Gehraiyaan.

Chapter 49

"Nivi!"

"Nivi. Wake up!", Ma's voice rings in my ear, shaking me out of my deep slumber. "I've been screaming your name for the past five minutes. How irresponsible of you", Ma throws my share of scolds at me, while I struggle to breakout of the nap...I didn't know about.

I don't even remember how - and when - I came to bed, and dosed off.

"Your Boss has been waiting for ten minutes!", she reveals. "Darsh?", my eyes pop out of my sock. "---shan Raval Sir? He's out? Ma. Why didn't you tell me?", I jump out of bed and look around for my shawl.

"I thought you were in the washroom", Ma justifies, while I sprint to the mirror to take a glance at my reflection. All of that make-up and hairstyle for absolutely nothing! I look nothing less than an electrocuted sleep-deprived monster.

"Are you going to stand in front of the mirror all day? You don't even spend this long to get ready for the families that come to see you with a marriage proposal", Ma whines and I turn away from the mirror, subtly adjusting my hair. Don't make things obvious, stupid. Mothers anyways have an extremely sensitive radar when it comes to boys and relationships.

I can feel an entire zoo dancing inside of me. As though I'm going to see him for the first time.

The moment I step into the living room, my eyes fall on him and my heart cannot help, but skip a thousand beats.

Wearing a black formal shirt with the sleeves folded up, and with his hands shoved into his pockets, Darsh takes a slow stroll around the living room, glancing at the frames hanging on the wall. This man knows my weaknesses a bit too well; I literally lose it when he wears black. He looks too good to be real; too good to be mine.

I clear my throat and within seconds, he turns back around; his eyes looking around in desperation. A small smile crawls up my face, and the moment he notices it, he goes back to being the "unbothered Boss". The Boss who doesn't take his eyes off me, not even for a fleeting second.

"Hi...uhm, Sir", I clasp my hands together and look down for a brief moment. "She fell asleep, Darshan. Thank God I went to check on her. I don't know what she does all night, she's just so sleepy in the morning nowadays", Ma complains to him, like a teacher complaining to a parent. Darsh and I simply exchange looks, fighting our urge to break into a smile.

"Maybe, Navya has a boyfriend?", Darsh prompts. "No...do you?", Ma turns in my direction with her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "No, Ma!", I snap right away.

"That's what. If she had a boyfriend, she would've told me. Otherwise, why would I have to look for marriage proposals for her every day", Ma sighs. "Marriage proposals?", Darsh echoes, looking at me suspiciously, with a playful smile smeared on his face. Oh God. Ma doesn't have a brake!

"Ma!", I cut her off and she gawks at me, startled. "D--did you serve chai to Mr. Raval? And why are you standing, Darsh---an Sir? Sit down!", I divert the topic and while Ma fades into the kitchen, Darsh walks alongside me with his hands in his pockets.

"Rishtas and all, huh?", he whispers softly. "You know how mom's are. But I've rejected all of them", I tell him. "Why didn't you tell me?", he questions. "I haven't met any of them, so technically you cannot get mad at me", I look at him. "Who said I was mad?", he crosses his arms against his chest. "Lucky men, though. They got rejected by you. Now, they'll live a peaceful life ahead. They have no idea what they escaped", he utters with a straight face. "What have they escaped, Darshan Raval? Enlighten me please!", I throw a stare at him, while he chuckles.

"You know what? Nevermind!", I huff and turn around, almost walking away when he wraps his hand around my wrist, holding me back.

"You look beautiful", he compliments. "Darsh. Let me go", I hiss at him, fighting against his hold.