Aayan x Aashi: Grumpy x Sunshine, Age Gap, Marriage of Convenience, Contract Marriage
Aayan - "Please don't expect love or compassion from me. I can promise you respect, but I'll never be able to give you the place of a wife. However, I can be your...
I was just about to step into the bathroom when Ashi came barreling down the hallway, nearly knocking me off balance. "Please, let me go first! I'm already late!" she blurted out, her voice tinged with panic. Before I could respond, she pushed past me, darting inside like her life depended on it.
I sighed, leaning against the doorframe as I waited. As I waited, I could hear the sound of rushing water and the faint hum of her singing-off-key as always . Moments later, she emerged, a whirlwind of wet hair and smudged kajal, her black eyes gleaming with urgency. She barely glanced at me as she hurriedly dried her hair with one hand and applied another layer of kajal with the other. "Aren't you getting ready?" she asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and impatience.
I simply nodded, knowing there was no point in rushing when Ashi was in one of her morning frenzies. As soon as she vacated the bathroom, I stepped inside, greeted by the lingering scent of her fruity shampoo. The air was warm from her recent shower, and for a moment, I felt the ghost of her presence, like she'd left a part of her chaos behind.
I quickly showered, the water barely washing away the scent of her shampoo. As I changed into my suit and pants, I couldn't help but wonder how she managed to juggle so much chaos in such a short time. When I finally went downstairs, there she was-half out the door, clutching a sandwich in one hand, her bag and keys in the other. She looked like a whirlwind, barely contained, as she dashed out, not even stopping to say goodbye.
I watched her go, a smile tugging at my lips. She behaves like a child sometimes, so full of life and energy, always in a rush, always chasing time.
With a shake of my head, I forced myself to focus. I had an important meeting with my new team today, and there was no time to dwell on Ashi's antics. Breakfast was a quick affair, my mind already racing with thoughts of the day ahead. But even as I prepared to leave, the image of her hasty exit lingered in my mind, a reminder of the little moments that made life so unexpectedly charming.
Ashi pov:-
I arrived at the office just in time, my heart pounding not just from the rush, but from the secret I was hiding. My nuptial chain was tucked discreetly under my shirt, and the sindoor in my hairline was carefully concealed beneath . No one could tell that I was married-exactly the way I wanted it.
The morning was a blur of important discussions with my team as we pored over the documents that had kept me up late into the night. We were finally ready, and I could only hope that all the hard work would pay off. I remembered how I'd fallen asleep at my desk, only to wake up covered with a duvet. Was it Riya who had been so thoughtful? Or... could it have been him? My thoughts spiraled until I forced myself to stop. Focus, Ashi.
Just as I was taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, Shruti, my colleague, burst into the cabin, her face lit up with excitement. "OMG, he's so handsome!" she squealed, her hands gesturing wildly as if she'd just seen a celebrity. The rest of the team quickly rushed out to see who she was talking about, but I stayed rooted to my spot, nerves already stretched thin from the pressure of our upcoming presentation. I had worked late into the night to make sure everything was perfect-I couldn't afford to be distracted now.
But then, the HR manager gestured for us to enter the conference room, and that's when everything changed.
As I stepped inside, my breath caught in my throat, and the world seemed to freeze around me. There, standing at the head of the room, was him. My mind raced, desperately trying to make sense of what I was seeing. "How could he be here? Am I hallucinating? No... this is real."
He stood there, his formal suit perfectly tailored to his broad shoulders, sleeves rolled up just enough to reveal veins that traced the contours of his forearms. His hair was combed back, but with just enough messiness to look effortlessly perfect. I was so lost in the shock of seeing him that I didn't even notice Priya, another colleague, nudging me to move forward.
He was staring at me too, his eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. It was as if he was just as stunned as I was, completely unaware of what was happening around us. We took our seats, but I couldn't focus. The only thing I could think about was the way he kept glancing between me and the screen, his gaze almost burning with an emotion I couldn't place.
My colleagues were whispering excitedly beside me. "He's so, so hot," one of them murmured, while another added, "Looks to die for." But all I could feel was the flutter of butterflies in my stomach as his eyes bore into me.
"Mr. Ayan, let me introduce you to everyone," our HR manager announced, her voice breaking the tension in the room. One by one, she introduced each person, and he nodded politely, a smile playing on his lips. But when she finally got to me, my heart nearly stopped.
"And this is Ashi Rathore, our intern. Very hardworking and quite impeccable in her work."
He extended his hand towards me, his expression unreadable except for that slight, mischievous smile that only I could see. "Hi, Ashi," he said, his voice low and steady, as if we were the only two people in the room.
I hesitated for a split second, then reached out to shake his hand, returning his smile with one of my own, though mine was far less controlled. His grip was firm, and the moment our hands touched, I felt a jolt of something electric run through me. The meeting continued, but I barely registered anything. His gaze kept drifting towards me, and I could feel it, even when I wasn't looking at him. It felt like everyone else in the room must have noticed, and I couldn't understand why he was doing this.
When the meeting finally concluded, he spoke a few words, his voice commanding the room's attention, then left. As soon as he was gone, I practically fled to my cabin, my heart racing and my thoughts in disarray.
Moments later, Shruti popped in, her eyes wide with excitement. "Looks like someone likes you, huh? But I've heard he's married-his marriage was super confidential, not even a single picture leaked!" She kept talking, her voice full of gossip, but I could barely hear her. My mind was spinning too fast to focus on anything she was saying.
I buried myself in work, trying to drown out the chaos in my head. The rest of the day passed in a blur, with me hiding out in my cabin, too afraid that I might run into him again. I heard from others that he had left, apparently impressed with our presentation, but that did little to calm my nerves.
By the time 7 PM rolled around, and everyone was talking about going to a restaurant, I couldn't think of anything except getting out of there. I refused their invitations and hurried to my car, desperate to escape and process everything that had happened.
As I drove, my thoughts kept returning to him-his gaze, that handshake, the way he had looked at me as if I was the only person in the room. The memory of it all lingered in my mind, making it impossible to think about anything else. I felt my heart pounding in chest, my mind spiraling into confusion and anxiety. I clutched the steering wheel tightly, trying to keep my emotions in check.
When I reached home, Riya was already there, lounging on the couch with a warm smile. "How was your day? Did the meeting go well?" she asked, her tone cheerful yet curious.
I forced a smile, trying to keep my voice steady. "Yes, it went well," I replied, though the words felt hollow. "Riya, please tell Maa that I won't be eating dinner tonight. I'm... full." The truth was, my stomach was in knots, and the thought of eating made me feel queasy.
Riya's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Not even a little bit?" she pressed, her concern evident.
"No," I responded more firmly, shaking my head.
"Okay," she said, though her tone was tinged with worry. Then, trying to lighten the mood, she added, "Acha, listen, when are you free?"
I glanced at her, puzzled. "On weekends, why?" I asked, trying to sound normal despite the turmoil inside me.
"I want to shop for something. Let's go tomorrow. Are you okay with that?" she asked, her eyes bright with anticipation.
"Hmm," I nodded absentmindedly, my thoughts far away. I started to head upstairs, eager to escape to the solitude of my room. But as I hurried up the steps, my ankle twisted, and with a sharp snap, my heel broke. "Ouch!" I yelped, pain shooting up my leg as I stumbled.
Riya was at my side in an instant, her expression shifting from concern to alarm. "Wait, I'll get the Volini," she said, and before I could protest, she was already darting into the house.
As I sat there on the stairs, clutching my throbbing ankle, I cursed myself for being so clumsy. Of all days, why today? Why when my mind was already a whirlwind of emotions?
Riya returned quickly, kneeling beside me as she applied the soothing gel. Her touch was gentle, but her eyes were full of questions she didn't voice. "I'll lend you my shoes," she offered, her voice soft. "Our leg size is almost the same."
I nodded, grateful but too drained to say much. She helped me to my room, and I sank into my bed, exhaustion pulling at every part of me.
The moment she left, I grabbed my phone and called Ruhi, desperate to unload everything that had happened. "You won't believe what happened today," I began, my voice trembling as I recounted the day's events.
"Office romance, huh? Interesting," Ruhi teased, her tone light and playful.
"Stop it, Ruhi! You have no idea what kind of storm is raging inside me right now," I snapped, my frustration spilling over.
"Offo, you think too much," she said with a sigh, brushing off my concerns as if they were trivial. We ended the call soon after, but her words left me feeling more alone than ever.
I lay down, pulling the duvet up to my chin as I tried to quiet my racing thoughts. I hadn't slept well last night, and today had been nothing short of a nightmare. As I closed my eyes, exhaustion finally began to take over, but the memories of the day lingered, haunting my thoughts even as I drifted off to sleep.
