♔ Aarav ♔

-Annie's 18th Birthday-

          "Aarav! Stop, leave him." Annie tries to pull me away from the stranger before I would punch him a second time.

Still holding him by his collars, I argue. "Annie, he was..."

With a firm tug, she turns my shoulder so I would blink away from me and look at her instead. "He wasn't doing anything I didn't want!"

"What?" I question, her words ring in my ear but they fail to make sense.

"I approached him." She informed clearly, anger seething from her eyes.

She... approached him? She wanted this?

"I thought..." I began to explain as my hold on the guy's collar dropped and he scurried away.

She scoffed, "You thought? What, that I wanted to be a hermit my whole life? God, Aarav, stop caring about me so much. It's suffocating! I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

Being the son of a rapist... When I saw that stranger so close to Annie, showering kisses down her neck, something took over me that I had crossed the distance in a second to pull him off her. The very thought in my mind had been that Annie wouldn't want this. That maybe she was drunk and some random guy was taking advantage of her.

I knew she was saying these words because she was mad at me. But... suffocating? It hurt to hear it all. Stop caring about her? That could never happen! Did she not know?

I try to conceal my expressions as I answered. "Sorry to be such a pain in your life. Enjoy your night." I turned to leave but retreated on recalling why I was here in the first place. "Oh, and happy birthday."

Two words. I wanted to say them with such excitement earlier. I had imagined the way her face would have lit up on seeing me, the smile that would have instantly appeared on her lips and would have stayed there the entire time. I just wanted to surprise her. But... surprised, I was.

I make my way through the crowd and out of the club to get away from here before my hurt would transform itself into anger and innocent people would fall prey to it.

I cared about only select few people who weren't already related to me and Annie was at the top of that list. And she finds me suffocating?

A part of my brain tried to convince me that she was angry, probably had a few drinks... but it wasn't enough. That was no excuse. It didn't make the pain disappear... to have the person you feel closest to think you are suffocating.

Vikas, the head of my security detail, seems surprised that I returned from the club so soon and that too alone. But, he knew better than to ask questions. He opens the door for me to get in the car just as I am two steps away from it. I am about to get inside when there were rapid sound of heels clinking on the pavement behind me before a hand reaches out to push the door shut.

That bracelet dangling off her wrist told me who it was. I don't turn to look at her while I speak, "I'm leaving you alone, Annie. Isn't that what you want?"

She squeezes into the tiny space between the closed car door and me. I sigh and take a step back so she has breathing space, "I'm sorry, Aarav. I didn't mean it. I was just angry. I can't be responsible for what I say after I have a few drinks."

I scoff shaking my head, still refusing to look her directly in the eye for I know... if I did, all that hurt and pain would either melt away in a second or erupt in some form of tears. Neither of which are options I want to explore right now. "Some would say alcohol acts as a truth serum."

She reaches for my hand having noticed I haven't looked at her, "Aarav, please. Can't we just forget this? It's my birthday."

Shaking my head, I tug my hand out of hers. "Yes, exactly. It's your birthday. You should spend it with some random guy you pick up from the bar who'll obviously care more about you and won't be suffocating."

"Oh c'mon, let that go already! I apologized. Or did you come here just to pick a fight?"

I am picking a fight? Now, I don't even have the right to feel hurt and express that without it being labeled as my fault too? I feel this surge of anger flowing through my veins as I glare into her eyes, "No. I flew all the way here thinking you wouldn't want to spend your birthday alone. Obviously, I see I was wrong and what a mistake this was. So, if this is picking a fight over what you said, then fine. I am. I won't spoil your night anymore."

I walk past her and reach for the door. She was forced to move back.

When Vikas continues to stand there by the passenger door looking lost, I glare at him too. He scurries to get in the car and the driver turns on the engine. Before he could pull out of the parking spot however, Annie opened the door.

I am about to yell at her to scold her for how dangerous it would have been and she could have hurt herself when the car was just about to move when I think better.

Nope.

That would mean I cared too much and God forbid she feel suffocated again for having someone who looked out for her.

"Move." She instructs.

I refuse and remain seated, staring ahead and waiting for her to close the door so I could leave.

She crosses her arms over her chest and warns, "Aarav, move over or I will not hesitate to sit on your lap."

My head snaps in her direction with squinted eyes. She raises her brows in further warning to not challenge her. I breathe out, well aware that she would carry through with that warning if her hand was forced and neither would my glares scare her away. Reluctantly I move to the other side of the car and she gets in.

The driver asks looking in the rear-view mirror, "Back to the hotel, sir?"

I answer, calling her formally to inform her indirectly I had no interest in reconciling our friendship tonight. "No, to drop Ms. Annie off first."

She counters, "Don't listen to him. Take us to the hotel."

The poor man looks between the two of us, confused on which instruction to follow. Anytime I am in Australia, he is my driver and hence knows where Annie lives and I am sure has also assumed we are good friends and how I usually let her dictate where we want to go. Tonight, however, he must have witnessed our argument outside so isn't sure whether to let her word be the final default - for at the end of the day, he does work for me.

Vikas seems to make the choice for him, "Hotel."

"No, I said...!" I try to counter but Annie presses a button to raise the partition so they can no longer hear me. I turn to glare at her but she holds a victorious grin on her face.

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

          I look out the window in an attempt to not have to talk to her. She lets silence prevail but only for a few seconds. "Didn't you have your finals this week?"

I bite down my tongue to stop myself from answering but... this is Annie. No matter the words ringing in my ear from earlier, I cannot pretend she isn't sitting in the car next to me. So, I mumble in a low voice to not make it seem a big deal, "I gave them early."

She turns her body towards me, surprise in her tone. "So that you could be here for my birthday?'

I shrug my shoulders, "Whatever. It won't happen again."

She laughs, "Ofcourse it won't. It was your last semester."

Only to save my face from embarrassment, I point out. "There will be graduate school." I've only finished my bachelors right now. There were still 2-3 years to go to get my masters.

She still counters in utmost confidence, "If any exams do come over my birthday again, you'll do the same thing again. Don't even try denying. We both know you will."

I try to make her doubtful, "After tonight, what makes you so sure?"

She chuckles, not a frown of worry on her face anyway, "Please, darling. If you were really done with our friendship, we both know you'd have had no issues closing the door on my face and leaving me outside the club."

I blink away to the window again and make an excuse for the sake of it, "You still mean something to my dad so our friendship or lack of had nothing to do with the choice I made."

She turns the conversation around, "How did you know where to find me?" When I don't answer, she gets an idea and gasps. "Aarav Singh Raizada, do you have people following me?!"

I give her a look of are-you-serious?

She defends, "I wouldn't put it past you."

I roll my eyes though she may be right. I was capable of that. Doesn't mean I did, though.

She adds as if to joke, "See. Proof. Suffocating."

The word made me snap, "Oh geez, I'm not some creepy stalker who has people followed! I didn't know where you would be but that club is your favorite one around here. You're always talking about it so I figured I'd start there."

She asks, voice void any jokes or taunts and instead full of surprise. "You would have gone around the city searching every club for me?"

The way she asks it so innocently... I sigh as my anger fades. See, this innocence of her underneath all her tough layers... it's why I knew my anger and hurt would melt away.

She moves to sit in the middle seat and hugs my arm. I try to pull back, trying to hold on to the anger, but she is adamant herself and tightens her grip, resting her head on my shoulder. I close my eyes as she speaks softly, "Thank you. I am glad you're here..." I feel my shirt dampen where her head is and then I feel bad for making her cry on her birthday.

Now you've done it, Aarav.

"Even... even if I had spent the night with that guy, I'd have still felt alone.' She whispers before sniffing and using the back of her hand to wipe her nose. The minute any tears escape her eyes, her nose is always quick to follow. "You're not suffocating, Aarav."

I grimace in request, "Please, can we not say that word ever again?"

She chuckles through her tears, lifting her head so we could look at each other. "Only if you reinstate our friendship and promise to never break it again. I know I say stupid things without thinking when I get mad and I make no promises that it won't happen again - especially if I've had a few drinks. And if and when it happens, you have full permission to yell back but don't ever walk away from me and call it quits. That's not how friendship works."

I question lifting my hand to wipe her continued trails of tears, "So you hurt me and I hurt you back? What form of a twisted friendship is that?"

"The one where you show me the mirror and stop me from making stupid mistakes like letting my best friend in the entire world walk away from me because in that moment, I got carried away caring more for some potential one night stand whose name I don't even remember." She rambles off in a long sentence before sighing and turning about to fold her legs under her and sit facing me.

Given there is no support behind her, I hold her hand just so she won't fall back.

She confesses glancing at our hands while my eyes search her face, 'It was the absolute worst, Aarav, watching you walk away. I thought I lost you. And for what?"

I know it would hurt her but I've always been honest with her and I don't intend on breaking that lifelong streak. "For a moment, you did."

The car comes to a stop but we ignore it and remain in the car. Vikas opens the door to hold it open but I close it again.

Her eyes blink up to meet mine, water pooling in them and just waiting for her to blink again and let them fall. She mouths as if afraid of her own voice, "Sorry." She turns our hands so she is holding mine and speaks in a whisper, "Forgive me?"

My eyes further soften as I lift my free hand to gently touch her cheekbone, "Always, Angel. Now stop crying? You're ruining your make up." And pulling the strings of my heart, but I don't say that part. I can't. Her tears are too precious. I've never liked her crying. I've never liked anyone I care about crying.

She uses her hands to dry her face while letting out a small laugh in relief.

I touch the corner of her eyes where her liner had smudged a little to fix it. I nod at her afterwards to convey it was done. She smiles back and I ask, "You sure you don't want to go home?"

She nods, "There's still 3 hours left for my birthday."

"Do you want to go somewhere then?"

"No, we can just go back to your hotel room."

"That's a boring way to spend last few hours of your birthday," I counter.

She insists, however. "There's been enough excitement tonight. Let's just pop open a bottle of wine, watch some random movie, and talk." I open my mouth to ask if she's sure when she adds, "Besides, you look very tired. How long was the flight?"

22 hours, plus the time one needs to arrive at the airport early to go through boarding and security and the time to leave the airport after landing.

But, I don't tell her catching her meaning. She knows it was long. "Okay, jet lag wins." I give in and promise, "But tomorrow, we'll celebrate."

"Done," she answers and turns about to sit properly on the seat.

I open the door and Vikas pulls it further. Stepping out, I give her my hand to help her out as well. He nods at both of us while adding the later towards Annie, "I see you convinced him."

Annie chuckles, "He can't say no to me, Vikas. You know that."

I scoff, "Don't you mean the opposite?"

Vikas grins at both of us before asking, "Should I let the driver go?"

Annie answers for me, "Yes, please. No need to keep him waiting till midnight."

I challenge, "And how will you get home?"

"You can drive me."

"After we've been drinking? Not happening, Angel." I refuse to drink and drive and be irresponsible and put multiple lives at risk. Especially hers.

She rolls her eyes and hooks her hand with my arm to nudge me into walking up the hotel steps. "Then we'll walk or call a cab. Now, we're wasting precious time."

The concierge opens the door to let us. Vikas bids us for the night and I take her hand off mines to retrieve my key from my pockets and give to her. "Go on. I'll grab us wine from the hotel bar.'

She suggests otherwise, "Or you could call room service."

"Go, Annie. I'll be there in a second."

She mutters, "Don't blame me if I get lost," and presses the elevator button. Shaking my head at her, I walk away to the hotel bar.

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

          I knock given Annie has my set of key. I heard a few curses before she reached the door and opened it to let me in. I eye the changed state of the room, "Really, Annie? I left you alone for five minutes."

"It was too clean. Gave off a rich vibe." She carelessly shrugs as if conveniently forgetting that it gave off that vibe because this was an expensive hotel.

I nod towards her outfit, "And the robe? What excuse do you have for that?"

"Watching a movie in that skimpy club outfit is hardly the definition of comfort." She expresses walking in after closing the door. While I placed the bottle of wine and glasses on the counter, she unzips my bag.

"What are you up to now?"

She doesn't answer as she ruffles through my bag.

I scold, "Annie, stop messing with my bag and tell me what you're looking for."

She turns to face me with her hands on her hips, "My gift! Where is it?"

I bump my hip to hers to get her to step away from my bag as I fix the order of things she'd messed and zip it up, "Me being here was supposed to be your gift."

She gasps in accusation, "You didn't get me a gift?!"

"Well, I hardly had the time while trying to prepare for my finals earlier so I could be here." I pick up the suitcase and move it alongside the wall so it is out of the way.

She slaps my shoulder, "You're the worst excuse of a best friend. What good is being a rich heir if you can't even get one of the people who work for you to go and buy me a gift?"

While she expresses her disappointment, I had walked back to the bottle of wine and popped it open before pouring a little in each of the glass. Bringing it over to the bed, I answer. "I wouldn't make someone go and buy a gift for you. If I wanted to get you something, I'd have taken the time out to go get it myself."

Her eyes brightened, "So you did get me something?"

I avoid her question as I continue to point out, "Besides, those people around me are there for my security - not to play errand boys."

She rolls her eyes getting up and stretching out her palm, "Yeah, okay, whatever. My gift now."

I hand her my glass and she takes it thinking I am going to retrieve her gift. Alas, I pick up a change of clothes and disappear into the washroom.

"Aarav!" She fumes just as I close the door. Laughing to myself, I undress and go on to shower. She knows it's a habit for me. No matter how tired I am at the end of the day, I still shower before getting in bed. I simply don't like the idea of going to bed without one when one has been to so many places during the day.

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

∞ author note ∞

Thank you for the lovely comments on last chapter! I truly enjoyed reading them & having a lengthy feedback always helps me shaping the future story! Hope it'll continue!

I felt that before Jhanvi & Annie meeting, it was important to give more of Annie to sort-of counterbalance all the Aarav - Jhanvi chapters till now. So, this flashback. As you see part 1 in title, you know there is a part 2. It will come after a few chapters though. I really hope you'll like this chapter!

I'm thinking of planning a chapter from Khushi's POV. Thoughts?! 

QOTC: well, the whole chapter? I don't really know what specifically I'd want your thoughts on.. maybe the car conversation or how quickly Annie can make Aarav melt or the things he'll do for her or the word Annie called him in anger and how he connected her actions in the club to his own past. Free range. Tell me anything about their equation in this chapter without worrying I wouldn't like it. Even differing opinions are welcome in criticism!

Next chapter is titled Green-Eyed Monster. I wonder who is jealous... Jhanvi or Annie? Make your predictions ;) 

PS: You all have supported me in all my 'Indian' novels thus far & it's always been overwhelming love! I'm branching out to American characters & if you would, see if this new endeavor interests you? Teen-fiction. High-school cheerleader & football player. You can expect their characters to not be cliche, ofcourse. 

https://www.wattpad.com/story/143356926-captured-by-him-coming-soon

Thanks!!