Never Meant To Be

Chapter 1

Checking the time on my watch, I got out of my car. I was 5 mins late but I don't think the person I am meeting will mind anyways. Entering the restaurant I checked myself in the entrance mirror. I made sure to look presentable but nothing over the top which would convey that I was interested in this meeting.

My intention for this date was clear: I would go in there, have a small impersonal chat, tell them i wasn't interested and get out of there. I reminded myself not to be rude because it was not his doing that put me in this position. It was our parents.

I walked to the reception and asked for my reserved table. The waitress smiled at me and showed me the way through a hallway. All the way, I thought of polite ways to reject him and not let him know the real reason for my choice as well.

Turing to the left, we entered a tea lounge decorated with pale pastels on the walls and small white dinning tables and chairs with a center table of sweet and savory assortments. Two sides of the lounge had victorian windows which gave a perfect view of the Gateway of India and the jetties in the vast ocean. Only three of the tables were occupied so it wasnt hard to guess who my date was.

I saw a man seated in a tan brown suit with a pale grey undershirt near a window table, far away from the other two tables one of which was occupied by an elderly couple and the other by a group of ladies there for their afternoon kitty. I couldn't figure out his face for he was looking down at the Economic Times magazine he was reading but could make out his neatly styled dark brown hair.

As if he could sense me looking his way, his eyes parted ways with the newspaper and looked at my addidas handball spezials raking towards my dark denim jeans up to my blue striped shirt and atlast at my face and I at his, finally understanding why he was regarded as the most eligible bachelor by all the uncles and aunties of Mumbai's so called high society. He looked much better in real life than he did in the photographs sent to me.

The first thing I noticed were his striking grey eyes surrounded by dark black lashes and dark thick eyebrows framing his face perfectly.

He rose from his seat, handing the magzine to the waiteress and buttoning his suit jacket in one smooth move and looked me right in the eyes. He assed me for a quick second, nodded at me and turned on an easy smile "Hi, Ria I presume".
At that moment I realised I was just standing still there as  a stimulation so I quickly pushed my sunnies on my head and smiled a cool bright smile at him as I mustered enough breath in me to say "Yes" and let out a sigh.

Wait what? "No wait, by what name did u call me?"

He looked at me with that same easy smile and furrowed his bows a little "Ria"

"No I'm not Ria. You are Rajveer, right?"

"I am Rajvansh, not Rajveer" he said as his face rested into what i assume people call a model resting face.

"Oh maybe I just don't remember it right then" I said as I akwardly bought a hand up to scratch beneath my right jaw joint.

He cleared his throat and asked " If you are not Ria, then maybe you were showed the wrong table"

"Oh right," I looked sideways at the waitress, who was still standing there entertained by our talk or maybe gawking at this man, and then back towards the entryway.

Just as I turned to look back at him, he said " And you are?"

Did I not introduce myself already?
" I am Asmi, pleased to meet you" I said as I bought my hand forward.

He looked down at it, raising his right brow and looked back up at me then shook my hand in two lazy but firm shakes and withdrew.

That's when I wanted to but myself in the head and remind me that I was on a date, though arranged by our parents, but still a date so I should be out of my business mode. Should I have gone in for a hug? No Asmi, it's the wrong date.

I withdrew my own hand, still drawn by his sharp eyes which were unwilling to break contact.

He didn't break contact when he dismissed the still gawking waitress with an order of gin on the rocks and an expresso martini.

Huh? That broke me out of my haze. Did he just order a martini for me? Without asking me? That was totally a  red flag for me. Ordering for a lady without consulting her first.

So I just cleared my throat gave him a formal smile, tilting my head a little sideways I said " Well I better get searching for my date."
With that I turned around and started walking back to the reception desk. I could feel his eyes burning holes to the back of head. Was it rude of me to just leave? No it was pale in comparison to his actions.

I could hear his leather Jimmy choos boots clicking on the ground behind me. Was he walking? Ofcourse he was walking and hence the noise. But I paid no mind. It was not like he was walking towards me, right?

Just as I was turned the corner to the hallway, he cleared his throat and called my name out as if he was commanding me "Asmi!".
Seriously? I turned back around to see that his face was expressionless and his hands were now in his pocket as he walked up to me leisurely and stood.

I gave him a questioning look when he didn't say anything and started to turn back when his hand shot out to hold my wrist and was withdrawn back as soon as he had my attention and said " Do you want to grab a drink with me in the bar lounge till you wait for your date to arrive?"

Was this man for real? Why would I have a drink with him if he is not the person I intended to meet.
Because he is Greek god type handsome?  My brain retaliated.
No Asmi, get your head straight. We don't have any time to waste on this.

"No, thank you" was all I said and turned my back to him and caught a glimpse of him widen his eyes a little. Is a rejection that shocking to him?

No is the answer to that question, which I got a millisecond later when a pink bullet train of a human crashed into me with a screech "Rajjjj!!!!"
*Thud*