Aryamann's Pov!

As soon as I reached my home, no not home, House, the mansion, I saw Daksh's car parked there.

I got into the house and saw Daksh and Gaurav sitting on the couch talking to Bhumi.

As soon as they saw me, Bhumi sprang out of the couch and came rushing towards me.

"Are you alright, Aryamann? Why did you leave like that, Aryamann? Why didn't you contact me all these days? Are you angry at me for something? If yes, please tell me what I did wrong?" She asked in a breath and if I didn't know better I would have thought she was really hurt!

"Why do you care?" I asked with a sardonic chuckle.

"Why do I care? Why shouldn't I care?? Are you that blind, Aryamann?? Do you not see that I am falling for you?" She asked looking straight into my eyes, and I could feel my heart beating frantically against my chest.

I let out another humourless chuckle.

"Falling for me? You are not falling for me Bhumika Basu. You are falling for the luxurious life you are living now. You are falling for the money I have." I said in a cold tone and she sucked in a sharp breath.

"Is that what you think of me, Aryamann? After all this time spent together, is that what you think about me?" She asked, her voice breaking with every word she uttered.

"You agreed to this for money. All this is for money. You are nothing but a gold digger." I said and I saw something dying in her eyes.

The warmth that was there always is not there anymore.

She is as stiff as a stick.

"Aryamann, do you have any idea what nonsense you are talking about?" Daksh growled at me.

"Have you lost it, bhai?" Gaurav asked furiously.

My phone rang and I picked it up without looking at the caller ID.

"Aryamann Mehrotra."

"Aryamann jeeju. Arohi speaking. Gaurav had said in the morning that you would be returning home today. I can't reach Bhumi on her phone. Are you at home? If yes, can I talk to her? It is very urgent," she said frantically and I could sense that something was wrong.

"Bhumi. It's Arohi." I said and she looked at me blankly as she took the phone from me.

"Hello Roohi," she spoke into the phone, composing herself.

She listened and suddenly her body tensed and she paled listening to whatever Arohi was saying.

"What? When? I will be there in fifteen minutes, Arohi. Be there with Lekha di, okay? Don't leave her alone. I will be there," she hung up and handed me the phone.

"Everything alright, Bhumi??" I asked and she looked at me coldly.

"Mr Mehrotra, I need you to transfer the money, that was supposed to be transferred to my account after the first six months of the contract, to this bank account within ten minutes." She said, writing the bank details on a piece of paper and handed it over to me and I stiffened.

Mr Mehrotra?

"Why do you need that much money?" I asked.

A part of me hoped against hope that she would have said she didn't need my money. All she needed was me!

"That's not any of your business, Mr Mehrotra. According to our contract, we are not supposed to interfere in each other's lives." She said coldly.

"We already broke the rules of the contract." I said, wanting to know why she is choosing money over me.

"And I learned my lesson, Mr Mehrotra. And I don't have time to waste having a silly argument with you. I need the money transferred. ASAP." She said and quickly ran upstairs.

Two minutes later she came running downstairs with some files in her hands and walked out of the house without a backward glance.

Did I mess up everything?

Oh no! How could I even let Harini manipulate me!

Damn!

I should have trusted Bhumi!

What if the money is for something very important?

It sounded like that, didn't it?

"Bhai, you messed it up very badly." Gaurav said furiously.

"I did, didn't I?" I asked blankly.

"Do you have any idea what you have done, bhai?" Gaurav asked in annoyance.

"I don't know what has taken over me." I said in a helpless tone.

"Daksh, did you transfer the cash?" I asked Daksh.

"Yes," he said, still looking at his phone.

"Then what are you still doing on your phone?" Gaurav asked.

"I have asked Rey to trace whose bank details it is," he said.

"And?" I asked anxiously.

"Cardiac wing of Mumbai Medical Mission Hospital." Daksh deadpanned and my eyes widened in horror.

"Who is in the hospital? Didn't she say something about a Lekha di on the phone? What if someone from her family is ill? I need to be there with her." I said hurrying out.

"I will drive," Gaurav said and rushed behind me.

*********

As soon as we reached the hospital we made a beeline for the cardiac wing.

"How can I help you, sir?" The receptionist asked.

What am I supposed to ask her?? I don't even know her family?? I don't know who the patient is!

"Was there any emergency admission today?" Gaurav asked and the receptionist frowned.

"A large amount of money has been transferred about half an hour before to the cardiac wing. It is my wife who transferred the money. And my wife is here too. I couldn't reach her phone and I want to be here for her and her family." I kept on ranting.

I am desperate to see Bhumi, to say sorry.

"You are Aryamann Mehrotra!" The middle aged woman finally recognized me.

"I am. Now I need to get to my wife." I said exasperated.

"The patient is not Bhumi's family," she said with obvious disapproval on her face.

Why? Because I didn't know who Bhumi was helping?

"Uh-hu"

"The patient is a six year old boy. Ayaan Shukla. His surgery began five minutes ago. Bhumi is with the boy's mother near the operation theatre," she said and guided us towards the theatre.

Bhumi was sitting there with a woman in her early thirties.

"Thank you so much, Bhumi, for what you did for us." The woman said, teary eyed.

"Lekha di, don't embarrass me by saying thank you. I did what I could do for little Ayaan." Bhumi said with a sad smile.

"But we are not related to you in any way, Bhumi," the woman said.

"Lekha di, how can you say that? For four years, we were in the same orphanage. You looked after me like a little sister until you got married and had to move away. I will never be able to repay the love you gave me at a time when I had lost everything in this world." Bhumi said.

"But still." the woman said, holding Bhumi's hand in her tight grip.

"I did what I felt right. When I saw Ayaan, it reminded me of my Ryan." Bhumi said, her eyes filling up with tears.

She wanted the money to save a little boy's life. That too, a boy who is in no way related to her..

And what did you do? Call her a gold digger!

"At what cost, Bhumi?? You sacrificed your life for my child?" The woman said in despair.

"Hardly my life, Lekha di. I just sacrificed a year of my life. Nothing more," she said with steely determination in her voice and my breath hitched.

"You know what Bhumi? Ryan would be so proud of you!" The woman said, smiling through her tears.

"He will be??" Bhumi asked in such a vulnerable voice that my heart ached for her.

Who is Ryan?

"Bhumi," I whispered and they both turned to look at me and all the softness left her face and she stiffened.

"What are you doing here? Is there something left to say?" She asked and I shook my head.

"Is everything alright here?" I asked in a soft voice.

"Lekha di, just a minute. I will be back now," she excused herself and walked to the next corridor which was nearly empty.

"Why are you here, Mr Mehrotra?" She asked coldly.

"Don't call me that please." I pleaded and she sighed.

"I am not in a mood to argue with you, Aryamann. Please leave," she said in a tired voice.

"I don't want to argue either. I just want to say sorry." I said and she looked up at me surprised.

"I am sorry, Bhumi. I know the word sorry is not enough. I don't know what came over me. I shouldn't have said all that to you." I said apologetically.

"So you came to apologise?" She asked.

"Yeah," I whispered looking down.

"Apology accepted. You may leave now," she said and my head jerked up.

"Bhumi," I whispered painfully.

"See Aryamann, this is not a place for this discussion. And I am not in a position to talk to you now! So if you don't mind.." she said and walked past me towards the operation theatre.

"Bhai," Gaurav called me. I forgot he was here all the time.

"She doesn't want me here," I said, feeling lost.

"After what you told her today, what makes you think that she would accept you with open arms?" He asked sarcastically.

"A little sympathy would have been nice." I grunted.

"It is funny you think you deserve sympathy," he said, making a face.

"Whatever!"

"Come let's go!" He said

"You go! I will stay here with them." I said.

"Bhumi doesn't want you here, bhai."

"She doesn't have to know! I will stay out of her sight, still keeping an eye on them." I said and walked towards the visitors chair in the empty corridor

""""'

"Mr Mehrotra! Mr Mehrotra!"

I woke up with a stiff neck listening to someone calling my name.

I saw a nurse hovering near me with an uncomfortable look on her face.

"Yes?"

"Mr Mehrotra? You are not supposed to be here. This area is under renovation. No one is allowed here," she said apologetically.

"What time is it?" I asked, still feeling groggy.

"It's half past eight in the morning," she said and I sat upright.

"What about the surgery? Is it over?" I asked anxiously.

"What surgery, Mr Mehrotra?"

"The heart surgery of the little boy, Ayaan Shukla." I asked.

"The surgery is over and is successful, but the child is still in the intensive care unit for observation and will be transferred to the room after forty eight hours," she said.

"Where can I find his relatives now?" I asked.

"They will be in the room now. Room no 1755," the nurse said, checking her chart.

I knocked on the said room only to be opened by the woman who was with Bhumi's yesterday.

"Uh. I am"

"Aryamann Mehrotra. I know," she said.

"Oh," I said, rubbing the back of my neck and my eyes roamed the inside of the room to get a glimpse of the woman who has turned my world upside down.

"Bhumi already left!" She said as if reading my thoughts.

"What? When?"

"She left about an hour ago!!"

"Uh. How is Ayaan?" I asked.

"He is fine! Getting better!" She said with a teary smile.

"I will take your leave then. Can I come and visit once he is transferred to the ward?" I asked.

"Sure," she said.

""""

As soon as I reached home I started rushing towards our room only to be stopped by Gaurav.

"Bhai? Where are you running to?" Gaurav asked.

What is he doing here?

"To meet Bhumi," I said.

"What? She is in the hospital, right?"

"No, she left before I woke up. She might be having a nap. Let me check."

"But she didn't come here. I was here last night. I just opened the door a few minutes ago! No one is here," he said and I frowned.

"""""

It is a little after noon. We still have no idea where Bhumi is.

She hasn't gone to her apartment. Neither to the cafe.

She isn't with Ekansh either.

I just got off the call with Ekansh..

"Let's go to the cafe and ask Arohi if she has any idea where Bhumi might be." Gaurav said.

As soon as we reached the cafe I dashed in towards Arohi startling her.

"Aryamann jeeju? Everything alright?" She asked.

"Do you know where Bhumi is?" I asked, breathless.

A/N

Aryamann receiving all the hatred with open arms.. 🤗 🤗 

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