Birds of a Feather

Chapter 32: Pawn

Arnav gritted his teeth, the point still raking him to pieces. "Yeah... But the restaurant was taking time to pick up, and he took that as a bad sign. So the minute someone offered him a good deal, he took it. And if I resisted, then the value of myfifty percent would drop... so we sold it."

A sad smile spread across Ryan's face, and he patted Arnav's shoulder in sympathy. "I'm really sorry man... I know that restaurant meant everything to you."

Arnav nodded, grateful.

"So is that why you are here? Back to your father's company?" Ryan asked. He wanted every last detail, it seemed.

"Kind of," Arnav muttered, walking to the windows and gazing out into the perfect afternoon.

Ryan hesitated before asking the next question. "And... Myra? Where is she?"

"No clue."

He snorted. "Of course you know. This is Myra – you literally breathe for this woman."

Arnav's hands curled into fists, the mention of his girlfriend bringing back her taunting words.

You destroyed your career, you destroyed your restaurant and now you are destroying your father's company... what do you even have left? With your track record, forget me, you aren't worthy of any girl Arnav Singh Raizada. You were, are and will always be a disappointment.

Almost three weeks had passed since he saw her last, and yet, every inch of her face was seared on to his eyes. He couldn't and wouldn't forget her, because she was a living reminder of everything he had screwed up.

"Arnav?" Ryan called. "You're seriously freaking me out... what happened?"

Arnav turned away from the window and strode back to his desk. "Nothing happened Ryan. We broke up. And I am marrying Khushi."

"I figured that. What I'm asking is why?"

"Because apparently I run away when things get difficult, because I am immature, impulsive and selfish. Because her parents want marriage and she, stability and my parents, this business. I can go on and on... I'm not really sure what you want to hear."

If Ryan was shocked with that, he didn't let it show. Sitting across the mahogany desk, he asked quite calmly, "Why don't you start from the beginning?"

Arnav rolled his eyes. "I don't need therapy."

"I don't plan on giving it to you... I am just trying to understand. Last I checked, both of you were happy. You finally got your restaurant, she got that promotion... and you were even living together! Something that deep doesn't just fall apart in one day."

"Well it did for me," he muttered desolately. "My restaurant shut down... I was struggling with what to do, and one fine day, Myra decided that she can't put up with me any longer. That apparently I haven't been giving her the commitment she deserved–"

"You mean marriage?"

"Apparently. As if I was some playboy who just wanted to sleep with her! If I didn't value her, why would I stay with her for six years? Why would I ask her to move in with me? And why would I introduce her to my family?"

Ryan sighed. "Did you tell her that? Explaining yourself to me is not the solution."

"Of course I told her! But it didn't matter... she walked out anyway, my father had a stroke and–"

"What?!" Ryan exclaimed, sitting up in his chair. "Uncle had a stroke?!"

"Relax, he is fine. He is getting some movement back in his arm–"