The Forgotten Princess and Her Beast

15. It's Drithi, not Riya?

Abhimaan

As we climbed down the stairs after our little talk about those bastards, I saw Drithi running in holding a plate filled with flower petals in her hand. She missed a step and was about to fall but I was quick to react and held her by her waist while the other hand held the plate preventing it from falling. 

She looked up at me with those beautiful almond eyes making my heart skip a beat. Our breaths mixed due to the proximity while my eyes held hers in an intense eye lock. Everything else faded from my mind and vision when I felt her petite body in my arms.

"You idiot!" Riya's yell broke our trance and I made her stand properly before we both turned to look at Riya who was glaring at a girl. That little girl was shivering in fear with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Why are you yelling at her, Riya?" Drithi asked annoyed while wiping the tears off that little girl's face.

"She broke my branded perfume bottle! Do you want me to kiss her for the deed she did?" Riya yelled at Drithi. She got up from the ground holding the little girl's hand.

"Why did she come to your room?" I asked Riya whose entire demeanor changed after looking at me standing there. She put on a fake smile and came to me with a pout. I moved to a side before she could hug me and Drithi smiled looking at me escaping her.

"I asked her to clean my room and she broke my perfume bottle," Riya complained making me angry. Why would she ask a little girl to clean her room? Doesn't she have enough servants to do that job?

"What? Did you ask a kid to clean your room? Don't you have any sense, Riya?" Drithi exasperated shaking her head. She crouched down to the level of that little girl while Riya was glaring at both of them.

"Beta you go to your mumma, I will handle it okay?" Drithi asked the child in a calm tone and the kid nodded her head before running away.

"Why are you yelling at that poor child for your mistake?" Drithi asked Riya once the child was out of sight. Riya huffed annoyed and walked away without saying anything, stomping her feet.

"One day I will send this idiot to jail under the child labor act," Drithi huffed annoyed blowing away the strand of hair that fell on her face making me chuckle and walked away.

"Abhi, Uncle is calling you. He wants you to meet someone," Rohan said coming to me and dragging me out without giving me any chance to react. 

Once we were out, we saw Drithi running into the arms of her bua who arrived just now. They both shared a long hug. Her bua wiped off her tears and kissed her forehead. Her bua walked in with Drithi without acknowledging anyone else while her husband met the other family members along with his daughter and son. 

We all walked in and settled down in the living room but my phone went off and I excused myself to attend the call. I was standing in the corridor yelling at my PA for not being able to handle a small project in my absence when the same rose and sandal smell hit my nostrils making me turn back. There she was holding a platter full of sweets walking towards her room. My feet moved in her direction without my knowledge.

"Abhimaan?" Her surprise-filled voice reached my ears, but what made my heart skip a beat was the way my name rolled out of her tongue. My name never sounded so sweet before this. It was like I was named only to be called by her. My daze broke when she waved her hands in front of my face asking me where I was lost.

"Um... did you say something?" I asked, embarrassed for being distracted by just the way she took my name. 

This girl will surely be the death of mine!

"I was asking if you need something? You seemed tense," Her concern made something twist in my stomach. What's wrong with this girl? No, actually what's wrong with me? She just asked a general question and I am feeling over the moon.

"I am fine, just some business-related issues," I answered and she nodded still unsure. 

"Sweet?" She forwarded the platter filled with different sweets towards me and I picked a random sweet looking at her. She flashed me a smile and walked in after muttering a 'bye' in a low tone.

I started walking away munching on the sweet I just took from her when I bumped into someone. Oh, my overdramatic best friend. He gave me a weird look and rubbed his eyes before looking at me and my hand alternatively. What's wrong with him?

"Are you alright?" He asked and tried to touch my forehead making me annoyed. I pushed his hand away and glared at him.

"What? Why are you glaring like that? If I see my best friend who hates sweets eating one, shouldn't I be shocked?" He exclaimed dramatically and that's when I realized I hated sweets and never ate them but why couldn't I say no when she asked me to take one? Why am I eating this?

I looked at the sweet in my hand and for a second the thought of throwing it away crossed my mind but thinking of the smile on her face when she offered me this made me change my mind and eat it.

"I think you should cancel the plans of getting married to Riya," Rohan said after thinking for a few seconds. I gave him a 'why is that' look at which he huffed slapping his forehead.

"Why are you so dumb? You are falling for Drithi! Why do you want to be in a loveless marriage with someone who's after your money when you can court the girl whom you like?" He asked irritated and I couldn't believe my ears for a second. Did he just say I am falling for Drithi? Am I?

"There is nothing like that, and I am marrying Riya because Papa wants me to marry her, but I am not sure about it anymore," I reasoned and he dragged me to my room and locked the doors before turning to me.

"About falling for Drithi, you will realize it soon but coming to Riya's matter, why is there to think you idiot? It is obvious from his behavior. He didn't even look at her since I came here," He exclaimed forcing me to think. Even I didn't see Papa being interested in interacting with Riya from the day we came here. He was either busy with his friends or spending time with Drithi. Did I misunderstand his wish?

"But I heard him saying to Ramu Kaka that he wants me to marry Ankush Uncle's daughter, the princess of Devgarh!" I exclaimed, unsure.

"Exactly, your father said he wants you to marry the daughter of Ankush uncle, the princess of Devgarh but Riya is not the only princess of Devgarh, Abhi. Ankush uncle has two daughters. And I hope by now you figured out which daughter does your father likes." He completed leaving me in a state of confusion. Did I take it all wrong? Did Papa want me to marry Drithi, not Riya?

"You mean to say I misunderstood everything?" I found myself asking to which he nodded vigorously.

"Then why didn't Papa say anything when I put forth the proposal of marrying Riya?" I asked again. He was quite okay with it when I expressed my wish to marry Riya.

"Because he wanted you to be happy. And when you said you want to marry Riya he might have thought that you were in love with her and accepted the alliance. " He explained. How can I be such a fool in matters of relations? I can handle companies in 10 countries but failed to understand what the people around me want. How can I be so stupid to assume things?

"What should I do now?" I am genuinely confused. Can I just break the alliance? But it may have a bad impact on the friendship between Papa and Ankush uncle. What if they forbid us to meet Drithi? Will Papa and Shubh be able to bear that? Can I live without meeting her? 

I should increase the pace of my planning. I have to break this alliance in a way that would not leave a scar on their friendship but would also give me a chance to court Drithi. For that, I need to dig the history of Riya.