Where Should I Look For Love?

The clock strikes 12

Third point of view

Back at the party, Reyansh is pulled away from the group by Karan.

Karan: Dude, she left. What are you doing? Please tell me you at least asked for her number.

Reyansh: No, I think we may meet again. I will ask the next time. I will test my chances with her then.

Karan: Are you crazy? She showed up after 10 years and you had a second chance to confess your feelings for her and you did nothing?

Reyansh: I flirted with her lightly whole night, she was actually blushing. I talked to her about Priya and she was clearly jealous. That is a hint she likes me, right? But, I still think I should wait a little longer.

Karan: A little longer? She is leaving tonight and God knows when she will be in touch again. She asked you to dance with her and is envious of your old girlfriends. Is that not an enough sign that she is still interested in you? You were always waiting for her after high school and now when she finally shows up, you blew up your chance?

Reyansh: Damn, maybe you are right. I should go talk to her right now. I am an asshole for acting so cool. She may be still here somewhere. I will go and try to meet her. I don't know why I was so nonchalant. Do you think I should at least wait for dinner? She is not going to leave so soon. Maybe I can go to her hotel after dinner.

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Kiara's POV

Replaying all these events I sit on the terrace of my hotel with a beer from the mini bar of my room. It is hard to make my tears stop. I don't remember the last time I cried my eyes out. I pick my phone and message the only person who would understand how I feel, my sister. 'It's over.'

My only chance of escape, and I have lost it. I have ruined everything. No, he has ruined everything. But, it was my mistake. I was stupid enough to think that he was looking for anything beyond friendship with me. After 10 years, what did I expect? That he will come running towards me when I show up? This is insane. I am insane. Why did I even dream about being with him? How did I even think that I will be off the hook at last?

Now, I am stuck with my dad forever. There is no way out. Reyansh was my only way out. The only way I could get rid of my dominant father and his family is when I get married.

This was the only good thing that came out of my parent's divorce. Being a sufferer of a loveless marriage, my mom understood that two people who do not share respect or love are the perfect recipe for tragedy. She always preferred us both, me and my sister, to fall in love first and then get married. So, she put up a clause in divorce, that I am only enslaved to live with my father until I am single. The moment I decide to get married, he will have no right to say whatsoever his thoughts are. Also, he cannot force a guy on me. He will have no say in my choice of a man. He cannot abstain me from getting hooked up with my partner and he cannot force me to settle down with his family.

Once I wed, I will move out from his home and it will be entirely my wish whether I ever want to see him or not. He, then, cannot control my career or any part of my life. It will be my choice to continue work with him after my wedding or get a 360-degree change in career. This looked quite a stupid thought when my mother fought for it for over two months(until my father gave in). However, as I started living with my father and his new family, I finally contemplated how my mother has actually saved my life. From the past few years, this clause is the only ray of hope which allows my mind to think of a life far from the present agony.

Though I don't plan to leave the company or my position after I get hitched, I definitely want to move away from him. This way I can meet him in the office, but he will have no influence in my private life. I will happily be off, without any step-mother to eat my brains out. No more constant feeling of isolation in a room filled with step-relatives. I won't be answerable to anyone. I will wake up in the morning with a smile pasted on my face and a loving husband beside me.

In this heavenly scenario, the only missing element is my loving husband, which is nowhere in sight. I always imagined this day. The day I will meet Reyansh. I fantasized about how everything will fall into place after meeting the missing piece of my life's jigsaw puzzle. We two will unite with each heart going through the same emotions of love. It will be firecrackers, but still a strange bliss enveloping us in a bond of togetherness. Then finally, I will get the chance to maintain contact with him secretly and one day, he will eventually pop up the question and I will break all the shackles of life. I can finally live my dream and the dream of my mom.

But, my imagination was too good to be true. He didn't even ask for my number! Forget to have a secret contact, there will be no contact whatsoever. And I was desperately waiting for him for all these years. I can't think of anything, I don't know what will happen next. I have no idea. I will just have to marry a guy my dad finds me and then stay with him all along.

I have no other choice. No backup plan. No one to go to. I will just have to wait and see how events change and turn. Tomorrow everything will back on track. Same old meetings, same old me, same old routine. And this will continue for God knows how many years. I would probably never find anyone who loves me. Maybe this is my destiny, to stay single. What will it take to meet a guy who feels for me and for whom I can fall? Will that even be possible in this life? Where will I meet such a guy? In my office? No chance. On a vacation? Yeah, like I will get any vacation ever. There is no chance. My life is just a terrible mess, just like my heart, just like my eyes and my beautiful dress. I couldn't believe I made so much effort to dress up for this disastrous night.

I take another sip of the cold beer trying to subdue the emotional turmoil inside me. There is nothing left to wish for now. The soon I get over this incident, the better. Suddenly, I feel a cold hand on my shoulder.

"How did you know I was here?" I ask without looking up.