𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬

• 18 •

He leans in to kiss her. This is the first time he's kissed someone without being overly aggressive; instead, he leans in closer while giving a soft smooch. She initially doesn't react to his kiss, but eventually, she does and tries her best to kiss him. His gentle kiss causes her tears to stop flowing. The realization hits her.

She pulls away slightly and says, "You stole my first kiss."

"What?" he asks, surprised.

"You weren't stopping, I only had this way, sorry" he tries to explain.

But then he asks, "Are you a virgin, and is this your first kiss?"

"No, no, obviously not, I'm not a virgin" she responds, flustered. "I was saying" she explains.

"Let's go inside," they both say in union after an awkward silence.

***

At the party, this time Aryan keeps Arya beside him.

"Hello, Mr. Shekawat" Aryan greets.

Mr. Shekawat replies, "Oh, hello, Mr. Roy."

Aryan begins, "I was saying..."

But Mr. Shekawat interrupts, "Mr. Roy, if you are talking about the case, I'm sorry, but I have already given you my opinion."

"Yes, Mr. Shekawat," Aryan says.

But Mr. Shekawat cuts him off and asks, "Is this young lady your one another girlfriend?"

This time, Aryan replies confidently, "No, she is my fiancée" as he places his hand on her waist. Arya looks wide-eyed in shock at Aryan.

He continues, "We are getting married soon..."

To which Mr. Shekawat says, "Congratulations, Mr. Roy. But why didn't you tell me you were engaged when we were talking earlier?"

Aryan explains, "Mr. Shekawat, I don't like to blend my personal life with my professional life, and the media keeps spreading false rumors. I don't have time for this, and I need to protect her."

Mr. Shekawat smiles and says, "Yes, you are right, Mr. Roy. I am sorry for what I said earlier. I would love to invite both of you for dinner after your wedding."

Aryan replies, "Yeah, sure, Mr. Shekawat. And about the case, you can give it to Mittal's firm. I don't want to take any risks because I have a family."

Mr. Shekawat, convinced by Aryan's lie, responds, "No, no, Mr. Roy. I would love it if you could fight my case. I'm sorry for invading your privacy."

"No problem, Mr. Shekawat" Aryan replies with a smile.

And then he moves to the stage, taking Arya's hand.

"Attention, ladies and gentlemen! I would like to make a really big announcement in my life. I'm getting married to this young lady named Arya. You all are invited to our wedding, and I would love to welcome you to be part of our happiness" Aryan announces, leaving Arya speechless.

Everyone starts to applaud and cheer for them, but two people in the crowd don't look quite happy: Tiara and who?

***

"So, Her name is Arya" someone speaks, firing a gunshot at a person begging for mercy, and then wipes his hands.

"Yes, bhai, she is the fiancée of that bastard." a second person chimes in from the background.

"Fiancée? Interesting" the first person muses as his shadow looms over.

"He is enjoying his life, after forgetting what he did" The first person gets up from his chair, seething with anger.

"Bhai, he's getting married. Look at her photo" The second person shows a picture of Arya.

"She needs to be killed now. It's a shame, such a pretty lady." the first person says, continuing, "or we could turn him against her. He will go through the same pain we did after losing our brother."

The second person suggests, "Bhai, I'll make her mine, and then Aryan will be left heartbroken. Soon, he will have a downfall, and then we can kill him, just like he killed Iftar Bhai."

Both individuals start laughing ominously.

***

"What, Mr. Roy, how can you say something like that?" Arya protests.

"Listen, little miss" Aryan runs a hand through his hair, trying to explain. "What I'm about to tell you..."

"Mr. Roy." Arya interrupts.

"Listen, miss, this case is really important to me. It's the biggest case right now, and everyone is talking about who will take it over. Whoever takes over this case will see their career and fame soar to new heights. If I don't take this case, my rivals will, and they are known for their dirty tricks. They'll cover up their wrongdoings until they get what they want."

Aryan explains, "Mittal's firm was the one covering up Iftar's crimes until now. Now that he's weakened, if he regains power, he'll start playing dirty again."

Arya responds, "So, why not take over? What's the problem?"

Aryan sighs, "The problem is Mr. Shekawat wants a married man, a family man, for his case. I am known for a playboy personality, so he can't trust me. He's an old man with orthodox thinking."

Arya insists, "Then get married, find a lover. I've been trying to convince you for a long time to find love."

Aryan counters, "Little miss, I can't get married to just anyone. I don't have time to waste on stupid things like love."

Arya concurs, "I can't either, Mr. Roy."

Aryan proposes, "Little miss, we can have a contract marriage. I won't touch you, I promise. We can agree on your terms. You'll stay in your room, and I'll stay in mine. Everything will remain the same. We'll only act like a couple in front of others. Later, I'll divorce you, citing that we aren't compatible."

Arya hesitates, saying, "I just can't, Mr. Roy."

Aryan inquires, "Why?"

Arya explains "Mr. Roy, please try to understand. Marriage is a sacred bond. You can't fake it or play with it." She thinks to herself, 'What will I answer to my parents? Marriage, no, no.'

Aryan insists, "There's nothing sacred about it. And you don't have a place to live. You're staying with an unmarried man in his house. You know what that means, I know and you that, You saved me, but others might not understand; they'll misunderstand our situation."

Arya clarifies, "Mr. Roy, I don't think about you in that way, and you aren't my type."

Aryan seems taken aback, "What? Am I not your type?"

Aryan leans in closer, his gaze intense, and says, "Really?" Her face flushes again, and he asks, "Is a fake marriage your only reason, or is there more to it?"

He takes a moment to think and then asks, "Or do you think you might actually fall for me during our act as a married couple?"

Arya answers hesitantly, with little hiccups in her voice, "No, no, it's not like that."

Aryan leans back slightly, searching her eyes, and inquires, "So, what's the problem, then?"

Arya responds, "Mr. Roy, I'll think about it and tell you my decision."