Hello, beautiful people! So, as I was writing the next chapter of this story, I realized that I suck at writing a Third person's POV. Lol. So, I'm back to First person POVs, only change this time is that I'm writing both male & female lead's POV in this story. Let's see how this enfolds! :)

Happy Reading!

Chapter – 1

A WEDDING

~Josh~

'Missing you comes in waves. Tonight I'm drowning.'

My eyes scanned the document in front of me. There had been a slight improvement in the gross profit ratio as compared to the last quarter and that made me sigh in relief. Glancing at the time on my Macbook's screen I noticed that I had a little more than an hour to study the entire MIS report that the CFO had just dropped in my inbox. No problem at all.

As I started going through it, there was a knock on my cabin door. "Come in," I answered, without removing my eyes from the screen, knowing fully well that is was Karen, my very efficient secretary.

Not bothering with greetings for the second time during the day, she started, "Mr. Stark, isn't the weather just perfect today? Steve is coming over. Let's grab lunch together?"

I frowned a little, not liking the idea of going out, but I denied her offer a little more diplomatically, "I would rather not be a third wheel. And you know my schedule better; it's packed!"

I heard her taking a deep breath. "Do you even remember what a bright, sunny day looks like?"

A snort escaped my lips and looked at her, finally. "Of course, it looks well... bright and sunny."

She didn't laugh at my joke and kept staring at me. Other than being my secretary, Karen fulfilled the role of my mother quite aptly, even though she was almost the same age as me. Rolling my eyes at her, I told her, "Can I have my secretary back for a few minutes, who knows that I have a very important meeting with Mr. Robertson in about an hour and I can't afford to go out for lunch or any other kind of break?"

Realization dawned upon her face and biting her lips, she mumbled, "Sorry, boss." With that she stepped out of my office in exactly the opposite manner in which she had entered.

Once she was gone, I closed my eyes for a moment and wondered if I had actually forgotten what a bright, sunny day looks like? I couldn't even count how many times I had used similar excuses of not stepping out of this office for a friendly gathering in the last one year. Not that I regret any of it. I had perfectly utilized the last one year by working my ass off and it paid off well as I got promoted as the CEO of GGIA two months back.

Karen calls the last one year of my life as dark, overworked, and dull, a complete contrast to what my life earlier was – sunny, happening and bright. Bu it was her point of view, and we all were allowed to have those. In my point of view, my life was a lot better now, where I could focus solely on my work without any distractions.

Just then there were loud cheerful voices coming from outside the door. Talk about distraction! They were so loud that I couldn't help but flick the chic curtain with a click and see what the chaos was all about. I could see smiles on everyone's faces as they cheered and congratulated Wilson, who had joined the Sales department merely three months back.

"Mr. Stark," Karen's voice interrupted my observations, making me look at her. I noticed that she shared the enthusiasm and happiness of the staff that was on the other side of the wall.

"Karen, I was about to call you. What's this chaos all about?" I asked looking back at my colleagues through the glass panes with an amused smile.

With a grin on her face, she informed me, "Mr. Stark, Wilson is getting married."

She didn't even have to complete the last word of her sentence, before which the smile from my face wiped off, the color drained, as I processed the latest information thrown my way. "M-married?"

It took me less than two seconds to realize what my reaction would have looked like to anyone. It would have looked like I was in love with Wilson and his getting married was breaking my heart. What else could explain the sudden change of expressions on my face? Fortunately, it was just Karen who was well aware of my dislike for anything and everything related to weddings.

She answered with a grimace, "Yeah."

Shuddering at the mere thought, I took a moment to compose myself, and looked at Karen with a tight smile. "Congratulate him on my behalf, will you?"

Nodding, she went outside to join the small celebration.

My eyes drifted towards Wilson who was smiling from ear to ear as if he had won a lottery or something. "That smile, Wilson, is soon going to get wiped off. Marriage and smile do not go along well," I mumbled a few words of wisdom, only there was no one to listen to them.

Giving once last glance at the crowd, I closed the chic curtain again and focused my attention back to my macbook. There were much more important things I had to take care of than the celebrations outside for something as terrible as a wedding – the MIS that I had just received from the Finance department, for instance. It took me hardly few seconds to concentrate on the matter in hand, forgetting all about the chaos outside.

I liked this – being busy. I liked when I had work with deadlines, because those deadlines didn't give me the time to think about unnecessary things. I was, in Karen's terms, a workaholic. It wasn't my fault that I found solace in my work. It gave me peace, satisfaction, happiness and most importantly, distraction. However, my moments of peace and happiness were short lived as the door of my cabin flew open and a few people along with Karen and the Man of the Hour – Wilson Mark – entered with facial-muscle-tiring-grins on their faces. No points for guessing that my expressions were the exact opposite.

"Mr. Stark!"

"Josh."

"C'mon, man! What are you doing here? Come, join us!"

"I'm getting married to the love of my life!"

I looked at the people in front of me, especially Wilson, who looked like he was about to cry due to utter joy, with an almost there grimace. "Um... " I managed to change that grimace in a forced grin as I reluctantly stood up from my very comfortable seat. "Congratulations, Wilson. That's great news!" Stepping towards him, I patted his back in a friendly gesture, while on the inside I stopped himself from gagging at my own words. Weddings were never even good news, forget great!

"Thank you so much, Mr. Stark. It means a lot." Wilson was on the verge of crying due to his happiness while I wanted to tell him to laugh and be happy as he had merely a few days to be like that, after which he would get married. But before I could say anything further, people dragged me outside, making me a part of the celebrations, much to my annoyance.

'The celebrations could wait, work could not.' I wanted to tell them, but knew that all I would receive in reply were sour looks from my colleagues.

"Please do come to my wedding, Mr. Stark," Wilson invited me, in his over emotional state, once everyone started chatting amongst themselves.

An involuntary snort escaped my lips as I told him, "You don't want me there."

Wilson gasped. "Of course, I want you there. Everyone is coming. You should too!"

"Let me tell you a secret, Wilson." I moved closer to my very attentive and super emotional listener. "The last time I attended a wedding was about a year ago, and that wedding never happened." I told him the truth without going into the hows and whys.

Another gasp escaped his lips. "Why?" Well, he clearly wanted to know why...

I beckoned him to step closer and he did, listening very carefully to what I had to say. Looking around I made sure that what I was about to say to Wilson remains a secret, even though I knew that it was anything but. Hell, it was an over talked about topic and had once been the hot favorite topic of the gossip-mongers. I whispered, "Because of me."

And as per the gossip-mongers, 'Poor Josh, had been dumped merely a month before his wedding by his full of herself and non-deserving fiancee... well, ex-fiancee.'

For once, all the emotions from Wilson's face evaporated like water boils at hundred degrees. For this once, he was expressionless. After what seemed like a few hours, during which I waited for him to say something with an amused smile on my face, he managed to collect himself, and requested Josh, "Please don't come to my wedding."

This time, he was on the verge of crying due to utter distress. Such a drastic change of emotions!

"I wouldn't even dream of it." I nodded in complete understanding while patting Wilson's back, trying to console him. It amused me how badly Wilson wanted to get married and settle down. But given his current state, I chose not to make any more jokes.

At least there was one relief, I didn't have to attend his wedding. I hated weddings.

After continuous meetings, conference calls, dinner with a client, I reached my apartment late at night, by when I was dead tired and I could sleep as peacefully as a log as soon as my head hits the pillow, as always.

I had worked my ass off in the last one year, so hard that I had been promoted as the CEO of GGIA. True that being at such a great position in a successful company had been my dream, but truth be told, it was more of a distraction now. Distraction from the places where my mind wandered whenever I was free, distraction from dreams that I had once seen and which were now shattered. My work was the perfect distraction from Kimberly Jones... my ex fiancée.

But like every night, when I entered my apartment and switched on the lights, my eyes fell on the huge photograph on the opposite wall. It was a photograph of some street in Paris, and I had taken it out of the collection of the travel magazine that I used to work for about three years back. I had loved it so much that I had got the person who had clicked this, hired in that company. I loved this photograph and even more the photographer, Kimberly Jones... my ex-fiancée.

I blinked my eyes, removing my gaze from the beautiful photograph and shut the door behind me. I moved towards the kitchen and took out a bottle of water from the fridge. But as I turned around to take that bottle to my room, my eyes fell on the high stools in my kitchen. The very stools where dinners were shared, where coffee was drank every morning after she used to stay over for the night, where hundreds and thousands of conversations were made, and where cheesecakes were fondly eaten by Kimberly Jones... my ex-fiancée.

With a frustrated sigh, I moved towards my room with the bottle in one hand and bag in another. Switching on the lights, I kept both the things at their designated spots, took out my pajamas from the wardrobe and quickly changed. Hanging my suit in the wardrobe, I went to the bathroom and freshened up. 'I really need to stop thinking about her. Hell, it's been more than a year now and she is already engaged to that footballer.' I forced my mind to flow in the direction of the meetings that I had attended today. I was particularly interested in the new investment plan that one of my friends had discussed; the idea of opening a restaurant. It was time for me to think about bigger things, to not stay depended on GGIA, even though, it was the other way round since the last one year. Thinking about the pros and cons of this business prospect, I stepped out of the bathroom, took a sip of water, and lay down on my bed. Long working hours were taking a toll on my back. I stretched my body to give some relief to the sore muscles. And that was the moment when the idea of a new restaurant left my mind and the memories drifted in. The painful memories of the many nights we cuddled together after making love for hours in this very bed, the many talks we had shared, the sweet nothings between us, the memories of her beautiful face, her naughty smile, and her brown eyes that had me at the first glance. And like every night of last one year, I inhaled the pillow that had long ago lost the scent of Kimberly Jones... my ex-fiancée.

And, once again losing the battle between distractions and memories, I heaved a defeated sigh and got lost in the dangerous territories of her bitter sweet memories. "Kim," I whispered with longing the name with which I was not allowed to call Kimberly Jones... my ex-fiancée.

**

"I need you to find me a new apartment," I ordered Karen the moment she entered my office the next morning. "You know my taste; find me a perfect apartment which is nearer to our office. I waste too much time travelling to and fro." I clarified unnecessarily with a sheer lie.

Karen looked at me with raised eyebrows. "You say exactly that after almost every two weeks."

I pressed my lips together, knowing well that like always, Karen was right. "This time, I mean it."

"Yup, that too. Every time." Karen nodded her head, not believing even a word coming out of my mouth.

"I seriously mean it, Karen," I told her with complete determination.

"And what if you refuse at the last moment like the last five times?" Karen counter questioned me.

I couldn't help but flinch at the memories, and passed a guilty smile in her direction. She was right but what she didn't understand was that how could I leave that apartment so easily? That place was the only place where I had Kim's memories. Giving up that apartment would mean giving up Kim's memories, and no matter how much I tried, I failed to give up these two things at the last moment. "You get a hike," I joked.

Her eyes widened. "You are kidding, right?"

"Of course, Karen!" I rolled my eyes at her. "That way you'll find me a terrible apartment in which I'll never move in." She laughed a little knowing I was correct. "Jokes aside, you have fifteen days. Okay?"

"Yes, Mr. Stark!" She smiled and went out of my office.

I smiled a little her retreating frame. She had been my secretary since the time I had joined GGIA three years ago. And now she was more than that.

No! There were never any affairs between us. One of my best friends, Steve had once visited my office for some personal work with me and had bumped into Karen. After that, his visits became way more frequent and the reasons of his visits changed to 'personal work with Karen'. The pretty red head had managed to steal Steve's attention, heart, and surname, exactly in the order.

**

As expected, my day passed in a blur with meetings, calls, and again some meetings. Just as I was about to step out of my office, my phone rang. Looking at the unknown number that flashed on the screen, I briefly tried to recall if I remembered this number from somewhere. When nothing came to my mind, I answered the phone, "Hello?"

"Josh!" a voice exclaimed from the other side.

Flinching slightly at the loudness of the voice, in reflex I distanced the phone slightly from my ear. Bringing it back, I asked, "Yes? Who is it?"

"Hell! You don't even remember me now, do you?" the person teased in his heavy accent.

It was the familiarity of the accent and the voice that made my eyes widen in complete surprise. "Neil?"

The man on the other side laughed and that laugh confirmed my suspicions. "So, you do remember me. That's good to know."

"Holy f*ck!" I exclaimed and it was probably his turn to flinch at the loudness of my voice. "How are you? Where are you?"

He answered with a laugh, "I'm still in California doing what a heart surgeon is supposed to do."

"Damn! You really were serious about being a heart surgeon when we were thirteen, huh?" I mused, recalling the time when Neil Kapur, my shy, geeky, Indian best friend had timidly told me that he was going to be heart surgeon one day, just like his parents.

Neil replied with a chuckle, "It's in the genes, you know." I smiled at that and started walking towards the door. "I don't need to ask where you are. I know! It was a bit difficult to get your personal number though and why the hell are you not on Facebook?" I laughed at my friend's observation skills while he continued, "What kind of person is not on Facebook these days?"

"Me," I answered unnecessarily as I stepped outside and saw Karen still waiting for me. The closest I had gone to over-hyped social media was Quora and Linkedin.

My long lost friend chuckled and continued, "Well, there is something I need to tell you." And the next words he said, made me freeze at my spot, bring my phone in front of my eyes and cancel the call without any goodbyes and see you soon.

"What's the matter, Josh?" Karen asked warily, seeing my shocked expressions.

I head snapped towards her and I blinked "Huh?"

She stared at me and asked again, "I asked what the matter is? You look rather... horrified?"

Clearing my throat, I kept my phone in my pants' pocket and tried to shrug as nonchalantly as I could. "Oh, nothing. Uh.. um.. it.. it's just that.. I... yeah, I, as in Josh Stark..."

Karen looked at me with what looked like heightened curiosity. "What? Is everything okay? I don't think I have ever seen you stammer. What is it?" she asked in a raised voice.

I frowned at her loudness and blinked again. In six simple words, I tried to explain the sole reason of my sudden state of misery. "I have to attend a wedding."

A/n

Hey everyone! So, here was the first chapter of Oddly Perfect. How was it? I think it came out better in 1st person POV. Share your views.

Got a peek in Josh's life, his heart...! Poor him! Damn! I hate Kim. NO! I LOVE HER!

Suggest the cast for Josh! I know I chose Dave Franco in AWMA, but somehow, I can't picture him as Josh in this story. Don't ask me why. I just can't! XD

Love it? Hate it? Excited for more? Post comments!

Make covers for Oddly Perfect and get a chapter dedicated to you. C'mon, send! I'm waiting!

We'll get to know about Amara in the next chapter. Stay Tuned!

Love always,

Richa <3