The Desperate Kingdom of Love**COMPLETE**

Chapter 18 - Stealing Chances

He finally asked - " what is it ?? why are you standing here?"

He heard a curt reply - " well, your sister was kind enough to request me to exchange seats,she knew it was making you uncomfortable..."

Arnav looked back at Zoya, and she smiled at him gesturing to come back to sit next to her , and he asked - " you agreed?"

He heard another curt reply - " Like i mentioned, she was kind enough to request...now if you will excuse me.."

Arnav immediately shot up from his seat and started to make his way back , but before that he muttered in a cold tone -

" thanks.."

He saw him acknowledge it with a nod, as he sat in the seat.Arnav walked and sat next to Zoya, and he said - " so he told me that you were kind enough to request him to change seats"

Zoya smiled - " yeah bhai, and you know what he agreed in an instant..."

Arnav - " yeah whatever, but Zoya, thats i hope the first time and the last time, that i will have you speaking to him?"

Zoya - " what? it was just a sentence, oh bhai, cmon..."

Arnav - " yeah, you heard me, dont want you speaking to him, even if its through or in reference , of that best friends of your's, you get it?"

He saw her nod as she said - " yeah, i get it...".

Zoya felt her insides churn, how was she going to get the situation to improve.Maybe it never would.She put her phone on flight mode,and then started to listen to the music on her phone, and then closed her eyes,and she decided to get some sleep, which she knew would calm her nerves.

........

The Trident - Nariman Point - 5 30 PM

Asad stole another look at Zoya. who was sitting at the round table, two tables in front of him, with her brother,and few others associates from AR. Ever since, Noon, she had barely even looked at him, even at lunch, she had avoided meeting his eye, and for obvious reasons, Arnav was around her, all the time, but he didn't know why he felt that something was bothering her,and as much as he hated this pretending to be strangers arrangement, he knew there was nothing he could do about it,and so he just texted, her there were still 30 minutes, until the conference finished,and the speaker at the stage, wasn't of much interest to him.

"Zoya, whats wrong?? you'v barely looked at me all day..."

He got a quick reply -

"Yeah, i know, but what can i do, bhai is around..."

"yeah, but he wasn't looking all the time, is something on your mind...Zoya?"

"no Asad, its not that, its just that its weird, you know its the first time, you , me and bhai are in the same venue, I'm just nervous, don't want to give myself away..."

"oh cmon, Zoya, the woman i love, isn't scared of anyone..."

"Yeah, im not, but right now i cant help but think of how much im hurting him, already..."

He felt her words had just whipped him,as he typed -

"Hurt him, by being with me? Is that what you mean?"

"Yes, and No, Asad, dont take me wrong, ill explain, when we talk..."

he hadn't felt angry with Zoya in a long time, but right now, he felt angry, and so he wrote - " yeah, i dont see that happening, anytime soon,you know what, why dont you go back to enjoying your family time..."