Bhumi's POV!

As we reached the venue, the place was covered by paparazzi.

"Are you nervous?" He asked.

"No," I said, shrugging casually.

Why would I be nervous? I have been in touch with those people for almost a month now, and they are all my friends. What's the need to be nervous?

He got out of the car and extended his hands for me to take.

I took his hands, got out of the car, and the reporters swarmed around us.

"Hey Kabir bhaiyya. How's baby Pari?"

"How did your date go, Karan?"

"Hey when did you come back from your hometown, Sathya?"

"Emily, you didn't show me the pictures of your new puppy yet. Tell me a date; we can arrange for your puppy to meet my Milo. Let them have a puppy date.."

The talk with the reporters went smoothly, with them asking me about my engagement and me asking them about their whereabouts.

But the talk was cut short because Aryamann pulled me inside the venue with him.

The reporters aren't allowed inside the venue.

"That was very rude," I said in disapproval.

"I don't know what to feel about you being all buddy-buddy with the reporters," he hissed at me.

"Come on. What's wrong with that? They are also humans like us," I said.

"Whatever. We will have this talk another day. I don't want any problems today. So just smile at everyone, okay?" he said, and I nodded.

I saw Rey walking towards us.

"Rey, all set, right?" Aryamann asked.

"Yes, Mr. Mehrotra," The man nodded in agreement.

"Rey, will you please take care of the refreshments for the reporters outside the venue?" I asked sweetly.

"Sure, Bhumi," he nodded with a smile and walked out.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is your all-time favourite, Mehrotra, Gaurav. So we are here to celebrate—" I kind of tuned out of everything, wishing how everything was real with my parents here, giving my hands to the love of my life.

Only if they were alive, things would have been different.

Instead of Aryamann, I would be standing next to the man I am in love with.

"Bhumi," Aryamann nudged me, and I looked up at him confused.

"You spaced out again," he said, and I forced a smile, reassuring him that I am fine.

"So let us welcome the guests of honour for the day. Mr. Aryamann Mehrotra and Ms. Bhumika Basu for their first dance of the day," Gaurav announced.

Aryamann stretched his hands forward, and I took his hands as he led me to the dance floor.

A slow music was playing when Aryamann snaked his left hand around my waist, pulling me closer. His right hand guided my left hand onto his shoulder. My right hand, as if it had a mind of its own, made its way to rest on his chest right above his heart. I could feel the heavy thudding of his heart against my palms.

I looked up to see him already staring at me.

And the position and proximity took me to the recent memory of us in the same position, and heat crept up my neck until my cheeks, leaving the room feeling warmer than before.

"You are blushing," he said with a smirk on his face.

"I am not," I said, looking down, not wanting him to see the reddish hue on my face.

"What were you thinking?" He asked, swaying us along with the music.

"I wasn't thinking of anything," I said all too quickly.

"Let me guess? About the last time we danced together?" He asked, raising his perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

I just shook my head in denial.

"Or maybe about what happened after the dance. More precisely, after the game," he whispered in a husky tone, raising the speed of my heartbeat to another level.

What the hell is wrong with him?

What the hell is wrong with me?

I just hope my heart won't pop out of my ribcage.

I didn't dare to make eye contact with him, which made his grip around my waist tighten, pulling me closer if possible.

I looked up to see the heat in his eyes, which led me to gasp audibly.

"Aryamann," I whispered huskily.

He leaned towards me, and I could feel myself leaning towards him, which I had no idea why I was doing.

We were a breath apart when—

"Okay, lovebirds. As much as we would love to watch the show, there are kids here. And, ha, if you both haven't noticed yet, the song ended exactly three minutes and forty-three seconds ago," Gaurav announced gleefully, making the audience laugh loudly and me more embarrassed.

I am sure I look like a freaking tomato right now.

I quickly walked out of the dance floor with Aryamann hot on my tail.

God!! What the hell were you going to do, Bhumi?

You were going to kiss your fake fiancé.

Have you gone crazy?

Seriously? Where is your brain? Get a grip, Bhumi Basu!

This was not part of the deal.

I looked up to see Ishitha di looking at me, wiggling her eyebrows.

I groaned inwardly. She is going to kill me with her teasing. I hadn't known her for much longer, but I feel a strange connection with her. I couldn't understand what? Even she felt the same. She told me so once.

A couple in their mid-forties, along with another couple in their mid-sixties, approached us, along with Ishitha di. They look very familiar. But I just couldn't place them exactly.

"Bhumi. These are my parents, Mr. Yash Adani and Mrs. Harleen Adani. And these are my lovely grandparents, Mr. Parth Adani and Mrs. Jalaja Adani," Ishitha di introduced them to me, and I froze at my place.

I could feel the blood draining from my face.

Adani? No! No!! How could it happen to me?

Ishitha di was an Adani?

How did I fail to realise it sooner?

Relax, Bhumi. They don't know you. Just be yourself, and they wouldn't suspect a thing.

I forced a smile at them, but the Adani grandmother looked at me, scrutinising her eyes, which made me squirm uncomfortably.

"Have we met before, dear?" She asked, to which I nodded a no immediately.

And as if I wasn't uncomfortable enough with the Adani family's presence, another couple in their mid-forties, along with a man in his sixties, came up with a younger couple behind them.

"Hello, Mr. Kaur," Aryamann greeted the elder man.

Kaur? Why, God? Why now?

What wrong have I done that everything is happening at once?

The older man greeted Aryamann with a shake of hand, and when his eyes landed upon me, he was taken aback for a second.

Relax, Bhumi. Relax. There is nothing wrong in the way they are looking at you. You are just hallucinating. Everything is alright! I told myself all sorts of lies.

"Where are your parents, Bhumi?" Mr. Hemant Kaur, the middle-aged man, asked me out of the blue, and I saw Aryamann looking at me in horror.

Guess he finally realised he never asked me about my parents. Happy realisation, Aryamann Mehrotra!

"Uh, actually, they are kind of against this relationship," I said hesitantly.

"So, you decided to elope?" Hemant Kaur asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Well. I am trying to convince them," I mumbled awkwardly.

"Where are they now?" Mrs. Nisha Kaur asked.

"Delhi," I said without thinking.

Goodness, Bhumi! You are telling one lie after another. Where are you going to wash away all your sins?

I guess Aryamann sensed my discomfort, and he decided to change the topic.

"Siddharth. When did you come back from the business trip?" Aryamann asked, looking at the younger Kaur couple.

"Last week, Aryamann. Hello, Bhumi. I am Siddharth Kaur. And this pretty woman here is my wife, Madhuri Kaur," he said, and I smiled at them.

They both look so in love with each other.

"I just hope your parents accept you two soon," the older Kaur, Ahir, said out of the blue.

"And don't regret later like we do now," the older Adani, Parth, mumbled, but I heard it clearly.

I sucked in a sharp breath.

They regret it now?

What is the point? Their regret is not going to bring back—

No, Bhumi. Don't go there. Don't go there. Don't do this to yourself.

"I don't know why. When I look at you, I feel like you are one of mine," Kaur grandpa said emotionally.

"I felt the same," Adani grandma seconded.

"That's the specialty of Ms. Bhumi Basu. Within seconds of getting introduced to her, we would feel that we have known her for years." I looked up to see J walking towards me with a big smile on his face.

I really missed him.

I chuckled at his compliment and hugged him.

"Missed you, J," I said.

"Missed you too, baby doll," he said cheekily.

Baby doll? Since when?

I looked at him to see him smirking at Aryamann.

Seriously? He is trying to get a reaction out of Aryamann.

I felt myself being pulled out of J's hold and looked up to see Aryamann glaring at J.

Damn! He is too good at acting.

A part of you wishes he is really jealous, don't you? The evil part of my brain asked.

No, I don't, my heart argued.

Yes. You do! The evil me said stubbornly.

No, I don't. Why would I? My heart asked.

Because he started growing on you duh.

I was brought out of the verbal battle with my inner voice when I heard a loud laughter coming from Siddharth.

"I never thought you were the possessive type, Aryamann," Siddharth said with an amused look on his face.

"I am not," Aryamann deadpanned.

"Yeah right. Your grip on her waist explains that," Madhuri said teasingly.

"Just let her go before you hurt her with your death grip," J said, not so funny now.

But I don't want him to let go!!

Woah! Where did that come from, Bhumi?

"Hey, rouge," I turned around to see Arohi, Bani, uncle bun along with all my other coworkers from the cafe looking at me with a silly grin on their faces.

I was stunned to see all of them here.

Everyone had some or another excuse when I invited them for the function. Then what are they all doing here?

"Surprise," Aryamann whispered in my ears.

I turned around to see Aryamann looking at me waiting for my reaction.

Did he do that for me?

"Whose idea was this?" I asked, my eyes never wavering from Aryamann's.

"Of course Aryamann's," Bani said with a soft smile.

"Did you like the surprise?" Aryamann asked, looking straight into my eyes.

I hugged him hard, taking him off guard. He stiffened for a moment but returned the hug soon.

"Thank you," I said.

"Woah. That's enough, girl," Arohi said, and I glared at her.

"Thank you all for coming," I said.

Yeah. I told them it would be better if they didn't come. But having someone from your side on your engagement day is a blessing.

Fake or not!

After a hell lot of introductions and greetings, we were directed to the table designated for the Mehrotra family.

"Thank the lord!" I exclaimed.

"Tired?" Aryamann asked.

"I am starving," I whined.

"Well, I can take care of that," he said, bent down a bit and came up with a box..

"What are you doing?" I asked, frowning at him.

"Relax, Bhumi," He said and opened the box which had an assortment of starters in it.

What? Where did that come from?

"Wha- why- where??" I stammered, and he chuckled lightly.

"I know you will get hungry quickly. So I got Rey to place a box of some starters under our table for you. It would take a while for the dinner to be served. There are some programs organised by Gaurav for entertainment, so it would take some time. Meanwhile, you can munch on them." He said, and I looked at him stunned.

Damn you, Aryamann! Why are you doing this?

I am not supposed to have feelings for you!

A/N

Guys, this story has an assortment of characters that you will feel like pulling your hair out...lol🤪 Soon, I will post the family tree, so that you guys can check whenever you feel confused😌

Please do vote and comment...

Love,

SF❤️