MY MOON

CHAPTER 1: ALYA

Dad.. Dad.. Dad," I shouted all over the place, searching for him.

"What's up, sweetheart? I'm here," my dad, Suman Rastogi, called out from his room.

"Dad! What are you doing?" I asked as I walked in and saw him surrounded by old photo albums.

"Nothing Alya, just missing your mom," he said, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Dad, no," I said, rushing to hug him tightly.

My mom passed away while giving birth to me almost 21 years ago, and my dad never even considered moving on. I always supported the idea of him finding love again, but he was steadfast in his devotion to her memory. That was until last year when he met Elizabeth on a business trip to New York. They instantly fell in love, and now they're getting married next week, but ever since deciding to remarry, Dad has been feeling guilty about it, which honestly sucks.

"Dad, it's okay. Even Mom would be happy for you. It's time you think about your own happiness. Chalo now, There are so many things to do. Next week is your wedding, and it's a goddamn Indian wedding, so there are a lot of preparations that need to be done. Elizabeth is arriving in 20 minutes. Come on, don't be all sad and gloomy now."

Elizabeth is wonderful and amazing. In fact, she's the closest thing I've ever had to a mom. She's a big indie fan, so she wanted the wedding to be in Indian style. This puts a lot of pressure on me, though. Even though I'm Indian by ancestry, I don't know much about Indian traditions. Dad and I have both grown up in Australia since birth, so we're a bit clueless. We decided to have the wedding at our ancestral palace in Rajasthan, India. Our relatives are helping us plan the wedding, but it's a mess handling everything on my own. It's always been just Dad and me, and even Elizabeth doesn't have a big family—just her brother and her.

"Yeah, true. I guess she'll be here any moment now," my dad said, putting the albums away. The doorbell rang.

"Well, she's here. I got that, don't worry," I said, heading to answer the door. I extended my arms to hug Elizabeth as she stepped inside.

"Alya, you look great!" she said warmly, as she hugged me. "Where is your dad now?" she asked, glancing around. "Well, I am here," Dad said, coming from his room.

"Oh my dear, is that my soon-to-be husband, Suman Rastogi?" she said playfully, rushing over to hug him.

Seeing them together made me happy. They looked perfect for each other. "Where is your luggage? I'll ask the servants to put it upstairs," I offered.

"No need, my brother's got that," she said, looking around. "So where is your brother?" I asked, curious.

"Well, the brother is here," a deep voice intoned behind me. Standing before me was a man who could have stepped straight out of a dream. His ocean-blue eyes gleamed and his smile held a hint of mischief that made my heart race.

"Hello," I said turning to him and he smiled back in a warm way.

Dressed in a way that exuded old money, he had a little smirk playing on his lips., he exuded an air of effortless elegance. His golden hair, perfectly tousled, framed a face that was both handsome and intimidating. The definition in his well-built frame was evident, even beneath his shirt, and his presence commanded the room. As my gaze travelled down to his hands, I noticed the veins that stood out on his hands, adding to his allure.

Never in my life had a man taken my breath away like this especially an old one. The world around us faded into a blur, and all I could see was him—the embodiment of charm and power, wrapped in a tantalizing enigma.

"Alya dear, can you show him upstairs?" Dad asked, gesturing to the man beside him.

"No, Suman, please, I can manage. Let it be," the man, whose name I still didn't know, insisted.

"I insist. Come with me," I said, leading the way upstairs.

We walked in silence, and I couldn't help but feel a mix of curiosity and attraction. His demeanor was cold and aloof, and I found myself intrigued.

"You can put your luggage here," I said, pointing to the corner of the room. I turned to leave, wanting to escape the tension.

"Alya, is it?" he asked, stopping me in my tracks. "Yeah, Alya Rastogi," I replied, extending my hand.

"Alex Hall," he said, shaking it firmly. His grip was strong and confident, sending a jolt of shiver through me. I quickly tried to compose myself.

"So, Alya, I heard you're managing all the functions. Let me be honest, I can't stay here for a whole week. Who's going to run my business then? I don't know why you Indians make such a big deal out of marriage. Just kiss and you're married. Isn't that simple?" he said, pulling out a cigarette.

"HUH?" I was taken aback by his absurd comment 

"So what I meant to say is, can you skip a few events? It's too long," he said, exhaling smoke.

"No," I said firmly, my temper flaring. "It's a wedding, and all the rituals have their importance. If you don't want to attend, please go back. Don't spoil the fun for rest of us." I slammed the door behind me, feeling a mix of annoyance and disbelief.

How dare he ask to skip a few events? It's his own sister's wedding, for god's sake! I thought to myself as I made my way downstairs.

Downstairs, I found Dad and Elizabeth eating. Elizabeth looked up and smiled at me. "Alya honey, can you do me a favor?" Elizabeth asked sweetly.
I walked towards her, trying to shake off my irritation. "Yeah, sure. Tell me," I said.

"Can you please take Alex to shop for some Indian attire for the wedding? Your dad and I already bought clothes, but Alex landed directly from New York, so he doesn't have anything. Can you please help me out with that?" Elizabeth asked.

I couldn't believe I had to deal with him again. I just wanted to keep my distance. Alex might be handsome, but his attitude and grumpiness was something I didn't need. I had too much to handle already, and dealing with a grumpy, insensitive man wasn't part of my plan. But I couldn't deny Elizabeth; she had asked so sweetly.

"Yeah, sure, I will look into that tomorrow," I said, forcing a smile as I headed to my room.

As I walked away, my thoughts were filled with frustration. Alex Hall. How could someone be so dismissive and rude about something as important as his sister's wedding? I had always been someone who tried to see the best in people, but Alex is just simply rude I guess.

I flopped onto my bed, staring at the ceiling thinking, For the next week, I will have to tolerate him. But no matter what, I couldn't deny I was intrigued by him. It was confusing, frustrating even, because I had never felt such an instant attraction to someone before.

What the fuck am I thinking? I hit my head myself, trying to shake off the pull I felt toward him. He is going to be my step-uncle. What's wrong with me? The realization hit me like a cold splash of water. No matter how handsome he is, he is your step-uncle, remember? I reminded myself, desperately trying to regain some sense of rationality into me.

He was handsome, sure. But most importantly, he is going to be family. No matter how hard I tried to rationalise my feelings, I couldn't deny the truth. There was something about Alex Hall that fascinated me.But I know it was wrong, all wrong. With a heavy sigh, I closed my eyes, wanting to just sleep.