hiiii!!

Updated because  you guys just keep asking for more!!

Comment and vote!

--

ANUSHKA

"So what you are saying..wait, You are saying that you have no problem in marrying me?"

Rumaan's voice showed the shock that he felt upon hearing what Anushka had to say.

It had been a whole month ever since they had met, a month since all she ever did was meet him. There hadn't been a day where she didn't see him, whether it was in the morning for breakfast or evening for coffee.

She knew he was a busy businessman but at the same time she appreciated his effort of taking out time for her.

Everyday they would talk about something different. It started from heartbreak and ended in self love, they would talk about everything. From brands to family to friends to ex lovers.

She shared things with him she hadn't shared with anyone due to the fear of getting judged.

So it made sense to him why Anushka would say she was ready to marry him, even though it made no sense at all.

"Well..yes. I mean, you said we both loved and lost and my father wants you to marry me so let's just do it." She said spontaneously.

Her shrug showed that she could care less about what he said right now. She had made up her mind.

"You're acting crazy, Anushka. You have to take some time and heal. It has been what? A month since we met?" He tried to tell her but she shifted again.

"And a month is all I needed to trust you. You're a good guy, you'll keep me happy." She explained, then leaned against the wall.

"I can tell dad that I'm okay with his decision, infact we both can tell him." Rumaan walked towards her and held her chin to make her look at him.

"Anushka, look at me. It's not a competition, just because he is married, it doesn't mean you have to be married too." He said intently. Anushka looked away.

"I am not doing this for him, I'm doing this for my self." She mumbled.

"No, you're rushing. Take a breath, infact go somewhere, take a holiday." He advised.

"I am fine." She insisted.

She just wanted this. It felt right to her. Nothing made sense to her anymore but this did.

She looked at him keenly, then spoke again.

"Look, I know it sounds crazy but I have grown attached to you, I never even shared anything with anyone but I can be myself with you. You understand me. I don't love you but maybe one day, after a long time..I will."

Rumaan sighed. He told her father she would get attached and she did.

He didn't have the courage to break her heart. But he had no other choice? Did he?

He had to tell her the truth. Besides, her father had asked him to distract her for a week or two but since he actually cared about her, he strung this thing along for a week.

But it had been enough.

"And what if I say I can never love you?"

Anushka knew it wasn't hard to love her. It was hard to love who she was as a person but if it all came to looks, she had boys falling. But Rumaan was a man.

She just wanted someone to fill that empty space Virat had left her with even though nobody could ever fill it, she still wanted to cry.

"I know whoever you lost must have been incredible but you say that time heals, so maybe time will help us fall in love too." She insisted.

"That is not how it works!" He exclaimed. He felt like everything was slowly getting screwed up again.

"Why are you getting so worked up?"

"Because this is stupid. Get out of your stupid fantasies and enter the real world." He said coldly this time.

"I want to. And you can help me. We can help each other." She still said.

Rumaan took another breather, then glanced at her.

"Okay, listen...This might hurt you but I can't do this anymore." He stated.

She chuckled drly.

"What is it now?"

"I don't feel anything for you. I will never feel anything for you." He declared. She frowned.

But why? She thought they had a connection.

"Why? Is it because of who I am? I-" She got interrupted as she was about to question him.

"God, no. I can't feel anything for you or any woman for that matter."

"But-I don't understand." And she didn't understand.

Why would he spend an entire month with her if he didn't feel anything. It wasn't just her planning meetups, it was him too.

So why?

He tried to think of better ways to say the truth but at the end, he knew the straighforward way was the most reliable one.

"Your father knows everything about you and what you have gone through and he made a request for me to help you get through things. I had to distract you and tell him about whatever happened. All those things I told you? It was all a lie."

He told her.

"I told him this will hurt you more but he said that he wanted your happiness."

He continued.

The color of her face changed, and he realised she might faint or something but instead, she sat in shock.

"Rumaan, stop." She whispered. He didn't stop.

What?

She had never felt more confused.

"I can't fall in love with you because I already have someone. His name is Fredrick, he is from Sydney and we are getting married next month."

And here it was. The most unbelievable thing.

"If this is some kind of stupid joke, I-" She said, now pacing in anger.

She couldn't believe she had been this naive, thinking she could move on and be happy.

This was the real world. A word full of pain and betrayal.

"It's not-I-I am really sorry." He apologised. Anushka looked at him in utter disbelief.

"Why would you lie to me? I thought we were friends, oh god I thought we were more than that." She mumbled more to herself.

"I know, I really am sorry." He apologised again. She was too angry to care.

"You fucking liar!" She exclaimed.

"I know, I am sorry. You're a special person and one day you will be happy." He tried consoling her but it was of no use.

"Stop fucking saying sorry, I kissed you!" She said loudly again. He inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm hinself down in this complicated situation.

"I will cherish every moment I spent with you. All that we shared, all those talks..they were real. You will always be my friend." He insisted.

She shook her head. Fuck loyalty.

"I don't want to be your friend. Friends are loyal." She snapped at him.

"Anushka, it was not my fault. I just wanted to help-"

"Did I ask you to help me? You toyed with me! Made me believe you had loved and lost like me! Lied to relate to my situation and you-" She lamented.

She realised he didn't spend time with her because he wanted to, he did it because of her father. All those days, she thought were special weren't special after all.

"I realised my mistake-"

"I don't understand what joy you guys get from hurting me." She mumbled.

She stood up and carried her bag.

"Hey, it was never my intention-"

"I trusted you, Rumaan. And you told everything about my life to my father! Was it that easy for you?" She demanded.

"I owe your father everything..I had to." He responded. She rolled her eyes.

"I hate how you all think I am some object." Was she just an item to use? She wasn't. She wanted everyone to treat her like a person, not like an object.

"You're not, you know that, just please listen to me-"

"I have to go. I'll add you to the list of all the horrible people that I have encountered in my life."

With those last words, she left.

--

She spent the whole night thinking, pondering why her father would do this.

If he really had known everything, he could have talked to her, helped her get through it, he could have hugged her and told her his support would always be there. She was his daughter and he would love her, always.

But he didn't do that, instead he hurt her even more.

She suddenly missed Virat. She missed all those happy days and she hated that she missed that time.

Why was life this way? Why was love this way?

Shaking these thoughts off, she changed and walked towards the dining hall for dinner.

Her father sat at the table, typing on his laptop and talking to someone on the phone while a glass of orange juice was placed in front of him.

"Well, well, well..if it isn't my dear father, toying with the emotions of someone else while making money like a machine."

She greeted him. Her father ended the call and looked at her with a raised brow.

"Good morning, dad. Thank you for transferring millions into my account yet again, I will do nothing with this money other than shop till I drop." "This should have been your greeting." Her father mimicked.

Her mood changed even more.

"Don't do this right now, how could you!" She questioned walking ahead.

"How could I what? Transfer money?"

"You know what I am talking about! Rumaan told me everything! You should be ashamed." She yelled.

The butlers, the maids and the other workers all gathered close to the area where they could hear them. It had been too long since madam Anushka had created a scene. They wanted all the gossip.

"Ashamed? I should be ashamed??" Her father questioned. He stood up too.

"You had an affair with a man who was married. You did things that no honourable daughter would do and you are telling me to get ashamed?"

She felt ashamed in that moment but still kept her head high.

"I didn't toy with anyones life!" She exclaimed.

"You toyed with an innocent wife's life! What did Sonam ever do to you? I raised you better than this!" He jabbed at her. Anushka rolled her eyes.

"You raised me? No, you raised your money!" She shot back. Her father groaned.

"And that money raised you! What did you do? Ruin the life of another female?!" He yelled at her. He yelled at her like any strict father would but she was not used to this.

She felt so alone, so powerless.

"And I am paying for it! All the men in my life have done nothing but lie and leave. Gautam was my best friend, he came back to me and is still more distant than ever, Rumaan was not even real in the first place and Virat?" She choked on her own tears as her father's heart softened seeing his only daughter cry.

"He promised to love me and then left me. But you know what hurts the most? That my own father would lie to me, would hire a man to distract me as if I am a toy!" She hissed. Her father shook his head.

"All I have ever done is want you to be happy. You had no mother, I had to play that part for you. I make no apologies for choosing ways for my daughter to be happy."

"Without my permission!" She cried.

"I don't need your permission! I don't need anyone's permission!!"

He screamed at her, his voice was so loud that the whole house went dead silent. She could hear the clock's ticking as silence took over the house.

She felt hurt. And humiliated. Her father sent a man to distract her from the memories of another man. It made no sense.

Her father threw away the phone that had been in his hand, his anger taking out the best in him.

"No wonder mom left you." She mumbled the words she quickly regretted.

Fuck.

She should not have said this.

"What did you just say to me?" He questioned looking at her in disbelief.

"Nothing, I have to go-"

"Don't walk away, are you a coward?! Tell your father what you just said!" He scolded.

Anushka took a deep breath.

"I said no wonder mom left you. You are controlling and you think everyone is your puppet." She said bluntly this time even though the words pierced her own heart too.

Her mother was a bad person, her father wasn't.

"You are exactly like her. Aren't you?" He questioned back at her.

This time, she fumed in anger.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"For most girls it would be a compliment but we both know what your mother did. So yes, you're exactly like her." He sneered.

"I am not a slut." She yelled.

"Whatever helps you stay at peace." Her father's non chalance made her even more angry.

"I am not like her!" She insisted screaming at him.

He finally had enough.

He held her shoulders firmly like he did when she was a child.

"Stop screaming and listen to your father for once. Make a life out of your life, live it. Stop resisting and do something." He suggested calmly trying to make the best out of a situation.

"Do what?" She asked.

"Whatever you want to do. Make wise decisions. Stop regretting, start living." He advised. Then stood up, took his office bag and moved towards the foyer.

"I-" She wanted to say something but still fell quiet.

"One more thing-" Her father turned around.

"You're my daughter and I love you, but if you keep this up, I will disown you."

He threatened.

She knew he was not joking.

Not in the slightest.

--

Thoughts??

When Karma hits you, it hits you.

Anywayyy, thanks for reading!