Unveiled promises

.01.

×The rejection×

|RUHI|

"I hate you, Mr. Aarav Deshmukh."

My voice cut through the ambient murmur of the upscale rooftop restaurant. Heads turned, but I didn't care. All that mattered was the man standing before me, his usually confident demeanor momentarily shattered.

Aarav Deshmukh. The name alone was synonymous with wealth, power, and an ego the size of this city. Tonight, he embodied all three, dressed in a meticulously tailored suit, his polished appearance doing nothing to soften my resolve. If anything, it only fueled my anger.

"Ruhi, please," he began, his voice softer than I'd ever heard it. "Just hear me out."

I shook my head, my eyes blazing. "No, Aarav. You don't get to do this. Not here, not now."

The twinkling city lights below mocked the romantic setting he had painstakingly arranged. A private table adorned with candles, a chilled bottle of my favorite wine, and a view that stretched across the city - none of it mattered.

Today he just called me for a meeting that was supposed to be a professional but here here he just said that he loves me?

"You think this is appropriate?" I asked, my voice low but unwavering. "You think a fancy dinner and a few sweet words can make me fall for you?"

He took a deep breath, visibly struggling to keep his composure. "Ruhi, I know we've just met, but I love you. I couldn't let you walk out of my life without at least trying."

"Wanting me," I echoed, my tone laced with disbelief. "You barely know me, Aarav. Your brother hired me to handle his case. This," I gestured around the opulent setting, "is not how you win someone over."

He flashed a charming smile, one that had probably won over countless people in his life. "Ruhi, I'm used to getting what I want. And I want you. I thought this would be a good start."

"Getting what you want," I repeated, my frustration surging. "That's what this is about, isn't it? You think everyone and everything is just another acquisition, another conquest for your ego."

Aarav's confident demeanor began to crack. He reached out to touch my hand, but I pulled away, my resolve hardening. "You can't buy me, and you can't control me. My life isn't some prize you can win."

His jaw tightened, a flicker of frustration crossing his face. He wasn't used to being rejected, least of all by someone he claimed to want. "Ruhi, I'm not trying to control you. I genuinely love you and thought we could start something meaningful."

I stood up, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. "Meaningful relationships aren't built on impulsive gestures and grandiose settings. They take time, understanding, and genuine effort. This," I gestured around us again, "feels like a spectacle, not a sincere effort."

He stood up as well, trying to regain his composure. "I thought you'd appreciate the effort I put into this evening. I thought you'd see that I'm serious about wanting you."

I sighed, my frustration bubbling over. "Aarav, you don't understand. You think that because you're rich and powerful, you can control everything and everyone around you. But people aren't commodities. You can't just throw money and charm at a problem and expect it to be solved."

He looked genuinely taken aback, as if no one had ever spoken to him this way before. Maybe they hadn't. Aarav Deshmukh was used to getting his way, used to people bending to his will. He had built an empire, crushed competitors, and manipulated situations to his advantage. But I wasn't going to be one of his conquests.