Dhruv's POV:-

It had been two days since I agreed to the marriage. I really didn't know where my life was heading too. Since that day, I hadn't talked properly with my family.

I completely immersed myself in the work as it was the only way to escape from this nightmare. If it was up to me, I didn't want to marry now or never but I gave a promise to my mom and I couldn't back out now.

With these thoughts, I sighed and continued driving. Now I am on the way to the factory of a company which is partnering with my company. I am going there to check the samples of the new product that we both companies are going to launch.

I didn't need to go there personally to check and I can send someone from the quality department for that task but I don't want to do that because I am shouldering the responsibility of two companies and I want to make sure with my own eyes that everything is going perfectly.

Arjun trusted me and handed over his business to me. So I don't want to disappoint him and moreover, I don't want to disappoint myself. So this is the habit of mine to check every little thing personally.

I am going there alone since I assigned some other tasks to my personal assistant. Soon I reached there and The CEO of that company welcomed me. He personally showed all the samples to me. I examined them and got quite satisfied with the products.

Still, I wanted those products to go through quality checks in my own company. So after taking them along with me, I took my leave from there. Since it is a factory, it is placed on the outskirts of the city.

I am on the way to my company, I suddenly received a call from my men whom I have assigned to protect Ankitha.

Seeing this, I stopped my car and attended the call immediately, thinking it was some kind of emergency.

"Is everything okay..?" I asked him worriedly.

"Everything is fine, sir. It is just that mam visited the hospital today. Just to make sure that she is okay, I asked someone who is working in that hospital to get me the details of her visit. I called you to apologize for intruding on her privacy." He told me in a guilty tone.

"It's okay but never repeat it again. Btw, nothing is serious..right. Is she fine.?" I asked him, hoping nothing will go wrong.

"Nothing to worry, sir. It seems that Mam is pregnant and she just visited the gynecologist for a check-up. She safely reached her house too." He told me but I froze in my spot after hearing the news. I immediately ended the call after ordering him to retreat and not to follow her anymore.

She is pregnant. I smiled sardonically. Finally, she is going to have a family of her own. I am quite happy for her but I felt a slight tug in my heart. I ignored it because, for me, her happiness matters the most.

I want to congratulate her but on what basis I could do that. Moreover, I  can't forget the promise of not entangling in each other's life.

I immediately shook my head to bring myself from my depressing thoughts. I immediately tried to ignite the engine to start the car but it didn't get started. I tried a lot of times still it didn't get started.

Feeling irritated, I came out of the car and lifted the hood of the car to see what's the problem. Immediately a gust of smoke puffed out of the car.

I kicked the car in annoyance. I went to the driver's side of the car to grab my mobile. I took it out and was about to call for a driver to come and fetch me but to my utter bad luck, Signals too ditched me.

"What the hell! Aren't the signals good when I was taking a call earlier but what happened now.?" Thinning this, I walked to and fro in the hope to get the signals but they didn't.

Now, how can I reach my company and who can I ask the help.

I sighed and went inside the car to sit there to shield myself from the burning sun. I waited for some vehicle to pass but as it was the outskirts, the chance was minuscule.

I removed my suit jacket and threw it in the back seat. After that, I rested my head on the headrest of my seat and closed my eyes.

Suddenly I heard the sound of a vehicle, so I immediately got down from the car and saw that it was a girl coming on a scooty.

I waved my hand to stop her. Upon reaching me, she stopped her vehicle. After removing her helmet and sunglasses, she flashed a smile in my direction in recognition.

"You are that handsome dude from the temple..right." She smiled brightly and asked me. I nodded at her resentfully after recognizing her as a temple girl.

God..why is she remembering me that incident where she and that little guy successfully made me a fool!!

They both made me do the silliest thing in my life.

"What happened.? Why are you here.?" She asked me.

"My car broke down in the middle and signals are bad here. So I couldn't make any calls and waiting here for someone to give me the lift." I told her about my situation.

"Ohh. Let's see whether my network works here or not." Saying this, she took out her phone and saw the signals.

After she looked at me while making a sad face and shook her head in my direction. I sighed in disappointment.

"Dude. If you don't mind, I can give you the ride." After a while, she told me and looked at me expectantly for my answer.

I hesitated for a while but knowing very well that I didn't have any option, I agreed with her reluctantly.

"Okay. Wait here." I told her and went to my car to collect the keys and the samples of the product.

After that, I went to her and stopped in front of her sooty, looking at her while raising my eyebrow in her direction.

"What are you waiting for.? Come and sit at the backside." She told me.

"What! There is no way I am going to sit there. You move back and I will drive it." I exclaimed.

"That won't do. It's my darling. I won't allow anyone to drive it. If you want the lift, take your seat silently. Otherwise, I will go from here." She ordered me.

God..this girl is getting on my nerves. Seeing that, I wasn't responding, She started the bike to drive away. So I stopped her in a hurry and sat at the backside uncomfortably.

This girl is making me do the things which I never even imagined in my dreams to do so.

I saw her victorious smile from the side mirror and scoffed in return.

Before she started driving, she handed me her mercury colored sunglasses.

"No thanks," I told her, rejecting her offer.

"Dude, I didn't bring another helmet with me. It is so sunny here and that too we are on the outskirts. There might be scope for specks of dust to harm your eyes. Don't tell me that I didn't warn you. So wear them." She gave me a long speech

Being fed up with her nagging, I took the glasses from her and wear them. She looked at me from the mirror and smiled at me in appreciation.

"You are looking cool. They are my brother's glasses. I sneaked into his room today to get them." She told me while giggling to herself as if she had done a very good deed.

"Can you please stop your babbling and start the driving.?" I asked her in an irritated tone.

"Okay." After that, she started driving, while talking something incoherently all the way, much to my headache. I so wanted to plaster that irritating mouth. What a chatterbox.

She suddenly stopped in the middle and asked me to get off. I looked at her in confusion. Seeing my look, she gestured me with her hand to look at the Dhaba and rubbed her stomach by making a pitiful face at me.

"I am so hungry. Please, let's eat something." She asked me dramatically.

"I am getting late yaar," I told her trying myself to not snap out at her.

"Please." She asked me pitifully. So I nodded at her bitterly.

Seeing my response, she smiled brightly and dragged me inside the Dabha.

"Uncle, how are you.?" After going inside, she greeted the owner and I got to know that she is familiar with this place.

"Hey, Aaru. It's been so long time since you guys visited here. Where are the other girls?" The owner asked her.

"They didn't come with me. I visited home and thought to meet you. So I came here." She told him and I just stood there in silence.

[P.S:- Here..home means it is the orphanage that they are managing. They all call it a 'home'.]

"Who is this.?" He asked her while looking in my direction.

"He is an acquaintance. His car broke down in the middle. So I gave him a ride. Uncle..give us today's special." She told him and again dragged me with her to take the seat.

I sat there awkwardly not knowing what to do. Don't think that I am not used to this kind of place. Back then, when we were studying, we used to visit these kinds of places a lot.

Ankitha always prefers the food from these places to those five-star hotel's food. So after our break up, I stopped visiting these places to save myself from further hurt.

This girl in front of me is making me relive those memories again.

With these thoughts, I looked at her and saw that she was talking animatedly with the helper here while smilingly brightly.

I am starting to wonder that how can she smile and behave so carefreely. Before this meeting, she met me only for once yet she was behaving like she was so familiar with me.

And her smile. It was so contagious that I too wanted to smile along with her. Seeing her carefree behavior, I wanted to forget all those bitter memories and wanted to enjoy my life without any worries. For the first time in my life, I wanted to live my life for myself.

While spending my time with her, I even forgot the little bit of distress that I had felt after hearing the news of Ankitha.

Thinking about all these, I keep on looking at her ever-smiling bright face. What I don't know is, a small smile already crept on my face sneakily.

Suddenly she snapped her fingers in front of my face to bring me out of my reverie. I immediately shifted my gaze away from her and looked at the other side awkwardly.

Damn it..she caught me red-handedly when I was ogling at her.

I chided myself and drank the water from the glass that was on the table, to cover my embarrassment.

"Ahem..looks like someone is gawking at my pretty face. Don't tell me that you already fell for me." She gasped dramatically and smiled at me teasingly.

"Delusional." I scoffed at her and scolded myself for my impudent behavior. Now, she won't leave this topic.

"Naah. I saw it clearly. You are looking at me while smiling to yourself. Let me tell you something. I know I am so pretty and cute but you didn't stand a chance because my marriage got fixed." She told me in a stern tone.

Heck. Like I am dying here to fall for her and marry her.

"Oh, congratulations. I pity that dude." I told her while shrugging my shoulders.

"You are pitying him. Don't be...okay. He is a hella lucky guy. That's why he got a chance to marry this pretty and cute Aarna." She told me with a scoff and got to know that her name is Aarna.

'Aarna..such a beautiful name.' I thought in my mind but she didn't need to know this.

"Oh. Btw, who is this pretty and cute Aarna.? Why can't I see her.?" I asked her with a glint in my eyes.

"Geez..you are so mean." She pouted and looked in the other direction. I laughed at her antics.

Seeing me laughing, she too joined me and gestured me to come forward. I obeyed her and bent forward a little from my position.

She looked around as if she was telling me an international secret. I stifled my laugh and waited for her words.

"Don't tell this to anyone..okay." She asked me in a hushed tone and I nodded at her, playing along with her.

"Good. You know, when I saw you at the temple, I developed a teeny weeny crush on you but what to do, I am going to get married. So there is no chance between us. If you have any feelings for me, kill them immediately." She said while making a killing gesture with her hands.

I rolled my eyes at her and smacked the back of her head but somewhere I felt contended hearing her saying that she has a crush on me.what's with me today.

"What's that for.?" She asked me while rubbing her head.

"For being delusional." I spatted at her and went back to my previous position.

"I am not delusional..okay. It's good that you don't have any feelings for me because I don't need to feel guilty for breaking your innocent heart." She told me with a smile. I shook my head at her nonsense.

Meanwhile, the food was served and I had it silently and she had it while talking some rubbish which I ignored as if she wasn't talking to me.

After having the food, she stood up to leave and the waiter brought a bill for the food. Seeing this, she immediately handed me the bill. I looked at her questioningly.

"Will you still be called a 'man' if I paid the bill.? So to satisfy your manly ego, I am leaving this bill for you to pay." After saying these, she went out and I too followed her after paying the bill.

After we both got settled on her scooty, she started driving. Soon we reached the city.

"Hey, drop me here. I will take the cab." I told her as I don't want to trouble her more.

"No, I won't. Tell me where you have to go. I will drop you there." She insisted and I told her the directions of Arjun's company as I have to go there with the samples.

She dropped me at the company and I thanked her for the help. She nodded at me and looked at the company for a while.

"Empire corporations.? It is my Bava's company. Are you working here..? In which department, are you working..? Financial department..? Naah. Since you are so good looking and you have sample products in your hand. So you must be working in the marketing department..to be precisely a sales assistant..right. But I saw your car earlier, it costs a bomb. Is that your superior's car..?" She bombarded me with so many questions to which I gave her a 'are you crazy' look.

Without answering her questions, I stormed inside but I heard her say.

"Dude. Don't go. I will help you to get a high position. Take my number and tell me if anyone bullies you here. I will tell my Bava." She shouted from my behind but I ignored it and marched inside.

"This girl has surely gone nuts. How am I looking like a sales assistant? Btw..who is that Bava she is talking about.? God..is she somehow related to Arjun.?" With these thoughts, I entered the elevator and reached my office. I saw that my assistant was arranging some files on my desk.

After seeing me, he greeted me and about to go out to bring me some water but I stopped him.

"Ravi. Am I looking like a sales assistant.?" I asked him. He got shocked by my silly question and shook his head continuously.

"Answer me honestly," I asked in a hard tone.

"A little bit." He answered me with slight fear in his tone, all the while eyeing the samples in my hand.

"Get the hell out of here," I shouted at him.

After he left, I went to the attached room in my office and stood in front of the mirror.

I examined myself at all angles while holding the products in my hand. I didn't have my suit jacket on me as I removed it in the car earlier while waiting for the help.

"At every angle, I am looking like...a sales assistant. Damn these products and damn that crazy girl." After my quick realization, I immediately threw away those products from my hand while gaping at them.

Hope you guys liked this chapter.

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