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...
As I arrived home, the memory of Ashi's appearance in the conference hall was still vivid in my mind. She had looked so professional, yet seeing her there had thrown me off balance. "We'll be having frequent meetings now," I thought with a small, knowing smile. It was both exciting and unsettling to think about how our paths were now so closely intertwined.
I headed straight for my room, my heart racing at the thought of seeing her. When I pushed open the door, my breath caught at the sight of her already asleep, wrapped in the duvet. The room was dimly lit, casting a soft glow over her peaceful face. I carefully changed into a t-shirt and pants, moving as quietly as I could to avoid waking her.
After changing, I made my way downstairs for dinner. The house was filled with the comforting aroma of home-cooked food, but my mind was elsewhere. Riya looked up from the table as I sat down, her face a mask of casual curiosity. "Bhabhi said she won't be having dinner tonight. She's full," Riya mentioned.
I nodded, though my thoughts were already on Ashi. Maa gave a brief nod in response, and I ate in silence, my mind replaying the events of the day. Ruhi, ever perceptive, piped up, "By the way, Bhabhi tripped and hurt her leg today. I applied Volini, but she seemed really tense and confused. I guess the meeting didn't go well?"
I glanced up sharply, my heart skipping a beat. "No, it went well," I replied quickly, trying to keep my voice steady. Ruhi's eyes widened in surprise, noting my distracted demeanor.
"How do you know? Did she tell you?" Ruhi asked, clearly puzzled.
I took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "I know because... because I was there," I said, choosing my words carefully. The table fell silent for a moment as the weight of my revelation sank in.
Riya's eyes went wide with realization. "So, the company you acquired a few months ago is hers?" she asked, her voice a mix of shock and understanding.
I nodded slowly. "That's why she seemed so confused," she said, my mind racing with thoughts of her.
Riya's gaze lingered on me for a moment before she nodded in comprehension. My thoughts immediately shifted back to Ashi and the sprain on her leg. I finished my meal quickly, my mind preoccupied with concern for her.
Rushing back upstairs, I wanted to check on her. As I approached the room, I voiced Riya , "Which leg?".
"Right," she replied, my focus entirely on Ashi.
When I reached the room, I found her still asleep, her leg sticking out from under the duvet. The redness was visible, a stark reminder of her pain. I retrieved the sprain spray from my bag, my hands trembling slightly with worry.
I gently applied the spray to her swollen ankle, trying to be as delicate as possible. Just as I was about to finish, she stirred slightly. I quickly hid the spray behind my back, my heart racing as I watched her. She only turned to the other side, continuing to sleep peacefully.
Feeling a mix of relief and sadness, I placed a cushion on the sofa to make it more comfortable, then settled into the study room to finish some work. My thoughts kept drifting back to her. Once my work was done, I took a final glance at her sleeping form before resigning myself to the sofa for the night. The exhaustion from the day caught up with me, but sleep was elusive. My mind replayed the day's events and the sight of her vulnerable state, filling me with a sense of longing and unease.
The next morning, I slipped into my casual outfit, ready for a day out at the mall. Riya had some shopping to do, and it had been ages since we'd gone out together. This time, Ashi was coming along. I waited outside, my car keys in hand, when Riya finally appeared, followed by Ashi.
Ashi looked stunning in a light blue suit, her hair flowing freely as she adjusted it with her fingers. Oxidized Jhumkas dangled from her ears, and a small bindi adorned her forehead. As they approached, I smiled and asked, "Ready?"
"Yes! Let's goooo!" Riya squealed with excitement, practically bouncing on her feet. She and Ashi both headed straight for the back seat.
I raised an eyebrow and smirked, "I'm not your driver, you know. Come sit in the front," I said, looking directly at Ashi.
Ashi's eyes widened, and Riya's did too, nodding her head in a teasing manner. Ashi hesitated for a moment, then with a shy smile, she walked around to the front and fastened her seatbelt.
When we reached the mall, Riya and Ashi immediately headed to the clothing department, Ashi helping Riya pick out outfits while I trailed behind them, carrying an increasing number of shopping bags. We had decided not to bring the bodyguards this time; it was a family thing, and we wanted some privacy.
As I followed them around, I noticed Ashi's eyes light up when she spotted a gorgeous bodycon dress. She gazed at it with such longing, her eyes sparkling with admiration. But as soon as she checked the price tag, her face fell, and she reluctantly put it back, pretending she hadn't seen it at all.
"You like that dress? Do you want to buy it?" I asked, catching her off guard.
She quickly shook her head, her voice nervous, "No, it's alright."
I noticed she was touching her ankle again, something she had been doing in the car as well. "Okay," I nodded, not pressing further.
"Bhaiya, let's go! We're done here," Riya called out, handing me two more bags.
"You guys go ahead, I'll catch up. I have some work to finish here," I said, and they both nodded, heading toward the food court.
Once they were out of sight, I made my way back to the bodycon dress Ashi had admired. I picked it up and walked to the counter. "78,000, sir. How would you like to pay?" the cashier asked.
"Credit card," I replied, handing over my card and completing the purchase. With the dress in hand, I headed to the food court, where I found Riya and Ashi eating ice cream, laughing together.
As I approached, Riya grinned at me, "I was just telling Bhabhi about your weird obsession with mint chocolate. And guess what? I'm not the only one who hates it. Such a strange taste!" She chuckled, and Ashi joined in, their laughter filling the air.
I looked at Ashi, "What are you having?"
"Vanilla," she replied, and before she could react, I leaned in and took a scoop from her cup.
"Not better than mint chocolate," I teased, watching her face freeze in surprise, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red. The unspoken tension from yesterday's meeting hung between us, making her even more shy.
I smiled to myself but then noticed her touching her ankle again. A quick glance confirmed my suspicion-she had a shoe bite. The thought of her discomfort gnawed at me. "I'll be right back," I said suddenly, and headed to a shoe store.
"Which size, sir?" the employee asked as I looked at a pair of comfortable flats.
I froze. I didn't even know her shoe size. Frustrated, I put the shoes back and returned to the girls. We spent the rest of the day playing games in the PlayStation section before finally heading back to the car.
"Today was so much fun, right?" Riya exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with joy.
Ashi nodded, a genuine smile on her lips, but I could see the discomfort in her eyes. Her shoe bite was clearly bothering her, and the fact that she hadn't mentioned it made me even more restless.
After returning home, I carefully placed Ashi's dress in my wardrobe, tucking it behind my clothes so she wouldn't notice it right away. As I closed the wardrobe door, a satisfied smile spread across my face. I couldn't help but imagine the look of surprise and delight she'd have when she finally saw it. The thought of her eyes lighting up made me feel a sense of pride, like I'd done something right, something that would make her happy.
I quickly headed to the study room to sort through some documents. At dinner, Riya couldn't stop chattering about the day, sharing every little detail with Maa, while Ashi remained unusually quiet. "Bhabhi, how's work going now that Bhai is your boss?" Riya asked mischievously, always eager to stir things up.
Ashi smiled politely, "Riya, we don't see each other much. I'm just an intern, and he's the CEO, so we rarely meet outside of conferences."
Her words stung more than I expected, and I felt a pang of hurt in my chest. Riya, oblivious to my feelings, shifted the conversation to pets.
After dinner, I returned to the study room to finish my work, but when I came back to the living room, I found Ashi fast asleep on the sofa. My eyes were drawn to her ankle again, the redness from the shoe bite stark against her skin. Why didn't she say anything? She's always ready to argue, but she can't tell me about something as simple as this?
Quietly, I moved closer to her. Making sure she was deeply asleep, I gently measured her foot against my hand. "One palm and one small finger," I noted mentally. Her feet were so small.
I remembered a Hello Kitty bandage Riya had given me once. I retrieved it from my wardrobe and carefully applied it to Ashi's ankle, hoping it would provide some relief. Then, with a final glance at her peaceful face, I went to bed.
