking into his deep eyes, I could see the regret pooling in them.

I didn't know if I was irrational to believe him for word to word. I do realize that what he described was exactly what Kunaal and Devansh would do.

In my heart, I'd known that Rudra would never do something this drastic, but I didn't want to give him that leverage. We weren't exactly a couple yet, and if I started over looking or forgiving everything he did, without actually learning, the truth was stupid.