《Anu And Her First Love》


 Chapter one

    Chapter one


    ARJUN SMITH (P.O.V)


    It''s been five years since my father forcing me to take over hispany. And I was refusing every time


    he tried to talk about that. That doesn''t mean I wasn''t interested in being a CEO. Who wouldn''t desire?


    But what I was thinking was he''s my inspiration like, how he built his empire like zero to No.1. I was


    also wanted to be like him, and he was trying to make me sit on his chair without letting me fall and rise


    on my own. I don''t know why most of the parents didn''t have the guts to see their kids falling and rising


    like the sun?


    I grabbed myptop from the bed on the way to the dining room. While descending the stairs I watched


    the time and realized I still have time to kill.


    When I got to our dining room Alice, chef, weed me with her affectionate smile on her face. I ate


    my breakfast as she served me. She''d always serve with a smile on her face and sweetness in her


    voice.


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    And... Speaking of foods, this was the perfect time for my mom''s intro but where''s she? This was her


    regr time to shout, "Arjun!" there she was. Her voice echoed in that huge room as I turned to see her


    face with a smile as always.


    "Mom, I was just thinking about you," I said as my eyes followed her as she took a seat beside me.


    "Like, I''d believe." She gave me that annoyed look.


    "Where''s dad?" I asked her when I realized that she and I was the only person in that room except for


    Alice. He was the one who supposes toe first for the intro.


    "He''d already left for Miami for a meeting. Didn''t you see him while leaving?" she asked, surprised in


    her tone. "Aah!" she said like she just remembered something. "He came to your room by four before


    leaving but when he saw that you were sleeping tight he didn''t want to disturb you."


    "Okay, I''ll call himter, then." I shrugged, making clear that we were cool here.


    "Ahh!" she said, again with her "just remembered something", tone.


    "Now, what?" I groaned.


    "I forgot to mention that he asked me to say that he was retiring tomorrow and you''re going to take over


    hispany from tomorrow on." She smiled a motherly pride of her son''s smile.


    So from tomorrow onwards I''ll be the "Arjun Smith, the CEO of the Smith industries of my father''s


    company." I tasted the bitterness of those words while thinking about that.


    "How''s Charles?" she asked after some moments.


    From when did she start missing Charles? He''d always annoyed her. By the way, Charles was my one


    and only friend from my childhood.


    "Fine," I said like it''s no big deal.


    There was nothing to say about him, we were the main partners in crime, who stalk girls, share secrets,


    laughs, and sometimes even friendly fights.


    "Didn''t hee to pick you up, already?" she asked annoyed by his topic. But she was the one who


    started it, with no doubt. She also adores him as much as I do but when ites to mock, she loses


    and he always wins, so she''d always put that annoying look whenever she talks or asks about him like


    now. She''d always been pretending that she didn''t care about him but the truth was, she did.


    "Mrs. Smith! I''m d you missed my presence." Some voice shouted from the doorway. I and mom


    turned our faces around to see the owner of that voice. The voice was familiar though, the kindest


    voice I''d ever heard.


    "He came?" she muttered under her breath but better enough for me to hear.


    "Yep," I whispered to her as her eyes go wide.


    "Then it''s my due to go." She said as she stood from the chair like someone ced the bonfire under


    her seat.


    When she was about to move, the same voice made her pause on the ce where she stood.


    "Are you in a hurry, Mrs. Smith?" Charles asked as he walked towards her and stood in front of her and


    blocking her way.


    "No, Mr._" she stared.


    "Dickinson" he finished. "But you can call me Charles, you know that."


    "No, I don''t." She dared him. "Arjun, could you please say your friend to get out of my way?" she said,


    not turning back to meet my gaze but still she was staring at him as this was some kind of challenge.


    "Will you?" this time she said to the one and only Charles.


    "Of course, Mrs. Smith.," he said, moving out of her way, gesturing his hand, and bowed like the fifties


    gentlemen would do.


    When my mom was gone I walked towards him and pped him on his shoulder, friendly. But he


    shouted "Ouch," like he was hurt.


    "Don''t be such a drama queen," I said. "C''mon,"


    Heughed a throatyugh.


    "What''s so funny?" I asked him.


    "Nothing,"


    "Nothing?"


    "Yep,"


    I sighed.


    After some minutes of traveling in the car, taking some rights, lefts, and even some u-turns we reached


    our office. Our staff greeted us as we walked to our cabins. Charles went to him and I went to mine with


    one nod as if that was our secrete handshakes.


    I and Charles were working on the samepany but the founder and the owner were not our dad''s so


    we can work here with our full-heartedly. Not that I hate my dad''spany. I liked him and his hard


    work which was hispany. But I''d always thought about being the CEO of my ownpany like my


    father not in my father''spany.


    So I took this job when Charles told me about this job vacancy but I also knew that one day or another


    he''ll going to make me the "second CEO" of hispany, which I didn''t expect from him was that


    another day will be tomorrow.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    When I woke up the next day, I felt something in my heart. Angriness? Sadness? Or happiness? I don''t


    know, maybe thebination of all. I didn''t know how to express it. And also didn''t know whether I''ve


    to hate him for not respecting my decision or like him for not saying anything about that private chat to


    everyone.


    I don''t know.


    I run my hand through my messy hair and smoothing it. Suddenly my finger was stuck in my hair, never


    happened to me before. After some ouch and aah, I released my hand from my messy hair and I took a


    snap look at it. I saw that shining diamond ring on my finger it was sparkling like the bright light from the


    balcony spread through our room.


    I was engaged!


    After brushing my hair and teeth, I went downstairs for coffee.


    When I entered the kitchen, the cooking amma turned towards me and leaving the cooking to Jo''s hand


    who didn''t even know how to boil water, and took a seat with me at the dining table.


    "Anu, are you free today dear?" I nodded. "SO, I was thinking..." she pressed as if she was afraid to


    say what she was about to say.


    "What''s the matter amma?" I said as I turned my gaze at my sister like suspecting her for no reason


    because when I see her with my suspicious look, shees to spit out that what was going on. So I


    saw her with eye to eye but she ignored me and went back to mixing the carrot.


    "We''re all going shopping today for your marriage arrangements so we are thinking that what if you join


    us. It would be helpful when you help us with your decision because we are going out shopping for you


    and your future you. And also it would be awesome to spend some more time with you Pappu before


    you get married and move to the US." She put that puppy pouting face. Did she just mention Pappu


    that was hrious? She''d only used those nicknames only to make me fall into her trap. And I was also


    stupid enough to fall for that when I hear those nicknames she discovers from minute to minute.


    "Fine," and it worked, again. I epted to go out with them shopping. "Where are we going?" I asked


    not at all curious just asking not expecting the answer.


    But she gave me one, anyway. "Today, we''d nned to clothe and jewels. Guess what, we only have a


    week to your marriage. So we have lots of works to do." She said feeling all the hurry and tension


    about this wedding.


    Did I wonder why this much tension and hurry?


    That''s insane.


    Was there anything that we didn''t quite understand or see?


    Once I finished my breakfast, I went upstairs and got showered and changed into the outfit of the day,


    and made I was downstairs where amma and Jo weren''t ready yet. Before I took a seat on the couch I


    tucked out my phone from my back pocket and started scrolling down the news feed.


    Amma walked towards me and kissed me on the forehead and hold my hand in hers. "Shall we?" she


    asked as pointing at our front door. I stood to form the couch and we walked to our garage. As I drove


    we reached the town park and parked our car in that park and we started the walk from there.


    After five minutes of walking, we entered Rosy''s wedding saree store. They greeted us with their


    beautiful smile on their lips. They showed us lots and lots and a variety of sarees but my amma didn''t


    seem to like any of those sarees. After four and a half hours in the same store and the same seat, I got


    bored. If the color matches me, she didn''t like the design of it. If she likes the design of the saree, she


    didn''t like the color of it.


    Once we finished our shopping, amma said that she wants to show these dresses and jewelry to the


    aunt, Sammy. She just got from London the other day for my wedding.


    Amma showed her all the things that we just bought from stores. I went upstairs to put in attendance to


    my brother who was sincerely studying. Just kidding! He wasn''t that type of a boy he was ying on


    his y station with headphones on his head. He didn''t expect me there. So when he saw me he came


    straight into my arms and gave me a tight hug.


    When Jo came behind me and saw that y station, she joined him and started challenging one and


    another. I just sat beside them and seeing how they both were good at killing people on games. On the


    first challenge brother, Akhil, won and Jo''s face went dull. On the second, she won and his face went


    pink in anger. Now they both were on their third challenge and I was already getting bored sitting there


    watching them killing peoples on that huge screen.


    So, I went to another empty room, and sat on the end of the bed and took out my phone, and started


    reading books online. A few minutester I didn''t feel like reading and when I was about to call Arjun. I


    got a call from the same number the other day.


    I answered the call. "Hello?" I said giving them a chance to speak.


    Still, there was no reply as the other day.


    I tried to be patient. "Hello? This is Anu..., anybody there?" when I didn''t get any response, "Sorry,


    wrong number." And I hung up.


    For the first few minutes, I didn''t call anyone or neither of them called me. Suddenly a thought hit me.


    I''ve got these mysterious calls. I haven''t been in any of those situations before. Next time if I get the


    same call from that number I''m going to talk them to death. Iughed at my thoughts and went back to


    Akhil''s room to check on them. And thank god I was there on time to see Jo''s and Akhil''s hands-on


    each other hair and shouting. I pulled them back and release their hands from each other''s hair.


    "What the hell is going on? Jo, did you forget that he is your younger brother?" I shouted at Jo because


    she is the elder one.


    "He''s such a cheater." She said. "And for your kind information, I''m just three days elder than him that


    doesn''t make me an aunty for him."


    She was correct she was just three days elder than him. "Even if you were born three seconds before,


    you would still be the elder one," I said.


    She twitched her nose and looked away from me in irritation.


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    Suddenly a voice interrupted us. "I didn''t cheat. She''s the one who killed my people so I killed her."


    Akhil said.


    "No! You killed my people first," Jo said.


    "You killed first," Akhil said.


    If I stood there for any more minutes I''d have to hospital for my mental strength so, I walked away from


    there go downstairs to see Sammy and amma who were still scanning the jewels whether it was 916 or


    a fake.


    When Sammy saw me descending the stairs she waved to me, e sit with us,"


    I sat across from them on the sofa. Even then the sound of Jo and Akhil''s arguing hear in our ears but


    still they refused and put their full concentration on the jewels.


    "Anu, do you like Arjun?" Sammy asked.


    "Arjun?" I said.


    Her eyes went wide. Somehow I managed to make that situation cool. "Potential husband, right? How


    can I call him by his name?" I let out a nervous smile.


    "Did you already start caring about your hubby right now?" Sammy asked.


    I just blushed and couldn''t meet any of their eyes.


    Was I?

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    ARJUN SMITH


    When I saw the news on myptop, the rumours about me were not changed. They were still debating


    about how these young CEOs are doing. FYI, I didn''t do anything! Anything!


    Something distracted me. Even the air around me added to the mystery. My heart was beating faster


    and uneven. I flipped close myptop and hopped out from my bed and walked towards the balcony.


    The sky was white and some shades of red. Looking at the street where children were ying some


    with themselves and some with their cycles and even some with their balloons. The sight of ying


    those makes somehow brought my heartbeat back to normal.


    I heard the door creaked open.


    "Dude, you need to go out and rx your mind." Charles''s voice raised behind me each step he took


    towards me.


    When I didn''t respond he made me face him and said, "We are going."


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    We? Was he alsoing to check on me? "Where?"


    "No idea. Come with me," he said as dragging me towards our back yards and pushed me into the


    swimming pool. And he, himself dived into the pool next to me.


    "Charles! What the heck? I said I wasn''t in the mood." I shouted when I get the air to speak.


    "You''ve been hot from the day you saw that news so I thought you''d need this. Just chill, bro," he said.


    I thought for a moment and I would agree with him. I need to chill and get those things off of my mind.


    "Didn''t you like her?" he asked.


    "I don''t know."


    "Is that so?" he said. "And that''s why you epted to give your hand in marriage?" he said as


    sshing the water.


    "I epted to for a reason."


    "What was that for?" he asked still confused. I, myself confused why I said that!


    "Isn''t she looks like Priyanka Chopra? Isn''t she beautiful? Cute?" he was going on with his words.


    "Looking is not at all a matter and the same goes to beautiful and cute or whatever. She told me to


    cancel this engagement." I said as I felt the relief of keeping down the weight from my heart.


    "She asked you to cancel, what?" he gave me that shocked expression. "I thought no one has ever


    rejected you but this girl has rejected you? That''s odd. Did she tell you the reason? Like she has a


    boyfriend?"


    "She said she had to study further and which makes sense. And what the thing that I quite didn''t


    understand was why I couldn''t cancel that when she told me to." I said.


    "Maybe your ego had shown up out of. You know, I have to say you this. You''ve to work with your ego.


    She might have better reason apart from studying otherwise she''d not ask you to cancel this. Even if


    her reason was ''studying'' she should have continued her studying once after the wedding. Who''s going


    to stop her, you? No one! No one!" he paused. "She might have a better reason for that apart from just


    studying." He repeated, again.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    ANUSHIYA VISHWANATH


    One weekter, our house had changed into marriage mode. Yes, the decorations were going on the


    full speed because we didn''t have time like a month or two, just a week so they were all busy. Flowers


    were hanging on the doorways and around our house. Amma and Appa were super busy weing


    guests and Jo was standing beside me helping me to keeppany.


    Last week had been a mess. Which was I didn''t stop getting those mysterious calls, who call just to


    hear my voice. That was insane. In change, I get to hear whoever was on the other side of the phone''s


    breathing sound. And Jo and Akhil didn''t stop cheating and killing others as Sammy calling me every


    day morning and giving me lectures about how to be a married woman and to take responsibilities. And


    also she told me that once I married him I won''t still be the same Anushiya Vishwanath, I''ll be Anushiya


    Smith.


    I was thinking about that week, how they flew very fast as a jet. I didn''t get any phone calls from him. I


    didn''t even call him either. And I even forgot that he gave me his visiting card that I forgot where I kept.


    My life was getting ridiculous and hrious. If I wasn''t surrounded by dozens of people around me in


    our bride''s room in that huge wedding hall, I''d have cried. I don''t know I was a sensitive person until


    then.


    It''s been an hour since we just transferred from our room in the house to our room in the wedding hall.


    Our beautician was doing our touch-up. While thinking and scolding about me in my thoughts, reality hit


    me up with my beautician who was brushing my hair which was sticking on my hair knots. After some


    aahs and ouches and sorry, she finally let my hair in peace and I was d that she leaves my hair and


    went to peat my saree.


    The room was much bigger than our living room. The air conditioner seems working but still was hot


    out there because of people standing inside the room and filling every space around the room to see


    me bride''s getting ready like it was also one the world''s wonder. The room was filled with noise and


    chattering. Some of the aunties were looking at me sadly as if they missed the chance to ask me to be


    their daughter-inw. And some of them were happy for me that I was going to married and moving to


    the US. And even some of them were being jealous of me which I don''t care as if I was marrying a


    person I loved. And some of the children were sitting on their mom''s hips and watching me like


    watching a cartoon on big screens. And some of the teenage girls were giggling at the corner of the


    room as if they were thinking of them in my ce. I prayed to God that, "God, connect them with the


    people they love and care about them and their decisions." To be honest I didn''t like the stage lighting


    on me even I was the heroine of that asion.


    I was looking for my sister and my amma in that crowded room but they were nowhere to see. While


    searching for them, a beautician painted my lips with red gloss. And that''s when I realized how I


    scolded my sister for painting her lips, god knows how many times. I still didn''t like that but I epted


    for my sister''s sake to paint my face and lips for this asion.


    Once the beautician finished her artwork on my face she gestured me to stand and took a photo of me


    to post it on Instagram and Facebook for likes. She asked my permission for that and I said yes without


    thinking about it because I didn''t concentrate on what she was saying. And I was posing her for the


    picture.


    Finally, I saw my mom who was busy weing our rtions and guests. Once she made them seat


    she walked towards me. When she came close to me I hug her tight, really tight which shows how


    much I''ll going to miss her.


    She gasped.


    I pulled myself back and tried to lock my gaze at her because if that hugsts for one more moment I''d


    have cried in front of those of people, for now. Who knows how many people she invited to my


    wedding?


    "Amma?" I was looking at her as her eyes were filling with water, speechless.


    I pulled her into another hug. In that, I said her that no matter what I''ll always be responsible and


    respectful for others and I''d not let anyone scratch my name and family. That was just five seconds hug


    and the conversation within that second was veryrge and emotional.


    "I''m gonna miss you amma?" I told her with shaky words. "Take good care of Jo and appa. I''ll try to call


    you every day, amma. I love you and I''ll always love you no matter what. You know that right?"


    She just nodded.


    "I know dear. Be careful and be good to your husband and your mother and father-inw." She said


    kissing me on my forehead.


    "Where is Jo, amma? I''d love to talk to her before the ritual starts." I told her as she smiled at me.


    She turned her heel and shouted at the crowd to see where Jo was "Jo? Jo?" Once she found her she


    shouted in excitement "Jo! Come over here" she waved at her.


    Jo walked to me and hugged me tightly with her open arm. She said she needs to talk to me privately


    so we walked to the balcony. There were no people over there so we took that spot.


    I scrutinize the balcony for onest moment before speaking to her. "Jo, please forgive me for those


    times when were little we used to fight a lot and cry a lot. Those were all, my fault and you were


    innocent. I was elder than you so I was the one who wants to adjust but I was done all wrong. Sorry for


    beating you and making you cry. You are my one and only lovely sister. We used to fight with words, do


    you remember?" she nodded as her eyes dripping the first drop of her tear. "Those were just words and


    I never meant anything while saying that. I was trying to make you more angry than normal to calm


    myself. That was selfish of me." I took her hands in mine and kissed her knuckle. "I''m so sorry, Jo. You


    know that I never meant anything while fighting with you." She nodded and biting her lip to control


    herself from crying. "I''m sorry. You know, no matter what I''d always love you and I''ll always do." I kissed


    her on the cheeks for the first time since I get a memory of myself.


    I can''t say she was crying or smiling. That was something in between happiness and sadness. She


    held my hand tightly as she spoke. "I know we used to cry and fight a lot. And I also know that you


    didn''t mean any of those words while you yell at me because you were more innocent than me." I


    looked at her confused. "I was the one who needs to ask to apologize because she was truly innocent.


    Sometimes I was the one who started scene-like you know that pencil incident?" I nodded. When I was


    in 10th grade she was in 5th I took her pencil and pretended mine. So I got beat by amma for lying and


    stealing things. "Yeah, that pencil wasn''t mine. I took that pencil from your back bag and put it in my


    bag. I liked the color of that pencil and I wanted to make it mine. I''m so sorry for that to get you beat


    from amma." She looked at me, pleaded. "I''m so sorry. I loved you, I love you and I''ll love you. No


    matter what," She gazed at me for a moment. I was speechless.


    "You''re forgiven." I chuckled, looking at her. "Will you forgive me?"


    She smiled.


    "You''re forgiven." She mimicked me. She pulled me into a big sister''s hug.


    She was looking lost in thoughts. "What are you thinking about?" pulling back from the hug and making


    eye contact with her.


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    Once our gazes were fixed she started to speak. "I was thinking about stealing that pink ne, your


    mother-inw gifted for you." She said acting like she was being serious.


    "Don''t you dare," I said as I smiled and patting on her shoulder?


    We both were busted into augh.


    We both were turned our gaze down the driveway as the BMW pulled over. The peoples were chanting


    as this was the first time they were seeing an expensive car. I''m not one of them. I don''t like to


    eximed about anyone''s growth or luxury neither jealous. That''s their price for their hard work or even


    smart work.


    As we were staring at the ck BMW with silver border Jo winked at me and gave me a grin. I ignored


    her.


    I saw Arjun hopping out from the car when I saw his with full zoom in my eyes, that was it I was dead.


    He was wearing a veshti and sattai (Veshti and Shirt) the South Indian traditional dress for any ritual


    and important asion. While scanning his attire amma shouts at Jo, from a distance to attend some


    kind of ritual.


    Before I try to see his face Arjun called me out and I can''t even see his face from so much distance. I


    went to Arjun for that ritual and Jo went to take arati for her brother-inw who to-be in few hours. Arati


    is the Indian traditional waving of lightedmps before an image of a god or a person to be honored. In


    performing the rite, the worshiper circles themp three times in a clockwise direction. She''ll also get


    rewarded by her to-be brother-inw for weing him by taking arati.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    ARJUN SMITH


    I was standing in front of the wedding hall, in my traditional attire, the shirt was okay and I don''t know


    when it will fall from my waist. It was like wearing a towel around my waist but it was thin and silky.


    When dad saw my ufortable face he said, "Hope your having fun. Wearing veshti is very


    comfortable, right?" he said looking down at my veshti.


    "No! It was ufortable. Couldn''t I just wear a tux or something even like, sort of men''s chudithar?" I


    said.


    "Do you forget that your mom follows the South tradition of India and so is Anushiya?" He said her


    name with an American ent which was quite funny like I pronouncing the same name. "And don''t


    forget that I was also in that situation before on your mother''s wedding, can''t forget that I was her


    groom on that day." He said and let out a throatyugh.


    I gave him a small smile.


    This wedding mai on my neck was hurting and itching. Apart from this torture, they told me to hold


    dumbbells called wedding bouquets. I tried not to show my angriness to anyone until I got married.


    While standing outside an inch away from the main hall, a girl came towards me. I remembered that girl


    she''s the bride''s younger sister and holding a te in her hand. I was thinking why she''s holding a


    te in her hand, did she forgot to eat her breakfast? I was seriously thinking about what she''s going to


    do. Until she did some O'' shape with that te in front of my face, her hand was moving up and down


    as she rotates her hand. Once she finished rotating she took the vermilion from that te and ced it


    on my forehead with her right hand as I bend my head to make it easy for her to reach for my forehead.


    As you guys can see that I''m not that arrogant or head-weighted person. I still respect others. And I still


    have some humanity left in me from somewhere in my heart.


    Once her younger sister finished her job she looked at me with a confused look. I was thinking what did


    I do wrong? We both were starring at each other, confused for seconds.


    "You''ve to give your sister-inw a gift or money to let you go inside to the wedding hall to marry my


    sister. I don''t leave you inside until my hands get full." She smirked at me.


    I turned my left to see my mom who was already giggling as she looking at the bride''s younger sister. I


    sighed at my mom to do something. She tucked her hand into her handbag and picked something up


    and gave it to me to give her.


    She epted the gift from me as she smiled and gestured me inside.


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    I sat on the groom''s chair on the wedding stage waiting to get this marriage drama to be done. The


    priests were saying some mantra as he poured oil or ghee in the little bonfire, I don''t know correctly but


    that''s was he was doing from the time I got here.


    A fifteen minutester the priest shouted, "Get the bride to the wedding stage, it''s getting toote." So


    she said this was also the tradition here to get married before the evil times begin so the bond between


    husband and wife willst forever. I don''t care about good or evil time to get married. My mom was the


    one who forced me to get married and I''m not interested at all. And yeah I also know that I was the one


    who epted to marry her because I''m not born to get rejected. I was born here to reject someone. If I


    got rejected by this homely-culture my status will fell from the Himyas. I was considering this as a


    challenge that I was going to win not a wedding at all. Who cares about that dump wedding?


    Then she walked to the stage and stood in the middle of the stage and greeted all of the guests who


    came there to bless us. She not even looked at the crowd she was anxious. I thought greeting


    everyone was her mother''s idea. Then the priest told me to sit beside her.


    As I sat beside her she ducked her face and her hand made a fist. There was only two meaning for that


    either she was angry with me or she was hurt by me. In either way, I don''t care. I smirked as I was


    going to win the challenge that she never knew was happening.


    Then the priest handed over me the wedding chain and told me to wear it on her neck. The chain was


    very hard and made of gold. As my hand move towards her neck, I saw her closed eyes and her


    cheeks were flooding with tears and she was crying, for marrying me? I paused my hand didn''t know


    what to do. Guests around me were staring at me like I was a viin.


    "What happened?" her mom asked, confused and anxious.


    I didn''t say anything I just looked at her and sighed to see the bride. She saw her daughter smiled at


    me. "This is the tear of joy when women get married" she as she looked at me still smiling.


    I nodded and hooked the chain. Then we exchanged that wedding mai. That was it. We were a


    married couple, now.


    ANUSHIYA SMITH


    I was crying and I couldn''t stop it. He stopped his hands halfway to my neck when he saw that but


    amma told him that this was the tear of joy. And also he knew why I was crying even though he didn''t


    care about my tears and hooked the chain on my neck.


    That''s it.


    We were married.


    That''s how it was, now myst name changed from Vishwanath to Smith.


    Once we were done with the wedding photography we went back to the wedding hall. I was crying on


    my amma''s shoulder because he''d to fly back to New York for his business meeting this Wednesday. I


    was crying not because I''m to miss him, I was crying because he''s going to take me with him and I''m


    going to miss my family. That''s when I realized being a girl you''ve to sacrifice things for your loved ones


    with your whole heart.


    "Shall we?" a silky smooth voice asked me. I don''t have any idea about this voice and I''m not familiar


    with it very often. I looked up from my amma''s shoulder to see that silky voice''s owner.


    He was standing in front of me and held out his hand. First of all, I was totally surprised. Second, I


    didn''t like, him to get upset as if I didn''t take his hand. Like I said he was a gentleman.


    I don''t know what was happening around me the vision in front of me was blurred. I can only see his


    hands because my eyes were filled with tears. I looked up to see his face without that blur. I whip my


    tears off and saw his deep dark blue eyes with my emotional eyes. And took his hands and stood on


    my legs.


    Just a gentle reminder...


    If you like my work please support me by voting... Means a lot?


    And doment... Share your thoughts with me ?


    Thank you?

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    ANUSHIYA SMITH


    While walking into the airport for the first time we were walking alone like nobody was there except


    either sidewall, only I and him and Charles. First of all, I thought, this way was nothing like they''d


    shown in movies it was more like private. When we turned right, two men wearing ck suits started


    following us from nowhere. I was scared like was he going to kidnap me or going to murder me? He


    was walking faster than me. Of course! He was taller than me so he should be fast at walking, Arjun I''d


    say. I tried to keep up with his speed as two men from nowhere trying to catch up our speed.


    Now, I was really confused, why were they following us?


    As I walked behind him finally we get to see the sunlight on our skin. "Wow," I muttered under my


    breath as a little private jut wasnded on the runway. I didn''t expect that I was going to travel in that


    private jet until he walks towards it. He didn''t even give a backward nce at me or anything.


    First of all, who''s he? What''s his professional? And why I didn''te to know that he can afford a


    private jet? Amma or Jo didn''t bother to mention this and why was that?


    I didn''t ask him anything as I sat across from him on that expensive leather seat. He took hisptop out


    and flicked opened and hid my face with that screen. I didn''t mind. I was already looking outside views,


    anyway.


    I was having thousands of questions on my mind but as usual, I didn''t have a gut or reason to ask him.


    Wearing a saree on the flight wasn''tfortable for me so I thought about changing into something


    comfortable. Thanks to the aunt, Devi who gave me a dress which I''ve to wear once after the jet took


    off. "Restroom?" I asked him, who gave me directions without looking away from his screen.


    "Straight and left,"


    Unfortunately aunt, Devi, and uncle, Steve told me that she needs some more time with her family in


    India for a couple of days and so was the uncle.


    Once I finished changing I looked at myself in the mirror. Not bad. I was wearing denim jeans and a


    white t-shirt on top of that jacket. I freed my hair from those thousands of pins and pulled my hair back


    into a messy bun. I took off all the golden bangles from my hand and ced them into my bag safely.


    And I wore the sentimental golden bracelet that my appa presented me when I was studying high


    school. And finally, I wiped those paints that were painted on my face for photographs.


    "You look like Priyanka Chopra, Anu!" Charles eximed, that makes me blush but not better enough


    to make my cheek pink.


    When I got back to my seat I felt that someone was staring at me. From the corner of my eyes, I stare


    at Arjun for confirmation.


    That was him!


    His looks were surprised as I did something quite he didn''t expect. Hisptop closed as his hands were


    reced where he just kept hisptop a, minutes ago. Suddenly my heartbeat was raising from ground


    to sky. I was also getting Goosebumps.


    "Here," he pointed me an empty seat beside him. For a note, all the ces were empty in that jet.


    I stood without thinking but thought for a moment whether ept his offer or not. I thought what if was


    going to kill me because killing people who were sitting beside me was easier than killing the people


    who were sitting across from you. Within those seconds I put this mathematical, algebra, geometry


    calction.


    Just to sit beside him.


    Once I satfortably on the chair, he cleared his throat as if he was going to advise me or something.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    He leans forward from his chair. "Don''t do anything stupid after we reached New York. And... don''t


    answer to anyone how we get married and when we get married until I told you to." He told me with a


    stern voice and that makes me jump but I was good at control too. He saw that I was listening and


    didn''t answer anything, "Huh?" he said as if I wasn''t listening.


    I don''t know who''ll ask me those questions. "Who''ll ask?" I asked doubted. Then I went with, "Yeah, I


    understand." I whispered.


    He gave me that good girl look on his face.


    Just a gentle reminder...


    If you like my work please support me by voting... Means a lot?


    And doment... Share your thoughts with me ?


    Thank you?

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    "You''re safe here, sir." A voice came from the passenger seat in front of us.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    I didn''t know what he was referring to and then I saw a crowd of people standing with cameras and


    mics. Then I linked those with what he''d told me beforending. Thank god, we didn''t even enter into


    the public way, we just took another way that was only for people like him, I guess.


    Celebrity?


    First of all, I thought anybody can rent a private jet to impress their bride, second, it was cheap, third,


    and he was like any other man. All of my guessings were wrong the whole time! He didn''t rent a private


    jet, it wasn''t cheap even to rent, and he wasn''t like any other men, I say if I wasn''t wrong.


    Suddenly I remembered Jo, saying this word, "CEO" the other day while I was passing by the kitchen.


    And when she saw me they pretended like doing dishes and Jo studying.


    Finally, I came to thought he must be a "CEO" of some industries or something like that. But still, this


    was just guessing. I couldn''t say correctly.


    When I saw the huge mansion in front of me I was shocked and confused and got an answer. He


    should be a "CEO" otherwise there would be no way you''d buy a mansion like this. It was more than


    ten times bigger than our house. There was a front yard with the grass ground that felt weing. The


    mansion looks a bit old but traditional and elegant.


    We walked in as one of his workers held the door for us. It was all new for me.


    Once we were inside the house he left me in the middle of that great living room and he was gone, pfft.


    I don''t know what to do so I just stand there and took in the view of that elegant room. The living area


    was very big andfortable. There sat a traditional maroon sofa with floral designs on the cushions.


    And when I looked at the walls there were, no family photos not even a single portrait.


    And I started wondering, why''s that?


    The house was in pin-drop silence except for my footsteps.


    I felt something tickling my leg. I jerked at first thinking what if that might be a snake or something. But


    it wasn''t a snake or anaconda. It was just a puppy after all.


    I knelt and scooped him into my arms.


    "Huff-huff," he barked as if he was agreeing to something.


    "Hey! Handsome, how are you?" I asked him as hugging him with my face.


    "It''s beautiful." I turned around to found a kid starring at me with a wide mouth showing his tooth.


    "Hi! I didn''t see you there."


    "Well... nobody can. Can''t you see I''m a kid?" He giggled as closing his mouth with both hands.


    "You''re funny. What''s your name?" I asked a try to get to know him more apart from a kid.


    "Adam," he held out his hands as I took it. He must be a Five or something old kid but he was formal.


    "Adam Smith, Son of Steve Smith and nephew of Rahul and Venkat Smith. And I''m five years old. May


    I know who you are miss_?" that exins everything where he got that formal gestures.


    "Anushiya. Mrs. Arjun Smith, actually," When I finished that I scrutinized the room as if anybody was


    spying me. "It''s nice meeting you, young Smith." We shook hands.


    "Howe you not know that it wasn''t he?" he asked pointing at the puppy in my hand.


    "I thought it might be a boy. See how handsome_" I corrected myself. "Beautiful she is!"


    He giggled as his voice echoed in that room.


    "He didn''t tell us that he was getting married. Not even invited us. Do you know why? Did you elope


    with him because your mother didn''t like him?" he was going and going on with his assumption and I


    was shocked and listening that how a five-year-old kid can be so intelligent.


    I also started wondering that what that kid was saying was all fact. I didn''t see his rtions only my


    side of rtions was there. At first, I thought that they couldn''t make it but after hearing that kid says


    that they weren''t invited in the first ce. That was suspicious.


    "Enough, Adam, let her take a rest first." A voice from the stairs makes the kid stop and pout his face. I


    tilted my head up and saw Arjun was standing bare-chested as drying his hair with a towel.


    "Sorry, _" He forgot my name, I guessed. Or maybe even he was wondering how he should call me.


    "Anu''s okay." He smiled and that makes me smile.


    When I tilted my head again to see Arjun, he was gone nobody was there on the stairs.


    "I''ll be showing you a home tour." with a smile Adam took my hand and started dragging me.


    After, fifteen minutes of the home tour, we stopped at the end of the hallway in front of a closed room.


    Every room he''d shown were different and unique on their way. "What about this room?" when I


    realized, he wasn''t going to open that room.


    "Oh! That''s uncle Arjun''s secret room. He''d never let anyone inside of this. No, not even the maids to


    clean this room. He cleans all by himself on weekends and spends most of the time on weekend


    mornings. I''d been asking him to show me. And he''d been refusing to show."


    "Huff-huff" puppy in my hand barked as if he was putting attendance that he was also present.


    I wonder what was suppose to be sitting in that room. And what secret he was hiding from his whole


    family.


    I couldn''t sleep. There must be two reasons, why? The time zone was different it was night over here in


    the US but morning in India that might be number one. And the second one was I was sleeping on the


    couch when Arjun was sleeping in his bed.


    When I went to the toilet that midnight, I was shocked, what I''d just seen there. No water spray, but


    toilet paper. Who needs toilet paper? I was about to cry when I start thinking about my life. My life


    wasn''t even let me pee on myfort. What an f**king life?


    As usual, when I felt ufortable or nervous, I took my phone out and start scrolling the news feed


    and that''s what I was doing when I heard our door knocked. I wondered who might be knocking on the


    door at this time. I nced up at the time. It was 1 am.


    Adam.


    I saw Adam standing wearing his pink PJ''s, hands crossed and his eyes were blinkingzily. "Anu, I


    was getting nightmares and can''t sleep. Will you sleep with me?" he asked pouting his lips.


    I nced at Arjun who was fast asleep and nced back at Adam. I took my phone from the table


    where I kept it after hearing the knocking. I closed the door behind us with no noise. "Lead the


    way."

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    The next day morning I woke up Adam in my arms, cuddling. He was too cute and innocent while


    sleeping.


    Suddenly I check my phone and realized I got to call several people to who I missed calls. So I ced


    a pillow under Adam''s head and started walking towards the balcony. I thought I was going to call the


    person who called me in higher times. So I saw amma who called me five times at 3 am. And Arjun


    who called me eight times at 2 pm.


    As I said I going to call Arjun who several missed calls were high on my list.


    "Hello!" his voice damaged my eardrum as he shouted in excitement. We''d never been separated


    before like 6000 or 10000 miles.


    "Speak slowly." I scolded him...


    He groaned and asked, "How''s foreign?"


    "It has an amazing climate. There... cars go on roads. Flights... fly in the air. And Ships... in the_" He


    cut me off.


    "Water?" he mocked. "It''s how here as well. Say something different like I went to The Statue of Liberty,


    to the club, I was expecting more from you. Did you taste any alcohol?"


    "No! Why would I?"


    "Nah, I was just asking. How''s your husband, Arjun?"


    "Great. Do you know one thing? Here no water! Only toilet paper! Who would use that?" I hated when


    my voice sounded nervous and weak.


    "What? Did you didn''t say to him?"


    "How can I ask him? We were just married. I didn''t even talk to him after that engagement. You know,


    no? Then you are asking like you didn''t know?" I scolded him.


    "You need help? I can say to your aunty and she may change those things might only for your


    bathroom. And they are having a flight tomorrow morning. How is my idea?"


    Yeah,dies things would be safe withdies but Arjun knows the values of thedies. So I just said,


    "Okay." "So what else was going on there?" I asked him even though now I wasn''t living in India. I still


    care about my mother''snd.


    "Aah..." he was thinking. "Nothing much and nothing that you wanted to know." He said mockingly.


    "I''ll scroll down the news feed anyway, thank you." I hung up. We just hung up never giving any signs.


    That was our besties'' style.


    I heard my stomach grumbling in hungry. I took a fast shower and changed into a grey color taffeta silk


    mirror work Pati which dazzled as I stood in front of the mirror. It was a Punjabi traditional dress and


    also one of my favorite outfits. It wasfy wear. As we all know that I was married I''ve to follow some


    of the rules my amma put before I said goodbye.


    "First, wake up early in the morning and take a shower. Second, change into a decent dress that has to


    show that you were married and don''t forget to put vermilion on your head because that is the one who


    shows love, care and safe about your husband''s health and it''ll make a great bond between you too.


    Third, make a cup of coffee or whatever he likes and give it to him. Fourth, make a great breakfast that


    he''d never forget in his whole life." Amma told me. That was not it. She told me more than what I


    needed to hear or know. Thank god that''s when he came towards and said "Shall we?" that''s it that


    was a great excuse from my amma and escaped from her.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Once I got changed I took a picture of myself and sent it to amma and Jo. Not bothered to send it to


    appa because I know that my amma or Jo would never forget to show my appa whatever I sent. We


    didn''t have any secrets between us I thought that what makes us a great and wonderful and doubtless


    family.


    When I opened the door I saw the same puppy waiting for me. When he saw he barks out a happy


    smile and started licking my legs instead of my face. Once I bent down and scooped him up in my arm


    and when he reached my head he started licking my face and barked in happy again.


    I descended the stairs to the kitchen with the puppy in my arms holding like a baby. I thought I can


    make a cup of coffee first and then think about what I''d make for breakfast with the ingredients that we


    have in this house.


    As I entered the kitchen a girl in herte twenties wearing a maid''s uniform, greeted me with a huge


    smile on her face. She was slender and fair-skinned with blonde hair. Her eyes were not too small but


    green in color. She was happy to see me.


    "Hi, mam. I''m Alice. How can I help you miss...?" she asked me her voice was so sweet and made me


    answer the second she asked and which I did.


    "huh... Anushiya. Tea? And just call me Anu." I requested her, grinning. When she took a single cup


    from the cupboard I told her to make it double.


    "Mam... Mr. Smith is not fond of Tea." She told me as refusing to meet my gaze like I was about to


    scold her. I''m not going to do that, ever. How she knows that I was asking extra cup for Arjun. Anyhow,


    she might saw us yesterday while we arrived and his parents were now in India, then how? How silly of


    me?


    "Okay," I whispered. "And... Don''t call me mam or Mrs. Smith; just call me Anu as I said."


    Her eyes widened.


    "What?" I asked.


    "Mrs. Smith? I thought you were his friend from India." She said in nervousness tone.


    What does nobody know that we were married? What is going on here? And yes, nobody from his


    family has also attended our wedding which was held in India a day ago.


    "No." my eyes widened because I can''t ept the "un-fact" that I was his friend. I wasn''t at all


    interested in married at first but when he wore that wedding chain on my neck and put that vermilion on


    my head from that second I''ve started considering him as my husband and he''ll be my priority whether


    he likes it or not.


    "How do you both meet?" she asked me smiling at me, relieved.


    "It''s an arranged marriage," I said forcing a smile.


    "Ooh..." Maybe she was thinking or she was wondering how''d a handsome man like him, marry a


    normal chubby girl like her. Who knows? That why we were having a mind for private conversation and


    opinion to store and think of.


    She looks at me like she needs more than that detail I''d given her. But I don''t know if I was allowed to


    say that out to everyone. Because if they were keeping this wedding a secret then I''m not going to


    share this kind of information with anyone not even with my family.


    "Then what''s his daily liquid?" I reminded her. "Just trying to know him, you know." I tried to change the


    subject that she noticed and smiled at me and nodded. "Just feel free to talk to me as a friend."


    She was surprised and she was speechless like I did something she''d never thought of. "What?" I


    asked her, again.


    "Nothing." She shook his head. I know that she was hiding something from me that she was afraid to


    share with me. I understand that and I didn''t press her up.


    "Coffee. His daily... liquid." She assured me.


    "Okay," I nodded. "I was thinking that I''m going to cook today," I told her as she ced a cup on the


    table and pouring the coffee from the coffee machine.


    For the first minutes, she protested against me. Then, atst, I won by pouting my eyes and newly


    married couple as an excuse. That was true though. We were a newly married couple.


    Once she made his coffee I took it from the counter with one backward nce at her smiling and I


    walked away from the kitchen. She went back to her work. I think I just minus some of her work for the


    day and I was d.


    I knocked at the door and went inside. My heart was beating than normal and my hands and legs were


    shuddering in excitement. I guess because I was going to see him again?


    I saw the bed expecting him to still sleepy head in his bed. But what I''d seen was the straight opposite


    of that. His bed was already made and I wondered that he was good at what his work was. I ced the


    cup on his table and without any backward nces, I went to an empty room, the next room I saw.


    When I entered that room, it was empty, and once he also mentioned that I can also take this room as


    mine. I closed the door behind me and started jumping in excitement and dancing inside the room and


    humming. My hands were up in the air as I threw my dupatta(shawl). I felt excited and wanted to go to


    his room very often. I know this was kind of silly but my mind wanted to.


    "What''s so exciting?" I heard a strong velvet voice from behind me and I jerked in a statue.


    Arjun, that was "Arjun", I thought.


    I was thinking that what was he doing in this empty room? And how long he''s been here? And did he


    saw me jumping and dancing? That was so insane side of me. I turned around like a statue and fixed


    my gaze on the floor as usual and that when I saw his reflection on the clean ssed tiles. He was


    wearing a crispy white shirt with well-ironed grey suits and polished shoes. I wonder how he can wear a


    shoe inside the house that wasn''t an educated of him. Both of his hands were resting in his pocket.


    And his gaze was fixed on my face expecting to meet his gaze.


    I can''t say him the truth. If I said I don''t know what he''d think of me.


    "Look," he ordered me. "Look at me."


    I tilted my head to meet his but I can''t see his face and my eyes widened and I bit my inner cheeks in


    anxiety. The dupatta (Shawl) I threw in the air was now on his face that shows him as he was wearing a


    ghost costume for a fancy dres''petition. I tried to control my giggle.


    "Sorry" I whispered and also slightly made it a giggled tone as well. I took a step forward to him and


    took that dhupata from his face and ced it around my neck and turned away. "I don''t know you were


    here."


    "This is my house and I have every right to wander around my property." He tried to spoke m.


    "I know but you''d have called me," I said starring at the wall in front of me.


    "I came here to tell you that tomorrow my parents wereing back from India," He told me what I''d


    already know.


    He walked to the door and stopped in the middle and turned to face me. "And... on that day we''re


    having a media meet to announce that we are officially married." He turned his heels and grasped the


    doorknob and tried to open it.


    "Your coffee was on your table," I said as he nodded and opened the door and flew away like


    yesterday''s jet we traveled.


    When he went from that room I realized that he was a bipr man. One time he was shouting and


    yelling at me and next he was asking to apologize. I didn''t know how he''d react based on the situation.


    Did he now just shouted or scolded me? I don''t know and what did I do wrong? I was just jumping in


    the room which he offered to no one, which was also empty and didn''t disturb anyone.


    I set the table for breakfast and eagerly waiting for him to taste the magic that I put in the cooking.


    I don''t know what changes me I think I was started liking his bipr-mask. Before I married him I


    thought studying and working was the most adventurous thing to do but I was wrong. Living with him


    was more adventurous than anything. If in any cases I saw Bear Grylls I''d challenge him to live with


    Arjun first, then go into the forest for less adventure because if he can bear him then he can bear a


    dinosaur all by himself. I wasughing for my super gifted mind.


    Today I cooked a mas dosa which was my favorite and idli and ulundha vada and for dipping such


    as, coconut chutney, onion chutney, mint chutney, and sambar. I''d made all of them because I don''t


    know what was his favorite and what would he prefer. When I asked Alice she told me that he''d never


    eaten Indian foods before and this was going to be his first time. And also I added only a little bit of


    spicy for his taste because I''d say millions of Hollywood movies and they''d not forget to mention that


    most Americans were not fond of Spicy food, so.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    ARJUN SMITH


    I was sitting here at the dining table after scolding her for no reason in her room. That was her room


    and I''d already offered her that. But she didn''t defend herself for that. I was nervous when I saw the


    couch was empty and I was searching for her, in the whole room and then I saw her when she ran into


    the room like somebody was following her and locked the door and started jumping in fear, I thought.


    When I took some steps forward and realized that wasn''t a jump of fear and a dance of fear. She was


    so excited about something that I can''t quite guess, yet.


    Then suddenly I felt her dhupata on my face and I was irritated at that moment. I tried to talk calm but


    my voice came in stern anyway. I told her that my parents wereing in two days and be ready for


    the media meet. When I tried to open the door I heard her voicee from behind me and I stopped in


    my ce as listen''s her. She told me that she ced my coffee on my table. I just nodded and went


    back to my room.


    When I sat on my couch in my room with coffee in my hand that''s when I imagined that what if she


    came to my room and she felt nervous and shy and she ced the cup on the table and ran back to


    her room and she expressed her excitement in her room and I caught her off guard. That''s what''d have


    happened I imagined. And also I realized that I was over imagining kinds of stufftely. "This is not


    good" I muttered to myself.


    I was waiting for food to serve and expecting Alice but I was surprised by the image I saw who was


    standing in front of me. It wasn''t Alice but Anushiya. Apart from surprised I was shocked if I''m being


    honest with myself. She ced the te in front of me.


    "I''m sorry that I didn''t get a chance to go outside and buy a banana leaf to serve. And also I don''t know


    where to buy it. So please adjust. I''m sure next time when I serve Indian food I''ll serve it on banana


    leaves." She told me and made a sorry face. Her eyes were focused on the table the task she was


    doing. She didn''t bother to look at my face. I wondered how many days she can live without seeing my


    face. Did she even see my face before saying no to me? Suddenly my mind crossed full of questions.


    So I''m going to eat Indian food today.


    I saw the notification on my phone the on table in front of me. I took it in my hand, unlocked it with my


    fingerprint, and started scrolling the messages column and that was Charles. He said that he was on


    his way.


    She put some of the Indian dishes on the te and waiting for me to taste them. I put my phone aside


    and scrutinized the te.


    "What is this?" I asked her pointing out the white color cake in a round-shaped.


    When she was about to give a definition a voice interrupted her. "I''m home my dear sweet and new


    sister."


    Charles.


    "Morning, Mr._"


    "Just Charles,"


    "Come and have breakfast." She invited him.


    He took in the full view of the table in front of him, a couple of hot boxes dozens of bowls with different


    colors of sausages, and swallowed a lump in his throat as he took a seat beside me. "Treat, huh?" he


    grinned at me, his charming grin.


    Once he sat on him, she started to answer my questions.


    She looked at my hand what I was still pointing. "That''s idli like a rice cake and you can have it with


    sambar or any other chutney you prefer," she said gesturing all the different chutney in front of me.


    There were different colors like green, white, orange. "That''s mas dosa, you''ve to eat with the


    mas that''s inside the dosa or you can have it with sambar or chutney," she said as looking at the


    white round paper like food it looks crispy, so that''s called dosa and if there''s any mas inside the


    dosa it''s mas dosa.


    She paused as if she was checking me whether I was listening or not.


    "Then what''s this, Donut?" I Charles asked pointing the donut-shaped thing.


    She giggled as her hand closing her mouth so that I can''t see her cute smile and her diamond teeth.


    What was happening to me, God!?


    "What so funny?" He asked now totally annoyed.


    Silence fills the air and she stoppedughing and came back to sense.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    "Yes, it may look like a donut but it isn''t a donut. It was one of the South Indian''s foods. And It''s also


    spicy, be careful you can find green chili in there." She assured me.


    "Ohh," said Charles.


    "Had you ever eat any Indian foods before?" she asked me curiously.


    "No." I just said, keeping this all a small conversation.


    "O-Okay" she looks confused now. "Aunty never served you any Indian foods?


    "Aunty?" I was confused about who she was talking about. Then I realized that she was talking about


    mom. Iughed a throaty one. She stared at me with wide eyes as if she just saw me when I was


    "How can I call someone elder than me with their names, my amma and appa didn''t teach me like that.


    They always told me to respect elders even if they were one day elder than me." She said all that in a


    single breath. It may be followed in India but this is America.


    "Whatever, you wish. Then don''t say I didn''t warn you." I said, calmly. "And hey, she was born and


    raised in America so she was growing up like a normal American and she doesn''t know anything about


    cooking or Indian traditional things. Except for this arranged marriage," Thest sentence was a


    whisper.


    The day was as usual like I was busy with business meetings and conferences. It''s been a week since


    the news about me got viral on every social media and news. But till now the heat of it the news didn''t


    get old. I was married but I have to wait for mom and dad to arrive from India to get this wedding


    official. So they also told me to do some arrangements about reception a grand one. So I''ve to work


    with that too, to check the quality of the things for guests who were all going to give us a visit.


    I didn''t have any time thinking about that I was married and I''ve lived outside that four walls office, not


    that like I''m in love with her. She wasn''t safe in that huge house alone because I''ve lots of enemies


    here and there who were spying on my family and my every move. In India that was different, nobody


    knows me but here even newborn babies know me.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    ANUSHIYA SMITH


    It''s been two days since wended in the US and today I was going to wee my mother and father-


    inw. I was so excited to see them. When I heard her voice in our engagement she seemed a nice


    and sweet woman.


    Arjun was busy with his work if he''ll go out in the morning for work and he''lle back home after the


    sky gets darker. I didn''t have anything to say about that. That was his work and that was his priority too.


    If I was being honest with myself I was missing himtely.


    Whenever he came back from work I was eagerly waiting for him to spend some time with me like


    talking about something like today I went here or I ate this in lunch and I liked or hated it or I went out


    with my friends or my friend was funny and he told me this silly joke which we were allughing until


    our stomach started to ache, anything, something like that just anything. I just need a regr couple''s


    time, like my appa share his day with us and amma. I just needed to hear his voice, that''s all that I


    want. But when he came back from work he went to our room and nevere back until the sunrises


    the next day.


    Adam was getting the worst nightmares. Whenever I was trying to sleep he''ll murmur this, "HELP ME,


    HELP ME," then I put my hands on his chest and tap slowly to make hime back to normal and go


    to a peaceful sleep. Adam and I y games on his iPad when after he came back from his school.


    Spending time with him makes me a child, again.


    Except for that one breakfast I cooked for Arjun, Alice didn''t let me cook in her kitchen because if I


    started cooking that may lead her to be jobless. She scolded me for that as Iughed. I told her


    that I wasn''t a good cook as you that makes herugh. I told her that I''m not at all good with American


    foods and serve me Indian and pleaded with her to take this as a request. And also I taught her some


    of my favorite and basic Indian dishes like idli, dosa, Chettinad chicken. When I said chicken her eyes


    gave me that surprised look. I asked her why and she told me that, "Do Indians eat Non-veg at all. I


    thought India has the highest vegetarian rate." She said that right but India is also the secondrgest


    poption in the whole world. We''d be good friends in the past two days. She told me about her


    son who was studying junior in high school. I was surprised I thought she''d have a baby, not a


    teenager.


    "What? Did you just say your son is a teenager?" I asked Alice, confused. How can that even possible?


    She looks very, very young and she''s saying that her son was a teenager. I thought she was kidding


    me.


    "Yes? Didn''t I?"


    "But you look younger than having a teenage son."


    "Don''t I look like thirty?" she asked casually and happy someone told her that she''s younger than she


    looks. I know how that feels. My mom gave that smile whenever someone tried to impress her in this


    "you look young, is she''s your sister?'' they always mention to us that we both were sisters and nobody


    believes that we are mother and daughter.


    "No"


    "Well, I''m 35 now." Sheughed like she just shared the secret that she shouldn''t.


    "Is it a love story, then?"


    "Yeah, it''s a long story."


    "Then say. I was dying to know about you" I pouted.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    She looked at me for a second.


    "You''re my one and only friend here." I pleaded.


    "Ok, fine. Don''t make that face" she rolled her eyes.


    I giggled.


    I jumped on the kitchen counter as I tried to sit. Once I sat on the counter, she took an apple from the


    refrigerator, washed it, and cut it into pieces. She handed over me a piece and she bit one in her hand.


    "Are you ready to go visit my high school?" She announced.


    "Yes!" I shouted in excitement.


    "That was my first day in senior in high school, it was a rainy day. The rain was pouring from the sky. I


    went to school with an umbre anyway after a big argument with my mother. And there I saw this guy


    named Andrew, he was one of the popr guys in the school." She stopped, blushing.


    "Then?"


    "Then... what are you thinking what''d happen?" she challenged me to guess it right. She winked.


    "What? Did you bump into him?" I asked doubtfully.


    Sheughed. So after all I guessed it right.


    "Yes," she nodded. "And I got scolded from him for that. While getting scolded the bell rang and he


    gave me onest warning nce before he let me go. I was so scared. I was gettingte for my first


    ss, so I ran. When I entered the ss Mr. Seth already began his lecture. Finally, he let me in with


    detention." I giggled. "I was searching for a seat to sit. There was only one seat that was empty at that


    time so I walked forward to it and sat on that seat, cing my bag on the table and picking out my


    notebooks. Listening to Mr. Seth I felt some fire on my skin like I was burning. I turned my head to my


    left-hand side and saw that same person who I just bumped into, sitting beside me and staring at me,


    his head on his fists and his lower lips were tilted forward.


    "When I noticed that he was staring at me I turned my gaze away from him. He took a piece of paper


    from his bag and wrote something in it and threw it on my desk. I didn''t look at it and the bell rang, the


    ss was over and he went to his next ss with a smirking smile on his face.


    "Once I was in my room alone, I opened it. I was shocked." She paused and looked at me.


    "What? What''s in that letter?" I asked, curiously.


    "The devil''s face," She let out a breath.


    "That''s it, no more than that? Why devil''s face?"


    She ignored my question and ran to finish her short story.


    "Then we started dating and our rtionship became serious than we''d ever imagined and became


    high school sweethearts. Once we graduated we get married with our parent''s permission. That was it,


    the happy ending." She finished the story.


    "You''re really lucky that you''d married a person you loved" I whispered. She noticed that and took my


    chin in her hand and tilted it to meet her gaze.


    "He may need some time but he''s a good man" She assured me.


    I jumped out from the counter and took her hand in mine, made her swung. She giggled at my sudden


    activity. We both were dancing like a couple and I can''t control myughing while dancing.


    Then I released her hand and I started swung alone in that huge room feeling the air as they pass


    through my skin. While swinging, my brain inside my head started swinging alone and I lost my vision I


    can only see the blur vision. Alice hissed something behind me I can''t understand what she''s trying to


    say until I bumped into a wall. It was hard and I started rubbing my forehead. And made the "Ahh"


    sound in pain.


    "Um-hrm" someone cleared their throat. I tilted my head to see where the voice wasing from that''s


    when I realized I didn''t bump in the wall. I bumped into his hard chest. I thought that was a wall. I''d


    heard about bodybuilding but he was a building made of rocks, not bricks.


    "I''m sorry," I said tilting my head to see Arjun who was standing in front of me with his business bag on


    his left and his right hand holding his phone near to his right ear. I took a step back from him.


    And there was not only Arjun, there were a lot of peoples standing behind him. Some of them were


    familiar to me and some of them weren''t. One was my mother-inw whom I''ve to call Devi even


    though I didn''t like to call elders by their name. She wasughing at me for my dance steps, I guess.


    "You made Alice dance! That''s the biggest achievement of you. She said she''d never danced before


    not even on her wedding." She was stillughing at Alice who was standing beside me blushing and


    shaking her head in shy and went back to her kitchen to hide her embarrassment from us.


    Now I was the only one standing there with awkwardness.


    I don''t know why I was kept bumping into him.


    Once we came back to normal he introduced his elder brother, Rahul who was the CEO of his very own


    company, and his younger brother, Venkat, who was studying in med school. While smiling at everyone


    I remembered that I didn''t see these faces on my wedding day. Why didn''t they attend our wedding?


    There''d be something fishy about it. I started thinking and imagining things that I shouldn''t. The three of


    them look triplets but at a different age


    But when he tried to introduce me to his brothers he refused a little bit. "And this is Anushiya. My..." he


    pressed. Just say it already my heart was curiously waiting for him to spit it out. On the other hand, his


    mother was also waiting for him to say it like his son was walking for the first time. "My wife," Finally he


    said it, and my heart-felt relief as if someone took the weight from me that I don''t know I was holding it.


    Once he finished introducing me to everyone he fades away in the stairs.


    One thing I was sure, that I couldn''t sleep that night.

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    "Anu, this is a small gift from me," Devi said, holding out a white color shopping bag.


    I starred at that bag for a moment before epting it.


    "Thank you, Devi?" I asked permission for calling her by her first name. Still, my mind was warning me


    don''t do it.


    "Yes, Devi" she encouraged me. "This is the dress you''ve to wear at your reception which is in an


    hour," she said.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    "What? In an hour?"


    "Yes, dear. Your stylist''s on her way. Don''t worry about that. Kay?" She said, touching my head in


    affection and smiled at me.


    "Okay," I whispered.


    I took a fast shower and wrapped a towel around me and went back to my room. I opened the shopping


    bag that Devi presented to me. When I opened it my mouth automatically opened as well. I took that


    gorgeous outfit in my hand to get a better view and a better feel under my palm. I can''t take my eyes off


    and hands too. That''s when I realized that dress was really, really mour. I wasn''tfortable


    wearing a dress like this.


    "Knock. Knock..." I opened the door and saw a woman standing in the doorway. She was holding a big


    box in her left hand, that was her professional bag, I assumed. She was wearing a white half-ripped


    blouse and a short skirt that exposed her bare legs. The scarf around her neck and the wide big ss


    on her eyes. Her hair was green and curly. I''d never seen a person who painted their hair in green


    color. Do they like dying that color in their hair? Whatever, that''s none of my business to judge people.


    That''s was their taste in things.

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31


    ANUSHIYA SMITH


    I thanked God for saving me from a great storm. If the driver didn''t open the door at a correct time I''d


    have been dead by now and cursing god for what I did. Teaching him Tamil made me feel happier than


    ever but when he was all excited about knowing the meaning of that I felt embarrassed. It''s not even a


    bad word but still, I couldn''t say that to him.


    The next day morning, when I woke up as usual I traced beside me and realized he was gone as usual.


    But I got a smell of coffee on the table beside me. Not only coffee there was also a letter under the


    coffee.


    Wait. What? I shouted inside me.


    Before taking a sip from the coffee I took that letter and unfolded it. Before reading I smelled the paper


    as if it was a strawberry cake, I giggled at my thought and started reading it.


    Dear Anushiya,


    I''ve to say you something. "You woke up sleepyhead! Good morning!" I''m kidding. Yesterday, I liked


    spending time with you, knowing about you, and especially learning Tamil with you. You know one


    thing, I''ll be going to be the first person who learned anguage without knowing the meaning of what I


    was saying because I''m trusting you that''d not be any vulgar words when I use that on any other native


    speaking people like my mom. You might be wondering what''s wrong with me. I just started writing a


    letter for my... wife? No. A friend? Ammu. From now on I''m going to call you ammu. My friend. Let''s


    start our journey my dear friend, Ammu.


    I trust you.


    Yours lovingly,Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Arjun.


    When I read that my heart rises in a good way and my mind wasn''t working still like someone gave my


    mind thousands of work at the same time and it was devastating to concentrate on. "Ammu?" I


    whispered as biting my lips to control my huge grin. How does he know my nickname my family used to


    call me? I liked that. "I swear I''m not teaching you any vulgar words," I promised as if he was in the


    same room sitting beside me. "Let''s start our journey my dear friend, Ammu," I repeated hisst


    sentence. I have no words when I saw the word "I trust you." for what teaching him Tamil, not bad


    words? Iughed. "Yours lovingly, Arjun." Arjun. Arjun. Arjun. My mind kept repeating his name. For


    some reason, I kissed that paper and shoved it to my chest where my heart was beating faster as if I


    was hugging him.


    Suddenly a thought hit me. Is this a love letter or a letter to a friend?

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    ANUSHIYA SMITH


    I and Alice came out to buy a graduation gift for her son.


    It''s my first time walking out in Manhattan with the public since I came here. The streets were busy, you


    can hear police sirens 24/7, any time you can see a taxi but getting one is a tough thing, people were


    always walking faster than usual as if they werete for theirst train to Busan. Large buildings,


    people with cigarettes even women are smoking. If I were now with me here, they should definitely


    blindfold me until she crossed past us.


    While walking on that busy roads Alice nudged my hand to see that huge building. That building''s


    entrance was made with ss and a squirrel-bitten apple in the center. Yes, it''s an apple store. Not an


    apple store like the apple-apple store it''s like an apple store. I was surprised when she dragged me


    inside that store. I''ve no idea why she was going over there.


    Once we got inside the store I asked her, "Why are we here?"


    "For my son, didn''t I tell you?" she asked. Well, technically she said but...


    "To buy an appleptop?" I asked surprised.


    She just smiled and said. "Being a chef for the only good and no.1 CEO of NYC, makes me buy this.


    He''s paying me very well."


    "You just mention that he''s a CEO?" she nodded. "Can I ask you CEO of what?"


    "You don''t know! You don''t know anything about him?" her eyes widened.


    I let out a nervous smile. What else could I say? We didn''t even talk before getting married? It''s an


    arranged marriage? I can''t do that.


    "You wanna say something?" Alice asked when she saw my embarrassed look on my face. I thought I


    was good at hiding but I wasn''t.


    After buying the appleptop for her son and we were eating at an Indian restaurant. We didn''t talk


    much after that conversation I just followed her lead. Eating at an Indian restaurant was my suggestion.


    She ordered chicken biriyani for herself and waited for me. I ordered myself tomato rice and a medhu


    vada. She gave me that confused look when I ordered vegetarian food. "We don''t eat non-veg on


    Fridays. You know." I''d said. She nodded.


    "How do you two meet?" she as the waiter ced her order.


    I thought since we were going to live under the same roof and my only friend here in NYC, I couldn''t


    resist saying her whole story of ours. I told her everything; just how crazy I looked when gave a


    surprise visit to our house, engagement, marriage, till today''s morning coffee with a letter.


    "What I have concluded was you weren''t seen or talked to each other." I just nodded innocently. "You


    didn''t like him initially."


    "But I started to like him in the past couple of days," I said as fast as I could once she finished her


    sentence.


    She chuckled.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    "I can see that in your eyes."


    My phone in my bag started to ring. I took my phone out as excusing myself from her and answered the


    call. "Hello?" when I didn''t get any reply or even some kind of background noise I checked the dialer id,


    there was no name only the number and on the top of that saying unknown number which means I


    don''t know who might be on the other side of that call.


    Suddenly I remembered the past when I used to get nk calls when I was in India and even a couple


    of days before. When I didn''t get calls for thest couple of days I thought whoever on the other side,


    must miss my number and I can live freely. When I checked my contacts both of the new and old


    numbers were from the same number which means from the same member too. That was surprising.


    That can''t be possible. People don''t get nk calls very often and with the same number over and


    over.


    So I thought I''ve to put an end to these types of calls.


    "Hello? I''m Anushiya Smith. Whoever on the other side of this phone just listens up! I lost my patience


    getting these types of nk calls from the same number over and over and hearing no voice but only


    your breath. I have lots of work to take care of, unlike you." I groused. "Hey! If you''re still there, just to


    let you know, I love my husband. I love my husband Arjun Smith. Just in case_ Why am I even saying


    this to you? I don''t know what happened to me, Mr. Stranger but I felt relief after saying this to a perfect


    stranger who I didn''t even hear his or her voice. But thanks though. I can sleep in peace tonight. Have


    a nice day and sorry for shouting at you. Please do not disturb anyone like this. Goodbye! And please,


    please, please... don''t call me again."


    When I end that call Alice stared suspiciously at me, her chicken piece was halfway to her mouth and


    she blinked as if she was trying to remember what''d just happened.


    "I was just keeping this in my heart for a while, now I felt relief," I said as she nodded and continued


    eating her lunch.

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33


    "Devi?" I called her as taking a seat beside her.


    "What darling?" she smiled.


    "Can I ask you something?"


    "Sure,"


    "Do you know what Arjun would like?" I asked looking away from her pretending I didn''t ask anything.


    "You mean?"


    "Like favorite food?" I suggested. "Do you know what his Indian favorite food is?"


    "Darling... I know you''re trying to get to know him but he doesn''t eat Indian foods more like he never


    ate one. He''d alwaysin to me whenever I eat Indian food especially in banana leaf." She said


    twitching her nose as if she was being mad at him for not letting her eat her favorite food.


    I chuckled.


    "Is that so?" I remembered the other day when I served him idli, sambar, and chutney, he ate


    everything I put it on his te without any word. If he doesn''t like eating food he could''ve told me or


    Alice to do some American foods. But he didn''t! Did he think that I''d get hurt if he refuses my treat?


    That was so kind of him. I didn''t tell her about that day because if I said that she might start teasing him


    for that. So I thought I better keep this way.


    We heard a yawning sound from upstairs. And we look at each other for a moment as if we knew who''s


    that''ll be. That was Adam. He took a nap and now yawning again like a mountain monkey. Iughed to


    myself and let out a soft giggle.


    "That''s Adam," I told her. She knew who that was but I told her anyway.


    "Yeah" sheughed. "It''s his time to drink milk." She said as about to stand from the couch.


    Before she could react I stood like fire and gave her an amazing smile and said, "I''ll take care of that."


    She nodded.


    "Thanks, darling."


    I went back to the kitchen where Alice was standing and cutting vegetables for dinner. I thought she


    was already busy and I''d make it by myself. Then I took a big ss from the cupboard and poured


    some milk into it, added some brown sugar in it, and mixed it well.


    When I opened his room I was eximed, that a five-year-old kid can keep his room tidy? Wow, it was


    shinning out there. Once I entered the room I closed it behind me.


    His room looks like an adult room more than the five-year-old kid should be. His room was painted


    ck and white, the bed cover was white and the pillows were ck. There were no toys but a 50" TV,


    a PC sitting on the table with theptop and iPad beside it. There was everything a five-year-old kid


    shouldn''t have.


    "Hi! Anu." He shouted like he was excited. "What are you doing here?" he said, grinning. When his look


    shifted to the ss in my hand his grin fade away and worry preupied his face. "No... no... no!" now


    he shouted in irritation.


    He slides out of his bed and started running toward his door. Now I got that reason for that faded smile.


    He doesn''t like milk. Yes, no kid likes milk even I don''t like it. How so poor this kid was but he must''ve


    drunk it because I won''t ept my loss without even trying.


    I smirked.


    He sighed and shook his head. I like kids when they shook their heads with a pouting face. I love those


    kids more than anything.


    I took a step toward him as he took a step backward. I was grinning at him.


    When I reached for his shoulder he opened the door ran away from there. Without any second thought,


    I followed him outside. He was descending the stairs in a hurry as if he was followed by a king cobra.


    While descending the stairs I heardughing voices from the kitchen. I turned my head to see the


    kitchen and saw Alice wasughing at me. I turned my head back to my way and started following him


    again. It remembered me of ying with my sister in India running, chasing, beating andughing,


    together.


    After a moment or two another voice ofugh joined theughing at mymunity, Devi wasughing


    at me, too, and encouraging Adam to run fast. That''s not fair she''d have to support me instead she was


    supporting him. I was the one in the drink milk war, not him.


    I sighed.


    It was really hard to make a five-year-old kid drink the milk. I''ve been following him around the house


    wherever he goes for the past fifteen minutes. And the milk in my hand gets cold like a milkshake. Then


    he suddenly changed his way to the main doorway as if he was trying to escape to the front yard.


    While rounding around the living room couch theughs and giggles behind us fade. Still, I didn''t care


    because my eyes were in Sam''s legs as if to follow him.


    I wonder, suddenly what''d happened to them? They wereughing at us for the past fifteen minutes or


    god knows how long. I turned my head back as running to the doorway to see Alice and Devi who were


    looking shocked at me like I was about to on a suicide mission, looking worried. Why were they looking


    at me like that? I was wondering until I bumped into someone in the blink of an eye. The milk shoved to


    the man''s expensive suit I just bumped into and the ss hit the floor and crashed into millions of


    pieces.


    I was standing there awkwardly closing my two ears from the sound of the crashing sses, scared. It


    was that familiar rock wall I got bumped into when Arjun introduces his family to me. I removed my


    hands from my ear and tilted my head up and saw Arjun standing in front of me, gritting his teeth and


    holding his business bag tighter than normal. All I know for sure was he''s going to scold and yell at me


    because I can see that on his face.


    "What the hell are you doing? Are you blind?" He yelled at me as I predicted before and I was aware of


    that.


    I didn''t answer as frozen in the same ce.


    "Say something" he shouted as I shivered in fear.


    "I''m so sorry," I whispered.


    This isn''t your first time you walked into me. Is it? And for god''s sake, this is not your park, this is my


    house and you have some sense in your head. You...." he said as clenching his teeth. His eyes were


    disgusted to see me in my face. And that was the moment I felt regretted marrying him. I was married


    to a monster. A monster!


    "I''m... so... s-o sorry" I pleaded. I''d never seen this before. I know he wasn''t talked to me that much but


    I thought that must be his habit or even a character because I also don''t talk to people until I felt


    comfortable around them. Now I got the real reason behind that. He wasn''t interested in talking at all.


    He''d had to hate me then How can he talk? How can you talk to people you hate? How can you see


    the people with affection when you hate that person more than anything in the world? That was the


    look he was giving me, the disgusting-looking face.


    "What sorry? Huh? Do you even have an eye on the right ce? You... can''t you see I was holding my


    important file in my hand and now it was all milk for your sake. I don''t have enough time to make a new


    one either. This deal is a big deal for me and mypany. But you just spilled it and destroyed it.


    You''re responsible for this." He shouted at the sentence. And looked away with the same disgusted


    look but this time anger filled his face as he clenched his teeth.


    And that''s when I saw his right hand his hand was full of paperwork but without a file to protect it. I was


    one hundred percent sure I was an idiot. Because when I saw Alice and Devi''s shocked reaction I''d


    have frozen in my ce or Devi had warned me. Anybody could have warned me.


    After some momentster I felt rain on my face then I realized I was inside the home and that was my


    tear. I was sobbing like a child I couldn''t control my tears. I''d never get a scold from my teachers not


    even from my parents. But this thing is killing me. First, I told him to stop this engagement but he didn''t.


    Second, he''d never talked to me for more than a moment or two. Third, whenever he opens his mouth


    to talk, he only opened to scold me. Enough is enough.


    I''d always wanted a man who loves me and spend time with me. Yes, of course, he''d scold me but he


    was always scolding me.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    "Don''t cry! Why are you being silent? Open your mouth and say something." he yelled. Now his face


    was locked on mine but I was staring at the floor with fear as he took a step forward.


    Devi and Alice were standing in the corner of the living room, looking as scared as me. Sam was hiding


    from me somewhere outside in the backyard, escaping from drinking milk.


    "s...orr....y" I said, sobbing.


    Now he lost his patience and took a deep breath like he was maintaining it. And took another step


    closer as I was standing in the same ce because I know I did something wrong so I can''t move from


    there and in fact, my legs were frozen.


    While he taking his steps forward I was holding my fingers in fingers tightly in anxiety.


    Suddenly he froze on his feet of a sweet voice.


    "Anu ma, what are you doing here? You''re supposed to seek me and make me drink milk. That''s the


    deal. What are you doing uncle Arjun? You''re stopping her from ying with me?" We all turned to see


    the voice that wasing from the doorway. And our eyesnded on adam''s. When I saw him I


    whipped my tears off and tried to act like a normal Anu.


    Wait. Did he just call me ma? Amma? Mom? I was shocked more than shock, I was surprised. He just


    called me ma. I was getting goosebumps. He''s the first kid who''d just called me ma. Not even my kid.


    Well, I still didn''t have one, not yet. I''d never forgotten this.


    "You guys are ying hide and seek?" Arjun asked before I can answer like he was acting cool like our


    captain cool. But there must be only one captain cool. And it must be MSD. Iughed inside my head


    thinking of punch dialogues even though I was crying just a second before. I thought he was bipr but


    I was too. ''Don''t be a dummy Anu'', I said to myself.


    "Yes. I was hiding in the front yard for past one hour." His face went sad. "She was supposed to seek


    me but she is here talking to you," he said disappointed. He was supposed to say that, ''I was hiding


    from the milk in her hand. She wasn''t supposed to seek me''. He was happy when he saw the milk


    ss was broken and milk spilled on the floor.


    Arjun turned to me before he''d answer. Then turned to look at Sam who was making the; disappointed


    face. "I''m sorry. I don''t know you guys were ying. Sorry for stealing your ying partner." He said,


    smiling at Adam who didn''t return it.


    Sam crossed his arms against his chest and ducked his head.


    "What? I said sorry. Why that face?" He asked, confused.


    "You''re supposed to say to Anu ma, not me," Adam said still with that same expression on his face.


    When Adam mentioned me "Anu ma" Arjun''s face got more; angrier than it should be.


    I started wondering for how long Adam was here? Did he saw when Arjun scolded me? Was he trying


    to do me a favor? Why was he doing that? Making him say sorry? That''s not fair. I was the one who


    bumped into him.


    "Say uncle, Arjun" Sam pleaded.


    Arjun frowned angrily. He turned around to face me and took a step toward me as I stared at the floor.


    He opened his mouth as if he was going to speak.


    "SORRY" He and I both said at the same time. Arjun looked at me little less angry this time. He may be


    forgiven me, I thought.


    He smiled and walked away from there.


    Sam walked towards me. I smiled at him in sorry and thank you. I kneeled to match his height. "Be


    careful!" I heard a familiar voice shouting from the distance. Then I looked down and realized the


    broken ss crystals.


    That was him. Arjun. He shouted from the stairs. He does care about me.


    But I was still angry with Arjun.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34


    ARJUN SMITH


    When I woke up I traced my hand beside me to see Anu, whether she was still sleeping or already


    woke up. I know she was such a sleepyhead. But when I suddenly remembered thest night, I was


    afraid of losing her. Was she still mad at me, I wondered. Did she evene to bed after I scolded


    her? The bed, the other half was empty and my stomach growled in fear. Did she fly back to India


    because of that small conversation? Okay, maybe not that small, I scolded her. I was shocked and


    afraid, what''d I tell my mom and especially the media.


    I stood from the bed and started searching the room. First, balcony, bathroom, workroom, and the


    whole house, he was nowhere in the house. Then I made my way towards the kitchen to ask Alice if


    she''d seen her.


    "No, please don''t do it. He''s...." Alice was talking to someone as I entered the kitchen.


    "Alice, did you see A_" I was about to ask her about Anu as I entered the kitchen. I didn''t even finish


    the sentence. I saw Anu slicing some vegetables when she heard my voice and wondered that I was


    searching for her. She grinned at me like if someone plugged a bulb into her mouth but mostly like she


    get caught the smile.


    "Morning!" she eximed. As hiding something behind her back.


    Wait. She wasn''t mad at me at all? How so? She must be becausest night I was hard on her. She


    bumped into me and ruined my presentation for my meeting. Thanks to her I postponed my meeting to


    next week. And I can''t control my anger when I saw that once a paper now a wet material in my hand


    with the wetness of milk and the letters were disappeared as the milk dripped through the floor.


    I can''t believe her she was crying thest night and now she was grinning at me. Something was going


    on with her.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    "Morning" I kept my voice low.


    "Didn''t you have work today?" she asked me, confused as she saw me in my PJ''s. I didn''t even bother


    to change to search for her. All, my mind says was that "I''ve to find her" and that''s what ran in my head


    until I found her.


    "Nope," I answered and walked away from there, thinking. Was she pretending like yesterday didn''t


    happen? First, she was grinning, I''d never see her grinning at me since the day I met her. Two, she


    was asking me question which I wasn''t familiar with.


    When I got back to my room I went straight to the shower and twisted the shower knob and let the


    water run through my skin. When the hot water passes through my skin Ipletely forgot the real


    world and I was living in the blinded fantasy world. Once I finished showering I wrapped the towel


    around my waist and started walking towards, back to my room. I wore an ash color sweatshirt and


    sweatpants. And with onest look in the mirror, I walked downstairs to eat.


    When I got to the dining room, the room was empty. I wondered, what''s the reason must be? There


    was no one. Only the table was set for a single person to eat. And I saw Anu who wasughing and


    pping on Alice''s shoulder as Alice hearing her out.


    I cleared my throat to get their attention that I was hungry and thinking someone woulde to serve


    me. I thought Anu will send Alice to serve because we''d a big conversation justst night. But what I


    saw was untruly real. Anu was the one who came to serve me with the bowl in her hand.


    I dragged the chair backward and forward to sitfortably and elbowed my hands on the table. As I


    was sitting Anu ced the te in front of me and started serving it.


    "Where are the others?" I asked her, stern as usual for her and not for me.


    "Rahul''s brother went to Italy for business purposes. Devi and uncle went to a birthday party with


    Adam." She told me. Rahul went to sign his new contract and mom, dad, Sam, and Adam went to the


    party, leaving us alone in this huge house.


    I saw her cing Indian foods on my te. She was the one who prepared food and that''s why she


    woke early in the morning. But she also knows that I don''t like Indian foods maybe I wasn''t familiar with


    the taste of the Indian foods, that was the correct sentence I''d prefer.


    "Didn''t Alice cook today?" I asked her didn''t expect her to answer.


    "No, I told her that, ''I''m going to make breakfast all by myself." She said, proud.


    Once she ced thousands of variety in front of me I got confused about which one I''ve to start with.


    When she saw my confused look she pointed me a little bowl of white chutney but white doesn''t look


    like white though. I was about to take that bowl before the bell rang.

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    ARJUN SMITH


    Anu gave me an apologetic and confused look. I know she was also confused as I was. I thought that


    my parents had returned. She already went to open the door as I twisted on the table to get a clear


    vision of the door.


    She opened the door with both her hands as the morning sun rays kissed her skin. She smiled when


    she saw the person in front of her. That must be my mom then, who else would that be? She was still


    holding the door with both hands. She didn''t move at all, so I stood from the chair and started walking


    towards her and paused when I saw the shadow on her face getting closer to her as she grinning at the


    shadow.


    Then with the blink of an eye, I saw a guye from the doorway and hugged her tight and took her in


    his arms to the air, and swung her as she giggled and holding his shoulder for bnce. I was watching


    them with my eyes widened and didn''t have any words to say or to stop them. First of all who was he?


    And what the hell he was doing here? Why didn''t she say anything while he scooped her in his arms?


    Why did he show up now from nowhere? I was angry than I should have to be.


    When that guy finished his swinging her like she was on a roller coaster, he made her feet touch the


    ground. Then he kissed her cheeks and I was holding my fist together in anger without consciousness.


    Anu saw my hand and frozen in her ce like a kid who gets caught while stealing a candy jar. I was


    expecting her to borate on what''d just happened.


    "Um-hrm," she cleared her throat and wiped her sweats from her forehead which was flooding down


    due to her tension.


    "Say" I ordered her with angry eyes.


    She stared at the floor for a second before answering.


    "He''s my cousin, my uncle''s son." She said tilting her head up to meet my gaze as if she wanted me to


    believe her which I believed her, even If she doesn''t tell me in the first ce.


    I just stared at her eyes as she did the same.


    Suddenly a brisk voice interrupted us and we broke our eye contact. "Hai! I didn''t see you there. By the


    way, I''m Arjun, and not just her cousin, maternal cousin." He said, grinning and holding out his hands.


    What a weird situation?


    So he wasn''t her cousin''s brother. He was her maternal cousin like if I didn''t agree to marry her he''ll be


    the one to marry her. I can see his little sadness at the end of his eyes. But I was d though. I wasn''t


    like him at all.


    "Arjun," I said as taking his hands and forcing a smile. When I said my name he startedughing and


    turned his head to Anu who was standing there with awkwardness.


    "Arjun, Arjun." She introduced me to him. "Arjun, Arjun" She introduced him to me.


    He startedughing at the fate, the same-named person standing in the same situation but with a


    different character. He looks like a gym freak. I was also a gym freak but not like him. I was thinking he


    must be a bodybuilder because his arms and muscles are broad and the veins are visible on his arms.


    He has dark hair and fair skin. He was always grinning and not to mention he must the popr boy


    wherever he''d go.


    "Did you have breakfast?" Anushiya asked the other Arjun, her cousin, trying to change the subject. He


    put his arms around her shoulder and shook his head.


    "Thene and join with us." She invited him.


    "Sure, sure," he said, still his arms on her shoulder.


    I was clenching my teeth together and held my fists together as if he was now alone in this room I''d


    murdered him by now for what he was doing now. Even I didn''t hold my arms around her shoulder. Not


    she''d not let me, I didn''t myself.


    Why he came here in the first ce?


    "Arjun, what''s yourst name?" I asked him as he took the seat at the dining table. Calling both of us


    with the same name, "Arjun" may bring confusion into the family so. If he was staying here more than


    I''d expect then we should call him by hisst name.


    He thinks for a moment before answer.


    "Actually.... No, but Anu and their family call me Krishna. You are also now a part of the family I guess


    Anu will let you call me with that too." He said as he turned his head to Anu like he was asking


    permission, grinning.


    "Sure," She smiled a shy and nodded.


    I was getting irritated in this situation because he was grinning at her and she was shying at him. What


    the hell was going on here?


    She served Krishna the same as mine but the chutneys were looks like different than mine. My white


    chutney Looks like a light green chutney and it looks like a pure white chutney.


    This was the second time I was going to eat Indian food in my whole life. I took a piece of the idli


    (Indian rice cake) and fully dipped it into the white coconut chutney. Krishna was already started eating


    it and almost finished one idli. Here I was didn''t even start eating. Anu was side-eyeing me which was


    an unfamiliar activity.


    When I took that piece in my mouth and started chewing, my eyes turned red, and tears started to drop


    from my eyes and my tongue was burning in heat and hot, some kind of coboration going on there. I


    looked at Krishna as if he was seeing me, my tear in my eyes but he was only concentrated on his


    te. I took that as the chance to wipe it off and took the water from the table and emptied it. Once I


    ced the ss on the table my eyes searched for Anu and found her.


    She was eating like she didn''t see me crying from the hotness of her food. When I first ate in her


    cooking she put normal salt and chili but this time she was taking revenge, I assume. She was eating


    like usual chewing and swallowing. Krishna seems like he was eating the normal food. I was thinking


    she must be taking revenge for yesterday''s matter. So that''s the reason behind her silence.


    When I shoved my look at her without giving her any warning, I caught her while she was looking at


    me. She was staring at me like half sorry and half not. Her eyes were eagerly waiting to see me, sorry


    but I won''t let that happen. I took another piece from that rice cake and dipped it into the same white


    chutney and put it in my mouth and chewed it as my eyes were staring right into her soul.


    She swallowed the lump in her throat and watching me with that innocent look as if she didn''t know


    what was happening with me and what was I even eating?


    Suddenly I heard the choking sound and tilted my head up to see the person who was choking. Krishna


    was choking and patting his head to be normal. When she heard a choking sound she stood from her


    seat like someone kept the needle on her chair and walked across the room to get to near to Krishna


    and patting his head with her hand and took the water from the table and feeding him as if this was


    normal for her to feed him.


    "Can''t you eat slowly?" she scolded him with her caring face. Did she even ever have this face? I''d


    never seen that face before.


    "Sorry, Shiya," he told her, pouting. "You know that I''d always liked your food no matter what you put in


    it. I was thinking today you put a little lot amount of chili. Please make sure next time you put the


    correct amount."


    Wait. Did he just call her Shiya? Was that her nickname?


    "If you felt this was hot then why didn''t you stop at the first bite?" she asked her, crossing her arms


    against her chest.


    "Because it was done by you and I''d never stop eating what you put in my te until it gets empty." He


    said, grinning at her. He pped on her shoulder and walked away from that room. Before he can walk


    away he turned back and winked at her then fades away from the doorway.


    What did just happen? I was also eating this hot food but she was only taking care of him? Not for me?


    Do I also have to choke then? No, I won''t do such stupid things. God has given me two hands and ten


    fingers to do my work and also he gave me a strong heart, so I don''t need anybody''s help now and in


    the future too. I was talking to myself in my mind.


    "For how long he''s going to stay here?" I asked her, irritated. I know he was going to stay here for a


    while because when he entered the house I saw his huge luggage. It felt he was going to stay here for


    a week or two, I guess.


    "I don''t know he didn''t say anything. If I''m being honest, this was a surprise visit. I think he was going to


    stay here for a week. But honestly, I don''t know." She said like she just heard my thought.


    She sat beside me closing the distance between us. "I''m sorry that I didn''t know Alice had already put


    the green chili and I also put an extra two into the chutney. I saw your eye tears." She said crying. She


    was sobbing like a child. Who would do that? "Here, drink this." She handed me a spoon of honey. If I


    was being honest she was about to feed me.


    I leaned my face in and she cupped my cheeks and ced the spoon near my mouth and I took a taste


    from it. When I ate it, it felt like pouring water into the burning fire. My tongue was getting chilled. And it


    was the heavenly feel.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Once the burn was over and chillness filled my tongue. Once I came back to my sense I yanked away


    from the spoon in her hand which fell on the floor with cling and walked away from there without


    backward nces.

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36


    ANUSHIYA SMITH


    Today I woke early than Arjun would have. When I went to the kitchen Alice was making herself a


    coffee when she sees me she made an extra cup for me too. Today Alice looks quite beautiful. She


    was wearing makeup. This was the first time I was seeing her with makeup. She looks beautiful in it.


    Sky-like sky blue in her eyes, eye shadow with the same color paint on her lips and she was totally in


    sky blue except for her hair, her hair was blonde as usual.


    "What happened to you? You look like a goddess of sky blue." I said as my eyes widened, eximed.


    She bit her lips and closed her face with both her hands and shook her head.


    "Say! You knew I don''t like being surprised." I told her. She was acting weird today including her dres''


    sense. Fully sky blue top to bottom even her shoes were sky blue.


    She nodded. Then freed her hands from her face and turned her back to me and started talking like


    she was still shying to say.


    "Today...." she pressed.


    "What?" I asked excitedly without having patience in me.


    "Today I have a date." She chanted.


    I was confused. She said she was married and having a teenage son but how can this is even possible.


    "Wait. Weren''t you married?" I asked her.


    She turned to meet my gaze and walked towards me and stood an inch or two away from me. She


    rested her palms on my shoulder and smiled politely.


    "Yes, dear. I''m married but that doesn''t mean I can''t date my husband. Today''s our Anniversary."


    "Wedding anniversary?" I asked.


    "No dear it''s our 20th anniversary after he proposed to me." She said blushing, her cheek turned pink.


    Okay, now I''d understand. She was going on a date with her husband to celebrate their anniversary. I


    was shocked when she first said that she was going on a date and I''d thought she was going on with


    someone else. There was nothing wrong with me because whenever I see Hollywood movies they only


    mentioning these kinds of things like kissing, dating, then.... Cheating and then broke up and


    sometimes racism too. But in reality, things are different. Why these movie directors don''t take the


    movies about reality. I was sure that reality-based movies would take the ce in the blockbuster box


    office. They should try it.


    Movies were always been fantasy-like slender woman equals hot guy equals the perfect match of


    taking the movie. So, those movies were always been fantasy movies for girls like us. It was all


    because of the movies we''d grown watching. Only heroines would get a chance to have the perfect


    fairy tale ending. And even in the camera focus was also only on those main characters. Why should


    stars have all the fun? Won''t the moon worth it? Because, it''s too beautiful for stars, I giggled for my


    poetess. Yeah, because people always searching for stars, there was countless out there but there had


    been and should be the only moon. So they''d already know that they can''t afford the moon that''s why


    they didn''t even try it because we deserve better in real life like me and Arjun.


    While daydreaming about this society Alice saw me unconscious about the presence and gave me the


    "What''s going on in your head?'' look.


    I shook my head and tried to remember what was we talking about but then really didn''t know what we


    were talked about. But I was sure I''ve to say something in this situation to assure her that I was


    listening to her.


    "Oh, Okay." I sighed in relief. When she saw my relief smile, sheughed.


    "Oh, please say to me that you didn''t think like that about me," she pleaded.


    "Oh..." I let out a nervousugh with her. "No, I didn''t" I lied.


    "You, silly girl" she pped me on my arms friendly.


    "It was all your representation in movies. Do you know? Stereotype? Like Slumdog Millionaire. You


    guys were thinking that people in India, are living in slums and don''t have a good dress to wear and


    good foods to eat? No, that''s not at all true. People in India are different. Cultures in India differ from


    state to state sometimes even districts to districts in the same state, dresses, hairstyles, mythology,


    religions, and evennguages. There was not only Hindi speaking in India for example people in


    Gujarat speak Gujarati, in Punjab, we speak Punjabi, In Tngana and Andhra Pradesh we speak


    Telugu, in Tamil Nadu we speak Tamil, in Ker, but we also speak Mym and...." I was thinking...


    what I was missing here...


    When she saw me thinking and that wasn''t it, and I still searching for a topic to continue the


    conversation and she used my pause as her turn to change the topic.


    "So, say what makes you woke up this early ande to this kitchen?" she asked as cutting some


    vegetables for her sd.


    I made a coffee for him in his perfect taste with cream as Alice taught me the other day. So this coffee


    was going to be the sorry-sorry coffee.


    As I walked out of the kitchen I shouted, "Thanks, Aly." I just gave her a nickname which I didn''t give


    very often, only to the people I love and trust more than I do myself.


    "No mention, bud."


    I ced the coffee mug on his table and opened the curtains as the sun burned my skin and my eyes. I


    felt like I was in a movie, making coffees and opening curtains for him.


    I heard him frowned behind me.


    He took my pillow and closed his face from the sun''s rays. I saw his innocence through that.


    "Could you close the curtains?" he groaned.


    "Sure." I couldn''t say no when he asked something.


    When I closed the curtains and turned around he was standing an inch away from me. My skin gets


    hotter each second extends. I was starring at his jaw where my eyes can watch straightly. When I hear


    him clearing his throat I looked him in his eyes. His hair was messy from his sleep, eyes tired. I took a


    step aside from him but he blocks me then to my right again he blocks me. Finally, I stood there where I


    was standing nervously.


    "I made coffee for you," I said pointing at the table where the coffee was ced.


    "I see," he said didn''t look away from my eyes. Now I felt a whole lot of pressure on myself.


    "Okay:" I whispered.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    "Was that your revenge for the other day? Again?" he snapped.


    "No... that was for yesterday''s_ Sorry." I apologized.


    "Apology will be epted if you only go out with me."


    Okay. I didn''t expect that. So if I go out with him my apology will be epted. Without another thought,


    I said, "Okay." He seemed surprised. "I''ll go out with you," I assured him.


    "Anu? Where are you?" We heard my cousin Krishna from the doorway. "There you are! I''ve been


    searching for you around the world. Come with me." he called me.


    Arjun hasn''t finished his conversation so I looked up at him for some kind of permission. "I''ll call you


    later. Do you have my number?" He asked.


    I nodded. I do have his number. Don''t I? He gave me on our engagement night before he leaves with


    his parents.


    "Arjun, if you excuse us?" Krishna said.


    Arjun just moved from the way and I gave him an apologetic look as Krishna dragged me from there.


    "Come with me," he ordered as grinning and took my hand and dragged me outside the room and the


    door shut with a big thud.


    "Where?" I almost shouted.


    "Just follow me."


    "Why are you being ridiculous?" I scolded Krishna as we sat on the chaise lounge. "And why are we


    here?" I asked surprised why he dragged me here to the pool.

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37


    He stared at me, grinning for a second.


    "Are you ready?" he asked and that makes me nervous. What now?


    "For what?"


    He sat beside me as he pulled out his phone from the pocket of his coat and started tapping it on the


    screen. Already the sun starts to burn my skin. I don''t need to take the sunbathe to get my skin tan. I''d


    already enough sun tanned in my skin. I was losing control each time I felt the burn in my skin.


    My head was scanning for nothing in the swimming pool like if I get a chance to push him in it, I would


    do it without any doubt because I was done with the day. Yesterday Arjun scolded me, okay but today I


    made coffee for him as if the apologies for yesterday but atst what''d happened he yanked the spoon


    away and walked out of the room even without any backward nces. And here I was sitting in the


    center of the sun and getting my angry temperature high second by second. Arjun was saying about


    going out with him to apologize but before he could finish he dragged me from there. I can''t scold


    Krishna for this even in a yful tone because he came all across the world to wish us and he was also


    my best friend, how could I?


    The next second all I know was he ced his phone right in front of me just an inch or two away from


    my face. And all I felt was, I was crying and felt the teardrops in my eyes as it slides through my cheek


    like a fall. The screen I was seeing in front of me was my amma, appa, Jo... my whole family who I


    didn''t call, after Inded in New York.


    I was such a stupid girl with zero memory. I promised my amma to call her once Inded here in NYC


    but the first day itself not that great opening for me. So I didn''t feel like sharing my worry with my family


    and make them ufortable or making them think that Arjun didn''t talk to me more than five words a


    day, god knows how many words.


    "Amma! Appa! Jo!" I shouted in excitement. To be honest, now I didn''t care whether Arjun will get


    disturbed by my voice. At that time all I cared about was I get a chance to talk to my family. Seeing my


    sister remembered me of my wedding day of how we exchanged our hugs with a tear in my eyes and


    sadness in my heart. When I see my amma and appa behind Jo I was crying out loud, my appa told


    Krishna tofort me and he put his arms around my shoulder and squeezed it, then rxed and tried


    to concentrate on family.


    "Amma, appa, Jo erum yeapdi irukeenga? (How are you guys?" we used to speak in our mother


    tongue, Tamil but when I married Arjun, the situation gotplicated. I didn''t even know whether he


    knows anynguage apart from English? I also know that some of the Americans take Spanish as their


    secondnguage but who knows? Right?


    "Fine," they all said at the same time.


    "How about Arjun?" amma asked about his health.


    "Fine,"


    "Where is he?" appa stared behind me as if there was an option to visit us now via phone.


    "Taking a nap. He was always a busy person and a hard-working boss." I said as I was truly proud of


    Arjun.


    We talked for a while, shared a happy smile, sad smile,ughs, giggles and it all felt like home again.


    But then one big question put the end card for that all different varieties of a smile.


    "Is there any good news? How he was taking care of you? Do you like him? Do you love him?" amma


    continued.


    "Amma!" Iined.


    Once my amma finished my sister joined her. "Did you kiss him?"


    They were all forgetting that I was sitting beside a man and they were asking about girly stuff.


    I groaned.


    And suddenly we were all interrupted by a bold voiceing from behind us.


    "Yes, we are taking care of each other. She likes me. She loves me. And she adores me." The voice


    paused and I turned my head to see the person and found Arjun standing beside me just an inch away


    from my back. He pointed my sister with his finger and said, "And you, that''s our private things not for


    the public." He said as he winked at her. She giggled. And I was done with the day. What was going on


    here? "And, yes." He smirked.


    What? What he just said? Did we kiss? Why was he lying? Or was he doing me a favor? I thought lying


    to them was better than saying the truth.


    He wasn''t the type of person whom I spent the week with. I was with the person who only hears the


    silence and the sound of tapping his keyboard. And sometimes not to forget to mention breaking things


    especially ss materials. I was with the person who can''t control his temper. I was with the person


    who was so... arrogant. Yes, I just figured the correct word for his character, "Arrogant". But when he


    saw my parents he was... acting? I don''t know how to refer to that word apart from acting and the word


    "acting" also referable.


    "Sorry brother-inw, if you kissed her... Which I was guessing that you maybe did but I was just saying


    that, that was her first kiss." She said closing her face. Why in the hell she''d have to mention something


    that was out of the league. Amma was scolding her as appa was plucking her ear. She was acting like


    she was screaming in pain. Krishna wasughing a throatyugh beside me. Arjun was frozen in his


    ce don''t know how to reply to this one.


    I was embarrassed in front of my old and new family.


    "I''m sure that was her memorable gift that she''d ever gotten." He said, staring at me as if I wanted to


    nod for that one.


    I nodded. Once again I heard them allughing except the person who was near me. Krishna and Arjun


    didn''t seem likeughing.


    First of all, I want to ask him what was going on and he was talking about which kiss? This was


    because of my sister she was always like she can''t control her emotions when ites to her older


    sister, to embarrass me in front of everyone. And there were no mistakes by her side too.


    "Yeah, you guys talk, and I''ll be back," Krishna said as he stood and walked into the house.


    Once he was gone Arjun came near and sat beside me where Krishna sat before he left, and put his


    arms around my waist, and tightened his grip. It was all his activities that I wasn''t familiar with. Since


    when he started being nice.


    "How''re you, aunty? Uncle? And my sister-inw Jo?" he just officially greeted.


    "Fine," They all said in a single voice.


    "Please say your daughter to be nice to me aunty. I can''t bear her. She always not listens to my words."


    Heined about me to my amma.


    "Anu, what was he saying? Be nice to your husband or else I''lle there and you know what I''d


    capable of." She said with a smug face.


    Wait. What? It all seems like my te was already full. He said that I wasn''t being nice to him? That


    wasn''t fair at all. He was the one who always scolds me and didn''t talk to me but he wasining


    about me? He can''t bear me? What did I do wrong for him to couldn''t, bear me? Then what he said...


    Ahh! I wasn''t listening to his words. Always. He barely even spoke ten or twenty words from the time I


    hear his voice and he was saying that I didn''t listen to his words. "Be fair!" I was crying out loud in my


    mind.


    "Amma! He was_" I opened my mouth to say that he didn''t mean anything but I was cut off by him as


    his hand''s grip on my waist gone tighter and I jerked by the sensation of his hand in my waist. When


    his hands on my waist I couldn''t speak anything, only the air wasing out of my mouth but not the


    sound.


    "She''ll be good, aunty. Won''t you, Shiya?" He asked smirking at me. He used my nickname which was


    given by Krishna to me. He was the one who always calls me with that name since we were a kid. I


    didn''t know what was going on with his head now.


    His grip around my waist tightened and my head not thinking still, except, "I will." I nodded and forcing


    a smile.


    "Bye, call youter."


    After a couple of minutester I hung up the call. I thought he''ll lose his grip as I tried to stand but his


    hand got my waist even tighter than before. He yanked me to sit with him and I sat with a thud. His


    gaze was on the swimming pool with stern eyes and clenched his teeth inside his closed mouth but can


    hear his teeth''s sound of crashing together. His heart was beating faster and faster as if he was going


    to lose his temper. But what did I do wrong?


    "Ahh!" I groaned in pain. "Leave me. Let me go. You''re hurting me."


    But he was sitting like a statue pretending he can''t hear me.


    "Let me go."


    Then a couple of secondster he shoved his hand away from me andnded on the ground as I took


    a deep breath. That''s when I remembered that he was being pushed by someone I turned my head


    and found Krishna standing beside me with a stern look on his face, his hands to his hips as if he was


    standing like a ''Bada Bheem''. Arjun pause where he''d fall and calming himself to get some energy to


    fight back this giant beast. Once he felt calm he stood from the ground and gave him a clenched-teeth


    look.


    Krishna holding his two arms in front of his chest just an inch away as if he was showing that he was


    ready for the fight. Arjun took a step forward as Krishna walked toward him. I was staring at them with


    wide eyes. Now they were just an inch away from each other. Before Arjun can break Krishna''s nose


    and Krishna can break Arjun''s arm I''ve to stop them. Arjun and Krishna took their right hand to air to


    take the right position to point the aim their mark.


    "Stop!!!" I shouted. Once they heard my stern voice they paused, their hands on the air, and turned


    their attention to me.


    Silent fills the air before Krishna starts to defend himself as Arjun gave him the disgusted look.


    "He was hurting you Shiya. I didn''t have any other choice." He said through his teeth.


    There was a silence. Arjun didn''t say anything to defend him.


    "Was he always hurting you this whole time?"


    What? "No, no.... no, no. No!" I shouted thinking that my voice wouldn''t show any sign of eptance.


    "No? Not even a little bit. I saw you from there and I can see how his grip hurts you, you were trying to


    escape from his grip. Didn''t you? But your mouth didn''t help you, as usual. You''re afraid that his grip


    would go even tighter if you''d say or try anything. Don''t tell me this isn''t true? I saw with my own eyes."


    What he was saying was true I can''t let Krishna win this battle, not even Arjun, both of them were


    important persons in my life, one was my best friend from my childhood and another one was the rest


    of my life. I can''t see any one of them getting hurt by another one''s victory. I''ve to maintain the bnce


    and take the mistakes that were mine.


    "No! He was just put his arm around my.... waist. He wasn''t at all hurting me and he won''t." I assured


    him. "And he was just trying my make me... tickle." I was thinking of the correct word to use but atst,


    what I got was "tickle."


    Arjun let out augh, annoyed.


    "Oh... Come on, you poor little girl. I''m elder than you and I have the sense of humor when you''ll say


    the truth and when you''ll lie. That''s what call, bestie my best friend." He paused for a second to see


    Arjun''s face who was busy staring at the pool right behind me through my neck. "And after all, I''m your


    cous_ your maternal cousin." He smirked at Arjun whose face went irritated as though he didn''t bother


    to take his eyes off from the pool.


    Arjun maintained his silence.


    I groaned don''t know what to do he was pointing out the fact points and what I was going to do?


    Nothing, but I didn''t feel like giving hope, maybe I could try, acting like a real couple and it may help


    even if it was a lie I don''t care. All I want for the second was to save Arjun from the corner and make


    them both best friends, no, I know that won''t happen even in a nightmare, but I could make them just


    friends.


    "He''s my husband even if he''d hurt me, he''d have full rights to hurt me. That was none of anyone''s


    business but ours. No matter what or when I married him, he goes first on my list of priorities. So don''t


    say anything that''d hurt him. I''m begging you. Krish." I''d call him Krish whenever I felt hopeless and I''ve


    to prove myself. He was seven years elder than me but still, we were besties.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Arjun''s face shifted from the pool to see mine as I was staring at Krishna''s, sobbing, when they saw me


    crying I saw Arjun from the corner of my eyes took a step forward but before Arjun could react, Krishna


    shoved me into his muscled arms and crushed me into his. My face shoved into his bare chest. I can''t


    breathe I was struggling in his arms. Then he pulled me back to meet my gaze. "So sorry, Shiya. You''re


    my little Anu from the day you''d born. You don''t remember how many times I took you in my arms and


    can''t hold the weight of you when you were just a newly born kid and we both fell on the floor as I walk


    with you in my arms. But our granny had scolded me for that and never let me held you in my arm until


    you turned one. Once you turned one I thought it was easy to scoop you in my arm and take you on a


    tour to our vige but that time you weighed than the day I''d known. Whenever our granny tells us


    those stories we didn''t forget tough no matter how many times we''d heard that. And also you know


    that you''re the one who''d made me feel what the real family would be like, after all, what happened to


    me." He wiped off my tears from my cheeks and kissed me on my forehead.


    This was his way to say love you. "Love you too, Krishna. More than anything. You''re my Best friend


    forever." When I finished that sentence we heard Arjun clearing his throat. He released his grip from my


    arms and turned to face Arjun.


    "Look, she may be your wife and she may be taking your side but I won''t. I saw you hurting her and her


    face fells. But as a friend for my Shiya''s sake, I''ll leave you for this one and this must be your first and


    last. If not?" He paused and gave Arjun a warning look. "I won''t spare you."


    Arjun just clenched his teeth as a response but not in a good way though.

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38


    ARJUN SMITH


    As a bribe to ept her apology I asked her out and she said "Yes" without overthinking.


    She was sitting beside me and she has no idea where I was taking her. After that incident with her


    annoying cousin, Krishna, I can''t believe she defended me. I don''t know if I''d do the same. This date is


    going to surprise her. I don''t know if she knows that it''s a date?


    I turned to look at her who was looking away and staring at the window. She was wearing tight blue


    jeans and full sleeve sexy tight ck tops-cropped V in the cor. Her hair was open and naturally


    wavy, that''s what I liked her about, she doesn''t put thousands of make-upyers to impress his man or


    society, and she likes to be who she is.


    I locked her hands in mine and led her into the hotel. Her hand was shaky and the sweats were


    dripping in her foreheads, even the hotel was filled with cool air. She must be nervous I assumed. "Are


    you alright?" I asked her once we entered the elevator.


    She nodded looking at the elevator door as if I let her hand free she''d fly from here.


    The door opened with a ting sound. Once we get out of the door I turned to meet her eyes.


    I saw her eyes widened in surprise, maybe shock. I freed her hand from my hold. She took a step


    forward and smiled. The glow of the serial lights dazzled in her brown skin. Her eyes shined like stars.


    She smelled like a strawberry cake. Really? A strawberry cake? My mind protested. She took in the


    arrangements that I''d done for her.


    ANUSHIYA SMITH


    I was standing with my big eyes wide opened. There was a dining table for two and it was surrounded


    by candles even the terrace was loaded with candles everywhere. Heart red balloons were hanging on


    the top of the dining table. The edge outline, border of the terrace was lined up with rose pots, with


    different colors; the air was filled with rose over there. The lights were no bright and no dim it was


    perfect.


    Not to mention it was like a romantic date from the Hollywood movies I''d ever seen. I thought those


    things will only happen in movies but when it was happening to me I couldn''t believe my own eyes. I


    remembered a proverb in Tamil my amma always uses for no reason, "Kannal paarpadhum poi,


    kaadhaal ketpadhum poi." which means, "Seeing with the eyes is a lie, hearing with the ears is a lie"


    But how can I not believe what I was seeing right in front of me.


    "Shall we," he asked as letting out his hand for me.


    "Yes," I said softly and smoothly, well... I tried.


    I ced my palm in his and he led me to the table. The way to the table was spread with rose petals


    and the side of the way was built with candle lights. He helped me with my coat and my seat. I started


    biting my inner tongue to hide my nervousness and blush. Well, it didn''t help. It''d have helped if it was


    small of a deal but it was a big deal, huge. This was my first time like this.


    He sat across from me and removed his coat button. "Do you like it?" He asked looking around as if he


    was asking about arrangements.


    "It was too... much," I said with a smile on my face.


    Heughed.


    "I''m d you liked it." He said.


    I smiled looking away from him, blushed.


    As soon as we sat, a waiter in his early thirties wearing his uniform ck pant and a white shirt with a


    ck tie tied around his cor came to take order from us. "What can I get you, Sir?" he asked leaning


    down with note and pen on his hand.


    Arjun took the menu and started scrutinizing it. He ordered himself a well-done steak. I wonder how the


    menus were changing from the same table. I couldn''t find any easy words. I took the menu as well and


    started tried reading it. The foods and names were totally unfamiliar to me. I can''t even pronounce


    those words correctly; here are some of the foods from the menu that I struggled pronouncing even in


    my head, Coq au vin, Boeuf bourguignon, Confit de canard, Ratatouille. Finally, I got the word I knew


    from the movie, "Ratatouille," I ordered by my side. He just stared at me surprised.


    "Why Ratatouille?" he asked.


    "The only name I can say correctly and know?" I said as chuckled.


    Heughed.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    I stared at the sky. There were stars, a lot. "I like this ce."


    "Thank you,"


    I turned my head to look at him. "Can I ask you something?"


    "Yeah, go ahead." He said.


    "Why you hid that you''re a CEO? I don''t know you were a CEO until Thursday Alice told me about


    that." I asked politely, he''d answer.


    "Because I don''t like being a CEO for my father''spany?" he said.


    "And why is that?"


    "Since when did you start questioning me?" I waited as he sighed. "I was nning about starting my


    ownpany like my father, step zero to number one. But he wanted me to take over hispany


    which I quite didn''t like the idea of that. So we kept a deal, if he stops pushing me for four years I''d take


    over. I thought he can''t do that so we made a deal but he was good with his words. He never asked or


    talked about hispany as we said for four years. So he kept his side of the deal and now I''m


    keeping my side of my deal."


    "So I assume you never talked to your appa openly."


    We turned our gazes as the waiter ced our orders in front of us. "Thank you." We said as in one


    voice.


    Once the waiter was gone he dug into his steak with knife and fork. On the other hand, I was looking at


    the te and the fork and knife beside it. I don''t know how to use this. Well... I tried when I was a kid,


    but when amma and appa start using their hands I put the spoons aside and start using my hands too.


    Now I''m regretting that I should''ve tried and learned about that.


    When he was halfpleted his te and saw me rotating the fork and knife in my hands nervously,


    he ced his fork and knife on the table and started using his hands. I didn''t expect that one was


    coming. I smiled at the te as if I was smiling him a thank you. I guessed he must be seen me smiling


    at him because I saw him smiling at the te too.


    While eating I felt the candle lights heat around me as the night cold air protected me from the heat.


    Once we finished our te with hands in silence he walked me to the edge of the terrace. "What''s your


    favorite movie?" he asked.


    "It''s a Tamil movie."


    "What is it?" he asked.


    "Engeyum Kadhal. It''s a romanticedy." I blushed.


    "Seems like you love this movie." He said looking at my side. "We are going to watch this movie."


    "Now?" I asked surprised. Where? In phone?


    "Yes, here and now!" he pped. Four waiters carrying a huge sofa came into a view and ced it


    behind us. Then he whistled, a big white screen rolled open in front of us. While I was looking at what


    was happening around me in surprise, "Shall we?" he gestured his hands toward the sofa. I''ve had no


    words to express what I was feeling now. It was all feeling like a romanticedy movie.


    "What was the movie that you said?" He asked.


    "Engeyum Kadhal. Are you sure you can watch this? I don''t know there will be a subtitle or something


    like that."


    "It''s a date. I''m sure I want to do this."


    Did he just say that it was a date? If I heard him correctly this was going to be my first date ever in my


    whole life.

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39


    I sat on the sofa and Arjun wasn''t too away from me he was sitting a little close to me than ever, to be


    honest. I like the way he was sitting with mefortably. And for some reason, I feltfortable with


    him too. I know I''d getfortable after one long conversation with people but it was different from the


    very beginning. Initial periods I wasn''t sure about my feelings butter I was getting to know him better.


    I smiled.


    He asked me to spell the movie because he was still having no idea how to pronounce it.


    I was watching the movie and he was trying to keep up with the movie and the subtitles at the same


    time. It was getting colder and colder and I was trying not to shiver. But at some point, I couldn''t control


    myself. The candle lights were not lit because it will disturb the movie that was running on the white


    screen. I started shivering; I didn''t rub my hands or let out any growling sound as heroines do in


    movies. I was just sitting ufortably until he undoes his coat and covered me with it. His coat


    smelled chocte. He put his arm around me and his face was now an inch away from me. My breath


    was uneven.


    "You used to watch this movie a lot?" he said.


    "Yes," I said.


    "May I ask why you love this movie?"


    "Because of the name of this movie?" I said as he gave me that ''Real'' look.


    "What''s that mean?"


    "I don''t know how to trante properly but I''ll try." He looks curious. "Everywhere love. Or. Love is


    everywhere. Do you know why I truly love this movie? Because if you loved someone truly even if they


    don''t know about that, you''ll wait for them and they''lle for you." I paused to look at his blue eyeN?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    which was dazzling like a blue star in the nights. "Love is in the roses as well as in the thorns," I said I


    was proud that I started trying poetry.


    "Yes, but it draws blood from us, don''t you think? Why you say that?"


    "Don''t you protect me?" I asked innocently.


    "I do... but"


    "Peoples areining about thorns because he was protecting his love from you?"


    "I never thought that in this way. You''re right." He seems like he understood what I was trying to say


    and I felt relieved and happy for some reason. I don''t know why I said that but one thing I was sure that


    I rted us with that. I was that rose and he was that thorn who was protecting me. I imagined my face


    in a naughty look in my mind.


    "Can I ask you something?" after some minutes.


    "mmhmm..."


    "Now that I go out with you that means you epted my apologies?"


    "Only half." He said.


    "But you said if I go out with you''ll ept my apology." I made him remember that.


    "First of all, it''s not out. It''s a date for god''s sake! Can''t you see that dinner under the moonlight,


    candles lit everywhere, Rose petals, watching your favorite movies?"


    I was totally surprised after hearing what he just said. I''m a little thought about that at first but I thought


    I was kidding my mind. I told myself to keep my hope down in case it wasn''t a date.


    "This is a date!" I eximed.


    "Yes, it is."


    "So do you love me?" I asked.


    I don''t know why I asked that but that question was in my mind around 24/7. I know I was going to


    regret that but he didn''t say or look away from the movie screen that we were watching. I couldn''t say


    correctly that he was watching a movie or thinking about what he has to say.


    He clears his throat. "Anu, look," I turned my face to look at his blue eyes. "We have to take things


    slow. I can''t say that I love you... yet. But I can say I... like you. We better wait and watch how this story


    ends." He grinned. And then he kissed me on my forehead. I closed my eyes as I was feeling his lips


    on my forehead. "My first kiss," I whispered in my mind until I realized that wasn''t my imagination that


    was real.


    "No this wasn''t your first." He said.


    I was ashamed why he said that. This is my first kiss. I''d never kissed anyone before not even in my


    dreams, I shouted.


    "I never kissed anyone before. I swear." I promised him with my hands on my throat.


    "This wasn''t the first time that we kissed. I''ve already kissed you before. Remember? The swimming


    pool? CPR? Once after you breathed I took you to our room and you were unconscious. I put you on


    our bed and when I reached for the charger on the other side of the bed from leaning beside you... I


    lost my grip and fell into you. And my lips... touched... yours... by mistake."


    "So you stole my first kiss when I was lying unconscious in my bed?"


    "I''m so sorry. It was unexpected!" he protested.


    "But still that was my first kiss." I lowered my voice. Suddenly I remembered what he said to Jo the


    other day in the face time with my family back in India. "So you weren''t pretending or lying about my


    first kiss when we were on the video call." He nodded.


    "I never thought that my first kiss would be like that."


    When we got back to our house it was already half past midnight. Krishna was waiting for us in the


    front yard. And I saw Arjun''s face got red like he was about to burst into pieces. He was just a brother


    and a friend and why was he acting like this, I thought.


    ARJUN SMITH


    When we got back to our house from the first date, we were weed by Krishna who was sitting in


    the front yard reading some kind of motivational book, I guess, he saw us and weed us with a


    huge grin on his face.


    Anushiya went into the house without any other word as usual. I tucked my fingers into my pant


    pockets and started walking towards Krishna who was still grinning and encouraging me to sit with him.


    I thought that for a moment, sitting down on the grass with this expensive suit. Then with the snap of


    the time, he grabbed my arms and shoved me next to him.


    "Oo-Woah" I groaned to hide my heartbeat rising.

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40


    ANUSHIYA SMITH


    The next day, while lying on the bed too tired to wake up, this is why I don''t go tote night parties


    instead I just binge and read books. When I open my eyes I noticed a pair of eyes watching me. I


    jerked and tried to sit straight-Arjun. "Are you okay?" he said.


    How can I? He just scared me. But I lied as usual like this is me. "Yes."


    "Sorry, I didn''t mean to disturb you. I heard you sleep talking, are you alright?" he said.


    "What? Me? Sleep talking? No way. Or might be, amma once told meck of sleep causes sleep


    talking or because of nightmares.


    "Sorry," I said embarrassed.


    "Please, don''t." he said. "Even I snore." He said as heughs to make me less embarrasses. Well


    guess what, that works. I didn''t know this side of Arjun before. This is his perfect gentleman side.


    "Thanks," I smiled.


    "For what?" he asked.


    "For my wonderful, first date. I never imagined my first date would be this amazing. I''ve no words to


    express it."


    "Pleasures all mine." He smiled.


    I smiled and when I was about to hopped out of the bed, he grabbed my wrist. "Anu," he whispered.


    I jerked in a pause as the sensation of his warm skin in mine. I didn''t respond but listens, turned around


    to meet his gaze as he locked in mine. DAMN, his blue eyes, pale skin, messy hair, just kill me and my


    ghost.


    He leans in until his nose touched mine. I thought he was going to kiss me, so I closed my eyes, tight,


    but instead he took a u-turn to my ears, and "Anu I wanna show you something, now." he whispered in


    my ear as his lips brushed my ears and I went "o-wo-o" of that sensation.


    He didn''t lean back when I was talking so my voice broke when I speak. "S-U-RRRR-EEE"


    Heughed for my broken voice and lean back and that''s when I noticed himughing really hard, his


    eyes wrinkled and showing his white tooth. I never saw himugh outugh like this.


    I let out a nervous chuckle to match hisugh.


    "Come on, follow me," he said as hopping out of the bed, still holding my hand and waiting for me.


    "Now?" I asked, surprised.


    He nodded, "YES,"


    "In this dress?" I asked again, I was in my PJ''s not only that, my hair was messy after ack of sleep,


    still didn''t even wash my face.


    He nodded, again in a yes.


    Okay, this time I was totally confused.


    With a blink of second he just dragged me from our bedroom; I was following him upstairs and he stood


    in front a well designed big white door which was locked. And I realized that I remember asking Adam


    why this door only has a digital lock, when he tours this house on my first day here. He''d said this room


    is for his uncle, Arjun''s. And no one ever saw what is inside. He tried to sneak inside many times but


    that room was locked with Arjun''s eye scanner and his finger print. And I have no idea why he got me


    here.


    He did some unlocking process, scanning his thumb and eyes. Once the door was unlocked with a


    thud sound, he turned to me with a happy smile which shows he was eagerly waiting for me to show


    what''s inside. I smiled back at him.


    We entered the room still him grabbing my hand, I feltfortable him holding me. The room was dark


    no lights inside, smell of varnish fills the air. I wonder what he wants to show me.


    He left my hand as he touches my shoulder as if he just told me to ''wait I''ll hold you back in a second.''


    He walked across the room. When he switched on the lights, my eyes go wide.


    "Wow" I muttered, that''s the word I find it to express it.


    He smiled, turning his head at me, then gestured his hands toe forward.


    At first I thought it was a smell of varnish, I was right and it was not only varnish but also colors, paints,


    there were paints everywhere on the floor and it stinks. There was lots of canvasses hanging on the


    wall but those were closed by a white silky clothe. He merged his fingers in mine and locked it, and


    directs me to follow him.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Once we both stood an inch away from the canvas holding by the drawing stand which I used to watch


    on the movies, closed with a silky white clothe on the top. All of his painting were closed with clothe.


    Why? He doesn''t want to see them and admire them? Proud of them? Or he just don''t?


    "You like to paint!" That''s not what I wanted to say but my words slipped the tongue anyway. "Why you


    cover all the paints on the wall?" I asked him, confused. He should be proud to showcase it.


    "Nah, those are just canvasses. Nothing more, I wanna show you an epic piece I''ve been doing ever


    since." He said turning to meet my gaze. "I hope you''ll like it," he said finally, and loosens his grip from


    my arms and went stand near the stand.


    He told me to close my eyes as I closed with both my hands like a child, heughs for that. "Now," he


    whispers.


    I opened my eyes in a most dramatic way and found a girl in front of me. She''s waving her wine color


    maxi dress which shows her bare back, it shows her curve, free dark hair, high heels, no lipstick and no


    makeup, just the natural beauty, "she''s beautiful." I said as I took a step toward the canvas.


    "She is,"


    And that''s when I saw she is blind, "Is she blind?" and I corrected myself. "She has no eyes? Wait...


    you''re kidding me. This is me! You paint me! How? Why?" I was totally surprised didn''t know what''s


    happening inside me.


    "No she''s not blind and I took you here so that I can finish my masterpiece. Yes, I hope my skill is not


    that bad. I thought you''d guess this the second you see. But thanks," he was hurt.


    "I guessed, and then I thought what if not. So I outnumbered me. I''m sorry. Tell me what I need to do?"


    I said.


    He put his arms around my waist and pulled me into him. His grip was tighten around me as I smelled


    his scent, somebination of paint, chocte and sweat, sweet I''d thought. "Look at me-my eyes."


    he says as I obeyed him. "Yeah just like that."


    He didn''t let me go as he painted my eyes. Once he finished painting my eyes, he kissed my forehead


    and said, "Gorgeous." I blinked and blushed at the same time. He gave the same colour of my eyes,


    ck and some shades of brown.


    "You know why I left the eye behind?" I shook my head. "Because I wanted to know how you feel for


    Me." he said cupping my face.


    "How I feel for you?" I teased him.


    "From what I hear from your eyes, you''re an angry bird not directly but you show that while feeding


    me." I thought about that spicy food revenge and chuckled. "You''re caring, sweet, friendly," each word


    he says I was nodding like a child nodding for a teddy. "Talkative, jealous, loving," He paused and I


    jerked my head into a stop. Then he lean in like he did before half an hour in our room, nose to nose,


    I''m probably feeling his breath in me. "You love me, don''t you?" I shy nodded at him, blushed.


    "Yes, I Loove you..." I shouted. Pulling my back, this time.


    "I know." He said feeling pleased.


    I feel happy. What happened in the morning was unbelievable and lightly imaginable. I never thought


    though, him dragging me to his secret room that he never showed to anyone, and that made me feel


    special. I felt special for someone''s life for the first time and important too.


    While talking to Alice about the weather in the kitchen I heard my phone ringing from the dining table. I


    hopped out of the counter and flew towards the table and looked up on the screen. The same number


    I''ve been gettingtely. I told myself that I''m going to ignore that.


    When I was about to put my phone back on the table a voice behind me said, "ept the call." A


    whisper near my ear.


    I turned around and found _?


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