Aryamann's POV:

At last, I found her.

Bhumika Basu. Not Bhumi Gupta.

And I had to buy the cafe where she works to bring her to me. That might have given her a hint of what is about to come next.

Well, she must understand what she has unleashed. This will teach her a lesson, not to provoke a man like me.

What was she even thinking? Did she assume that I wouldn't be able to find her? Is she that naive? Or just plain stupid?

Why wouldn't she want to be found anyway? Women usually flock around me, trying every trick they know to get my attention.

I have the money, power, family status, and the looks to go with it. That's always been a blessing and a curse.

The tabloids have tagged me as a playboy. And they are right. The women in my life are selected with cold precision.

Educated, career-oriented women who wouldn't tend to cling. If they show even a hint of wanting more than what I can offer, they're shown the door immediately.

That's earned me the tag of heartless heartbreaker.

I've never promised them more than a few months of fling, and they were always okay with it in the beginning. I never understood why they moan about heartbreaks when they already knew I'm not going to put a ring on their finger. That's how women in my circle usually are.

And here she is, trying to run from me. Or is she just playing hard to get? That could be the case.

Did she think that if she feigned disinterest, it would pique my interest in her?

Well, she's clearly mistaken.

Women do not control Aryamann Mehrotra. Aryamann Mehrotra controls the women in his life.

And guess what? I made her wait for me for four hours in my office building. Tit for tat. What do they say, payback is a real bi*ch!!!

Childish, I know. I've never behaved so childishly in my life before. Not even when I was a kid. Not that I had a happy childhood to act childish. Well, why waste time talking about unimportant things.

As I was saying, I haven't known this girl for more than a week and she already brings out the worst in me. And the freaking crazy girl had the nerve to tell my employees that she's pregnant with my child.

Like seriously? How can she be such a dimwit? This is definitely going to be news. What was she even thinking? And she had the gall to tell me that she didn't tell anyone that she's my pregnant fiancee.

That it's not her fault if my receptionist misinterpreted her words. How did she even come up with such an excuse?

Now, she's sitting across from me in the study waiting for what I have to tell her.

Daksh and Gaurav are not exactly helping the situation. They simply are having fun. They have this stupid grin on their face as if they're enjoying every minute of this conversation as though something that they want is happening.

Bloody traitors.

"Marry me," I said in a calm voice, looking straight into her pretty hazel eyes.

Damn!! That word again. I willed myself to dispel those unnecessary thoughts from my head.

"Excuse me, Mr. Mehrotra. I think I heard you wrong. Can you repeat what you just said?" She asked, shaking her head with a light chuckle.

"You heard it right the first time, Ms. Basu. Marry me," I said, and she looked at me in horror for a moment and then burst out laughing.

"Is this some kind of pun show?? Where is the hidden camera? Hello there. Whoever you are, just come out. I caught you," She yelled, looking around the study, and I rolled my eyes at her dramatics.

Drama queen.

"Don't be so overdramatic, Ms. Basu. This is not a pun show. Do I look like someone who has enough time to waste on pun shows?" I asked in a cold tone, and she rolled her eyes.

It seems like she loves to do that. Let's hope that her pretty eyes won't fall off that face.

Again, that damn word! Okay! Her eyes might be pretty. But her attitude is unbearable. I don't understand how someone can be so infuriating yet so enticing at the same time.

"Could you please do the honour and elaborate on that, Mr. Mehrotra?" She asked me with a fake smile.

"Marry me. For, let's say, a year. And a few months more if necessary. To be exact, it would be a contract wedding," I said.

"And why do you think that I would do this?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because I said so," I said with a casual shrug.

"Last time I checked, you were not my father, Mr. Mehrotra," she said in a bored tone.

"You are testing my patience, Ms. Basu," I said, gritting my teeth in fury. Her insubordination is as refreshing as it is infuriating. I can't remember anybody talking to me this way for a very long time.

"So, better let me go, Mr. Mehrotra. You can live your life in peace," she said.

Oh jeez! What is she made of?? Is she not aware that she is talking to one of the most powerful men in the country? That she is sitting in front of three most influential men in India?

She doesn't have an ounce of fear in her eyes. She is sitting here and talking as if we are her neighbours. This is one big blow to my ego. And I do not take hits to my ego easily. I will bend her to my will soon.

"You should have thought of that before your award-winning performance in front of my family, Ms. Basu," I said with a scowl, still remembering the night.

"I just did that to annoy you because you told them I am your girlfriend. Without my consent," she said, huffing in irritation.

"Now, I am giving you a year to annoy me," I said just to watch what her reaction would be to that. Somehow, I knew that would be tempting for her.

"Really?" Just like I thought, her face lit up with excitement.

Seriously?? Is it that much fun to annoy me?? I can hear Gaurav's laughter in the background. I will deal with him later.

"Listen, you don't have to do this without anything in return. You can have your job back after the year is over. Your friends can retain their jobs, and I will pay you Two crore rupees for this one year. One crore after the first six months and another crore at the end of the contract period," I said, and I saw her thinking for a moment.

"Two Crore rupees? That is a very attractive offer, Mr. Mehrotra. You could have told that beforehand. We could have avoided all the bickering," she said, and I saw Gaurav's face fall in disappointment. For a moment, I thought she was different, just like my brothers. Well, why did I even think so?

"So do we have a deal, Ms. Basu?" I asked more coldly than before.

Bhumi's POV:

A contract wedding?? A freaking contract wedding?? Seriously?? You gotta be kidding me.

Two crores. I am definitely in. I have been looking for a way to arrange the money to help...

Well, that's a story for another day. Let's focus on the contract now.

"Okay, Mr. Mehrotra. Let's sign the contract," I said, crossing my fingers. He handed me the contract immediately. When did he even prepare it? Was he so sure that I would be on board with his plans? I started reading the contract.

THE CONTRACT

This is a confidential contract between Mr. Aryamann Mehrotra and Ms. Bhumika Basu. The terms and conditions are as follows:

1. There would be no unwanted physical relationship between the two parties.

Fair enough

2. The two parties are legally bound to act as husband and wife in front of family, friends, and the public.

Understandable.

3. Neither of the parties is not allowed to interfere in each other's personal affairs.

Definitely.

4. Bhumi Basu is not allowed to have any sort of extramarital relationship while married to Aryamann Mehrotra.

Wait? What? You gotta be kidding me!

"Excuse me, Mr. Mehrotra. What do you mean by Bhumi Basu not allowed to have an extramarital affair?? Does that mean you are allowed to have one?" I asked, raising my voice.

"Of course, I am. But you are not allowed to have any," he said very coolly.

"No way, Mr. Mehrotra. If I am not allowed to have one, then you too are not allowed to have one. If you are allowed to have other relationships, then I am very much allowed to have the same," I said, daring him to object.

"Whore," he muttered under his breath, but unlucky for him, I heard it.

"Hypocritical manwhore," I retorted, looking straight into his eyes.

"What did you just call me?" he asked, looking at me in disbelief.

"The exact thing you heard, Mr. Mehrotra. It's a well-known fact that Mr. Aryamann Mehrotra is an arrogant womaniser, a heartless heartbreaker, a man—" I was rudely cut off by the angry hulk.

"Enough!!!" He roared at me.

Well! Serves you right. Think twice before calling me names, Mr. Mehrotra.

"I am paying you, Ms. Basu, so just abide by my rules," he said.

"Fine," I huffed. Anyway, it doesn't matter to me if he carries on having affairs with his mistresses. I continued reading the contract.

5. The marriage between Aryamann Mehrotra and Bhumi Basu would last for only a year.

Like I could endure him any more. One year is a year too much!

God!! The arrogance of the thick-headed man. Did he think that I would want to be with him for a moment more than this one year?

6. Bhumi Basu is not allowed to contact Aryamann Mehrotra once the contract period is over.

Praise the Lord.

7. Falling in love is prohibited.

Seriously?? I burst out laughing. Who does he think he is? Sharukh Khan? Or Hritik Roshan?

"Seriously?? Falling in love??" I asked in between my laughter.

"What's so funny??" he asked, irritated.

"Do you seriously think that I would be stupid enough to fall in love with you? An arrogant, cold-hearted man??" I asked, laughing. I find it really funny that he could think so.

"Are you born narcissistic, or did you have to work hard on that?" I used the same words he asked me a while ago.

"We can't predict the future, Ms. Basu. Maybe you will fall for me sooner than you think," he said with utmost seriousness.

He really thinks so? Man!! Talk about crazy.

"I will never. I mean never fall in love with you, Mr. Mehrotra. You are not even my type," I said with utmost honesty. He is not my type. I don't understand how someone so arrogant can be anybody's type.

In my opinion, you should run for the hills if you come into the radar of such people. I am only staying for the two millions.

"Whatever," he said, rolling his eyes at me.

I read the main page of the contract and turned to the second page, to find it typed in an extremely small font size. I groaned inwardly. I am too lazy to read it. I have even skipped reading longer questions during exams, simply because I am too lazy to read the questions. And you expect me to read an entire page typed in a smaller font.

"Couldn't you just type this in a larger font size?" I asked, huffing in annoyance.

"Listen, Ms. Basu, it is the same thing written over and over again. Let's just sign it and get over with this," he said, and I signed the damn contract.

Did I just sign away my life to the devil himself?

A/N

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