Let's meet again for the first time.
Her mother shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "Who will marry you now, when people get to know you were left by Vikram?" Before I could even process what I was doing, the words left my mouth.
"I wil...
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ANIKA'S POV
The room fell into stunned silence. My eyes widened in shock. I am taken aback.
"What?" My mother stutters in disbelief, her eyes wide with shock.
"I'll marry her," He repeat, the words echoing in the stunned quiet.
I stares at him in disbelief. "Are you insane?" I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper.
His eyes snap towards me. As our eyes meet, a flicker of anger passes through his expression before he quickly composes himself. "I know what I'm doing," he says coolly, his gaze locked on mine.
"You... you can't be serious," I retort, struggling to find the right words.
He turns to face me fully, his expression betraying no hint of doubt. "I am," he responds simply.
"Before that, I need to talk to you." He says, and walks away. He hasn't changed at all, he's still so cocky, doesn't care about anyone else in the world, never waited for anyone. But earlier he used to care about me, he used to wait for me, that has definitely changed, I think. I follow him.
His broad shoulders are hunched slightly, emphasizing his strength and power. His arms are toned and muscular, his chest wide and well-defined under his shirt. His waist is lean and tapered, hinting at the tight abs I know are hidden underneath his clothes. Gone is the small boy I once loved, he has turned into a strong, confident and frustratingly handsome man. Even from behind, he commands attention, the way he carries himself exuding raw masculinity.
He leads me to a secluded area away from the crowd. I have some of the best memories of my life with this man. He meant so much to me. I cared so much for him. But he doesn't deserve it. I guess he never did, I was naive to think he would always be with me, when I need him. So stupid, I shake my head in disappointment. As I round the corner, lost in my thoughts, I unexpectedly collide with a wall. Startled, I look up, only to find that what I had thought was a wall was in fact a wall of muscle. Aarav. He stood before me, his arms crossed, his gaze fixed on mine.
"Still don't know how to walk?" He questions only before it used to be to tease and now his eyes are dark, nose flaring, he's angry.
"What did you want to talk about?" I ask, irritated by myself. He turns around, facing the sky, "Do you love him?" He asks. If he's asking about Vikram, absolutely not. My mother's sick. She has always had a weak heart, but after my father's death and the debt he left behind for us, her health conditions have only deteriorated. Still she worked hard for me, sent me to college, she could have just neglected my education but she didn't. So I promised myself that I will give a good life to my mother. I was an employee in Vikram's company, he used to harrass me a lot, pass comments on my dress, touch me inappropriately, crack irrelevant jokes, I couldn't say anything, he was my boss. I hated working there, he made my life hell, but the pay was good. So I kept silent. Then he started threatening me to marry him. I was obviously taken aback, I refused, multiple times. I don't know from where he found out about my mother's health. One night when I came back from office I found him sitting there beside my mother, she was crying and he was consoling her. To any outsider it would look like that but I knew him, I knew he wasn't up for anything good. He looked at me and smirked evilly. I still shiver at that memory. As soon as he left my mother began weeping. All she could say was marry him. He had told my mother that I like him, that I want to marry him but I won't because she was ill. He made my mother seem like a burden on me, which is far from the truth. And no matter what I said from then on, affected her, he had successfully manipulated her. Last week, I was sleeping, she came into my room and begged me to marry him, I couldn't take it anymore, so I agreed. So the point is that I hate him.
"No, it was an arranged marriage." I respond.
"Good. Do you have any issues with marrying me?" He asks, I scoff. "Of course, I do, you don't have to feel guilty and don't listen to my mother, I don't want to marry you or anyone else." I state clearly.
"That's not a solution Anika." My full name sounds so weird coming from his mouth. I was always his Anu. "Why should I marry you?" I yell, he's annoying me now.
"Because," His eyes hold a dangerous glint, "your mother's not in a good condition. She can't handle your wishes now. She needs to see you settled." He says calmly, I know it makes sense, but he can't just waltz back into my life after twelve years and offer to marry me out of some sense of obligation.
"Just six months Anika. I will leave you after that." His words hit me like a punch in my gut. As his offer hangs in the air, I'm left speechless. The audacity, the nonchalance he speaks it in, the casual way he's offering to leave. "You... you can't be serious," I manage to murmur, my voice barely above a whisper.
He raises an eyebrow, clearly unaffected by my reaction. "Why? Is six months too much of a commitment for you?" he retorts. My eyes widen. He's talking about commitment? This man who promised to stay by my side when I needed him, promised to be with me forever but vanished from my life. He has no rights to say these words! My blood boils at his audacity. He dares talk about commitment when he abandoned me, I kept sending him letters, I kept writing to him for five years but I never got a response, it was as if I was never a part of his life, as if he had forgotten about me, it was so easy for him. I chuckle, nothing is funny, but I feel like laughing, at this situation, at where life has brought us.
"You were going to marry an unknown man but you have issues with marrying me?" He says, his jaw clenched.
"Just do it for six months Anika. For you mother's sake." He sighs, running a hand through his hair, "for your safety."
I want to scream at him, to tell him to leave me alone, but I can't ignore the truth in his words. My mother's health is fragile, and Vikram is a threat I can't handle on my own. Maybe, just maybe, Aarav's proposal is the best way to ensure my mother's peace and my own safety, even if it means swallowing my pride and facing the man who broke my heart. A lone tear escapes my eyes, but I look down. I don't want him to see me, I don't want him to enjoy my pain, I don't want him to think that he still has an effect on me.
"Fine. Just six months." My voice trembles.
"Just six months." He repeats.
˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ Author's note: First chapter from her pov, how's she? Don't forget to vote and comment! Love:)
