🦋
Rudra perceived Aadya under his blank gaze. She was looking here and there anxiously as if worried about something.
They were sitting in a restaurant with Rudra on one side of the table and aadya on the other.
“Is something bothering you," Rudra finally asked, seeing how anxious she was.
Aadya looked at him. His eyes were set on her like a hawk. She gulped and shook her head with,“No.”
“Are you sure,” Rudra raised a brow and aadya sighed, finally answering him,“We should not be here, in a restaurant together. We don't even know each other. It's not right,” she said with a straight face.
“Why ? Are you afraid of getting caught by your Abhi,” Rudra taunted, taking the name Abhi with extra sweetness.
He did not want to admit it but since the day he had heard her calling Abhimanyu with such a sweet name he was burning in an unwanted jealousy.
“Yes,” Aadya deadpanned.
“Abhimanyu will not like it if he sees me with you," she said, again with deep seriousness.
“But you just did a project for me… for us,” Rudra said, his eyes turning somewhat cunning as put forward what can hurt Abhimanyu a little more.
Aadya's lips twisted at the way he said those words nonetheless she nodded,“Yes but I didn't do it for myself. It was for the welfare programme. Mr. Digvijay's presence will be really good for the children's programme so I did it without much thinking,” Aadya said.
“What will you do when he sees your pictures in our project's brand? Then he will know everything,” Rudra said, expecting nothing but speechlessness from her, however what her reply came ignited his burning jealousy more.
“He will get angry with me. Maybe he will fight with me but he loves me to bits and pieces and he can't be angry with me for long hours. He can't live without me and I can't without him. Whenever we have a fight we make sure to resolve our every fight or misunderstanding before getting to the bed,” Aadya smiled, speaking about her Abhimanyu.
She loves talking about him after all he is the only family left for her.
Rudra's hands clenched into a hard fist under the table. His jaws set tight and he glared at Aadya who was smiling remembering Abhimanyu.
He just wanted to make her stop thinking about that fucker Abhimanyu.
She should only think about us.. only us. His insides snarled.
Exactly! Rudra gritted out for the first time agreeing with that voice inside of him.
Out of his sheer jealousy and rising attraction in his heart for her he was about to say something irrational however at the right moment the waiter came bringing their order.
“Ma'am your Masala Dosa just like you demanded and sir your black coffee,” the waiter said.
Rudra blinked, not understanding what happened to him a few moments ago. He was getting angry at Aadya for thinking about Abhimanyu.
He was about to tell her to only think about him and his friends in his sheer jealousy!
Rudra was clearly not understanding what this girl was doing to him.
“It's really nice. I didn't know this restaurant serves such great masala Dosa,” he came back from his thoughts with her sweet voice.
She was smiling while enjoying the Masala Dosa.
By the way she was eating her food it was clear to him that she was a big foodie. Her eyes were shining with the sight of the food.
He smirked at that before taking a sip of his coffee.
“You really like Abhimanyu a lot don't you ?” he asked, not able to control himself from asking her this.
“Like ? No, I love Abhimanyu,” Aadya exclaimed with pure happiness. She really loves talking about Abhimanyu. She can speak about him for hours.
“After my parents I have only loved him. He also loves me a lot. We can't spend a day without each other. He is like my other half. I love him so much,” Aadya gushed her heart filled with joy only by the mention of Abhimanyu.
“I really think we both are enough for each other. I mean we don't want…” Aadya stopped herself when she realized she was ranting by now.
Turning her eyes down to her plate she focused her attention to her food before again looking at him from beneath her lashes,“I am sorry,” she whispered, embarrassed.
However when he looked deep into his eyes she registered how his dark eyes had darkened more. The atmosphere around them was shifting to something dark, hazy and silent.
In between the evolving atmosphere they sat there gazing at each other. Rudra felt the poking needles of her loving words for Abhimanyu in his heart and Aadya was trying to understand what made him turn so silent.
“Abhimanyu is not a good man. He can't be loyal in any kind of relationship,” Rudra said, his voice thundering like the dark black clouds to her ears.
His posture was straight so was his eyes, not wavering a bit from her face as her face twisted in a frown than a big disagreement.
“No. You are wrong,”Aadya deadpanned. “I know you have a feud with Abhimanyu. But that doesn't mean that you will speak rubbish about him. The Abhimanyu whom I know can never be disloyal to anyone,” her voice was clear as she said, looking dead in his eyes.
Rudra's lips stretched into a smirk,“It looks like we both know two different Abhimanyu,” he said.
“It looks like you don't know Abhimanyu at all,” Aadya said before cleaning her hand and calling the waiter for the bill.
“Only 7 hundred rupees madam,” the waiter passed the bill. Aadya bit her lips as far as she remembers she only had four hundred rupees with her at that moment.
Opening her handbag she looked for some extra money,“Here,” she heard Rudra saying. When she looked up she found him paying the waiter with a black card. “Hey don't pay for my food I am paying for it,” she said, again searching for some more money in her bag.
“You don't have to. I am the man here, it's my job to pay the bill,” Rudra said, not bothering at all.
Aadya's lips stretched in a thin line at his words. She shook her head before snatching the black card from the waiter and giving him four hundred rupees.
“It's not the man's job to pay the bill. Whoever eats the food pays for it. We both enjoyed the food here so we will both pay for it. I ate more so I will pay more" she said, sliding the black card across the table to him.
Rudra narrowed his eyes on her. She was exactly like the girl he despises the most..the follower of a fake feminism.
His lips twisted in a slight disgust. Digvijay was right. It's only the urge to fuck her because even in his worst dreams Rudra could not think of falling for this kind of girl.
“Mr. Pratap I had paid the half bill now you have to pay the rest,” Aadya said, bringing him out of his thoughts.
Rudra didn't say anything. Taking the money out of the waiter's hand he pushed it in Aadya's hand.
“I am not carrying cash with me at the moment,” he simply said, paying the whole bill with his black card at the end. “Let's go. I will drop you home,” he said, getting up from his chair.
“But…”
Aadya looked at him with her mouth parted wide as without hearing her he walked out of the restaurant arrogantly.
Coming out of the restaurant she found him waiting for her outside his car. Seeing her coming out of the restaurant he was about to enter the car when she stopped him by grabbing his arm.
Rudra was startled for a moment when she held him so suddenly. His eyes widening in shock more as without saying a word she put the money right in the chest pocket of his blazer.
“It's my part of the bill. You paid for me so now I am paying to you,” Aadya said, putting the money in his pocket before arranging his chest pocket as fine as it was before.
Rudra blinked, his heart feeling as if it would jump out of his chest when she touched him there…right near to his erratically beating heart.
“Let's go,” Aadya said, sliding inside the car.
Rudra swallowed, not wanting to take this sudden intruding feelings so seriously but failing badly in doing so.
Taking a sharp breath he turned around and entered the car to drive her to her home.
….
There was only silence in the car. Rudra was as calm as he was trying to be while Aadya suddenly became more anxious as they got closer to her home.
“Stop right here,” Aadya said abruptly.
Rudra's brow furrowed at that and he asked,“ but we are not even near to your home,” he said, remembering Abhimanyu's home very well.
Aadya shook her head lightly and said,“It's okay I will walk from here.”
Aadya spoke normally but from inside she was afraid of getting caught with Rudra by Abhimanyu.
Though she was not doing anything wrong. Rudra was just helping her but she knew Abhimanyu will literally kill Rudra if he sees him with her.
Abhimanyu doesn't like seeing Aadya with any man. That was one of the reasons that she does not have any male friends. Plus Abhimanyu hates the triumvirate from the bottom of his heart. He had always kept Aadya away from these three men and now seeing her with one of the triumvirate will only make him burst in anger.
Working for them was one thing, it was all professional but being in a car with one of them was totally another.
“Alright,” Rudra did not ponder about her wanting him to stop here. He simply turned off the engine of the car and said.
Aadya smiled at him, thankful that he didn't ask any unnecessary questions. “Thank you Mr. Pratap for your help,” she gave him another smile before getting out of the car.
By seeing her smile only he was getting those unwanted feelings in his heart again.
“Hey Dekho Aadya didi ka boyfriend aaya hai unko chodne,” Aadya had just come out of his car when she heard that voice.
(Hey everyone look aadya's boyfriend ! He has came to drop her)
Her eyes snapped to the group of kids who were playing cricket in the colony compound.
“Woah Aadya didi ka bf toh kitna handsome hai yaar,” said another kid.
(Woah Aadya's boyfriend is damn handsome dude)
Aadya glared at them, especially at bunty who had gathered the crowd around Rudra's car, “Aadya didi yeh aapka boyfriend hai kya. Kya mast car hai iski.. bolo na inko humko bhi long drive pe leke chale. Please…,"Bunty said excitedly, making a cute face, the other kids nodded at what he said.
(Aadya sis, is he your boyfriend ? What an amazing car he has! Please tell him to take us on a long drive too. Please.. )
Aadya narrowed her eyes on the seven year old kid. She just wanted to hit him with the bat he was holding.
She took some deep breaths trying to tame her growing anger as she knew Rudra was listening to everything.
“No bunty and the gang he is not my boyfriend so stop calling him my boyfriend again and again,” she gritted out with a tight lipped smile.
She then turned to Rudra who was trying his best to curb back that smile of his at the scene unfolding in front of him.
“I am sorry Mr. Pratap they are just joking,” Aadya said feeling embarrassed by everything.
“It's okay Miss Aadya. I don't mind it at all,” Rudra waved it off with a small smile.
Aadya just nodded, still feeling awkward by everything that just happened now. “So bye,” Aadya said slowly and this time Rudra nodded,“Yes goodbye.”
With that said Rudra drew off from there without another word. From the side mirror he looked at Aadya who was now scolding the kids by holding their ears.
He chuckled, shaking his head thinking she was not like the bitch he was thinking she was.
She was different but not a bad kind of different.
…
Aadya's Pov
Today is a very big day for me and my team as today we are celebrating world food day.
Like every year we are very busy in preparation. But this year we are much more busy as we are having a special guest and I have got a lot on my plate.
It's being more difficult for us girls as we are wearing a Saree. It was Anokhi's idea that we should wear Saree today. I did not like this idea of hers at all but other girls instantly agreed with her.
I had no choice left so here I am wearing a pink silk saree. It's an old saree and special to me as it belongs to my mumma.
Genuinely speaking this light weight saree is actually making me feel more beautiful than any other outfit.
I guess that's the magic of saree. It makes you feel beautiful.
I left my long silk hair open to cascade down on my back. I am wearing two pretty gold chandbali (earrings) which again belongs to my mumma.
We have kids and their parents with us today at our hall where we organize our functions. Generally as a volunteer and worker of UNICEF we go to the small villages, slum area and poor sides of the town to aware them about child health and child poverty.
We have seen it from our own eyes.How people suffer for food.I have seen kids eating from the floor, I have seen kids searching the food inside a dustbin, I have seen toddlers begging food with their small hands. It's not only heartbreaking, it's heart wrenching. It would make you feel ashamed of yourself, that how we waste our food and this small kids are begging for food, crying for food and some of them even died of hunger.
I remembered that day when I first saw a mother and child searching for food in the dumper outside the restaurant. I was just sixteen then ,I didn't ate any food for three days. Abhimanyu begged me to eat something. I didn't speak to anyone for three days. Whenever something affects me to the core of my heart I just become blank and silent. No anger, no tears, no emotions just blank. Abhimanyu was very worried about me, whenever he would try to talk to me I would just ignore him. But when he started crying in front of me and he himself stopped eating, I told him everything.
He hugged me tight and said "Never change sweetheart. You got a heart of gold".
From that day we started serving food to poor and needy people regardless of their caste or religion. I was literally dancing out of happiness after I served food to the kids. They gave me that most beautiful smile I had ever seen. Till now I have not seen something much more beautiful than the smile on their faces. After I turned eighteen I joined UNICEF and now I can not only feed the kids but I can aware them about their health not only in my region but in every part of my country and world.
"wow.. You are finishing this like a champion," Anokhi cooed to a baby.
She is holding the baby on her lap and feeding a formula to the baby. And the baby is not fussy as she is cutely smiling at her. Anokhi is feeding the baby F-75 therapeutic milk ,it is a formula used in initial management of malnutrition. I went to them and wiped the side of baby's mouth with my Saree's edge.
Her mother smiled at me. She is from a slum nearby, she is only twenty one, same age as mine. But she is already a mother of seven months old baby girl. Her baby's name is "Aksha". When I first met her I had asked her.
"What does Aksha means ?"
"It's means "blessing" sister as she is a blessing to our life" she had answered me gazing at her piece of heart with all the love she has.
Baby Aksha was underweight for her age. But now she is healthy and looking at me with a cute smile of hers.
"I hope she is not a fussy eater?" I asked Aksha's mother.
"She is not a fussy eater but yes sometimes she throws mealtime tantrums," she answered me.
It's normal for kids to throw tantrums while eating, so I can understand her.
"Don't worry I will explain what to do in that situations to everyone of you," I told her and other parents who were sitting around us.
"Aadya are you ready ?" Mr. Mishra our team head asked me.
"Yes Sir I am ready," I answered him politely.
He had informed me yesterday that I have to welcome Mr. Digvijay and explain all the projects and programmes that we are working on to him.
Honestly I was not very much elated about it. But I explained myself that it is my job to follow my boss's instructions. So yes I will welcome him and explain him about our work.
"Well that's good," he said smiling at me.
"But I really don't want to do it" I whined as soon as he was out of hearing range.
"Ohh... Is my baby girl upset," Anokhi cooed me like I am a baby.
"No I am not upset, I just don't want to do it and I am not a kid so stop cooing at me," I protested pouting.
"well you sure behaving like a kid," she said rolling her eyes.
I stuck my tounge out at her childishly. She chuckled at my childish reaction. Baby Aksha is also giggling at me.
"what are you giggling at. Hn? " I asked her faking anger.
"Yadaaaa" she yelled cutely and start speaking in her baby language.
We laughed at her gibberish.
......
“When we look good we feel great.”
That's what Digvijay was feeling when he looked at his reflection in the mirror.
His late father had taught him to always be the best dressed man in the office. The dress it self will reflects a powerful and dominant aura.
"Remember you should never introduce yourself to others. People should know that you are superior to them, just by the way you dress, the way you look, the way you present yourself," he had told him.
Always remember you are THE KING, so be like a KING. The late King of Tirthgarh had educated his only son, Digvijay.
In a crisp black suit that means business, a button-up collared white shirt underneath it, with a subtlety added tie and with a carefully chosen dress shoe. In a Dolce & Gabbana suit he is looking better than world's any lead male model.
Digvijay knew this fact very well. He is special because he is classy. And class has aura of confidence.
He remembered, when he was younger and fuss about wearing tailored suits his mother use to quote Sophie Amoruso.
Clothing is ultimately the suit of armour in which we battle the world
Now he completely agrees with her.
He checked the time on his Chopard's Janus wrist watch. He have to reach to the child welfare programme in half an hour.
Digvijay descended the stairs.Vikram and Rudra were sitting in the living room with a beer in their hands.
They got confused when they saw Digvijay going out wearing a black dress suit. As far as they remember they don't have any business meeting today.
"Where are you heading to Vijay?"Rudra asked, placing his beer can on the glass table
"Today is the child welfare programme that I was invited into. I am going to attend it," Digvijay replied curtly.
"You are going to a child programme wearing a business suit?"Vikram asked. His eyebrows raised as he looked at him from up to down.
"Yes. What's wrong with this ?" Vijay asked gesturing to his outfit.
He was not understanding why his friends are asking dumb questions to him.
Vikram and Rudra looked at each other and shook their head.
"Vijay you know right? that it's a charity for children so children will be there," asked Rudra.
"Of course I know that."
"So why the fuck are you wearing a fucking professional suit,"Vikram exclaimed.
"Exactly, you are going to meet little kids, not to make a deal with a fucking bald old man. You know what kids are right? " Rudra asked
Before Digvijay could say anything, he continued.
"Kids are this small creatures who appears to be tiny and cute but in reality they are little devils with a cute face. They will drool on you, puke on you, even pee on you and they are fucking snotty" Rudra finished.
All three of them grimaced at his last sentence. They hate kids.
"And they wail and are full of tantrums," Vikram grimaced.
"And you are telling all this to me because...." Digvijay drawled off not getting what they were trying to tell him.
"Go and change brother. You are going to meet children so no need to look intimidating,"Vikram said in duh tone.
Digvijay finally understood and went to change his clothes.
"How do you know so much about children,"Vikram asked Rudra raising an eyebrow.
"During election campaigning, whenever I use to hold a toddler,they either puke on me or pee on me,"Rudra said remembering his worst nightmare.
"Remember, how mom use to punish me when I was fourteen."
"Yeah, you use to do babysitting as a punishment," Rudra said laughing hard.
"Man.. it was pure torture. It was our neighbour's baby I used to babysit," Vikram said shaking his head.
Digvijay entered in the living room again, now wearing a casual white shirt and black pants.
"Now, am I looking good ?"he asked his friends.
"Yes bro, just don't scare away the kids," Vikram said laughing.
"You are the one to talk?" said Vijay.
"okay... okay... Just go," he replied.
Digvijay entered in his garage, and selected a moderate car to drive to the welfare programme, as he don't want to look intimidating and snobby to the
poor people who must be present in the welfare programme. He learned this lesson few minutes back.He drived a bit faster as he has already wasted his ten minutes while talking with his friends and changing clothes.
Because of his good driving skills he reached at the venue in time. He parked the car in parking lot and came out of the car. He took a look at the posters and banners on world food day hanging outside the venue. Most of it was handmade, he was impressed with it.
He was deep in his thought as he was staring at one particular sketch. It was simple and relevant.
His chain of thought was broken by a gentle voice.
"Mr. Digvijay," it was Aadya, he recognized.
He turn around and get astonished by her beauty.
It was not the first time he was seeing her, definitely not the first time him realizing that she is pretty.
But it was definitely the first time he was seeing her in a Saree.
He had to admit it that a girl look best in Saree. Specially her.
She was looking just like a meaning of her name.
"A Goddess"
"Mr. Digvijay. Thank you so much for coming," Aadya said smiling.
He just nodded his head as he was still admiring her beauty.
"Let's go inside everyone is waiting for you," she said.
As they entered Digvijay saw the atmosphere of the venue was very cheerful.
Mr. Mishra came to greet him. He introduced every volunteer and worker to Digvijay.
Digvijay gave a curt nod to them. Aadya was with him all the time.
"Would you like to meet the children and their parents?" asked aadya pointing towards where the children were. She was accepting a negative reply from him but in contrast he answered affirmatively.
He met every child and their parents. He even questioned them about their child's health, their medical condition, and are they suffering from any disease. Is this organization was actually helping them or not.
He was interacting with the parents, with no pretension. He was genuinely interested in the conversation. Though it was not visible on his face but the way he was speaking, asking questions after questions it was showing that he really wanted to know them better.
Aadya could see that he was truly a King. A king who is interacting with his people to know them and try to understand the hardships they face.
Yes he was not here as a King and these people were not his own people but the way he was interacting with them was clearly showing that he cares about everyone. Just like a True King.
Aadya shivered at the thought. The royal blood running in his blood oozes the aura of dominance and power but of wisdom and justify as well.
There was no judgement, contempt disdain or disgust in his voice. The people present their admire it.
The poor people have met those kind of celebrity who would say they are donating money but they would not even stand in same place as them. They were happy that Digvijay was not treating them like a dirt.
As he was speaking about health of a child with the child's father. The baby who was happily chewing a slice of an apple offered him one slice to eat.
Everyone's eyes were at him to see how will he react. He would be a cruel to deny her as she was smiling so cutely at him.
Digvijay gently held baby's tiny hands and ate the slice she was offering him. Everyone awed at the sweet gesture of his. He is not that cruel to hurt a child's feelings. The baby happily clapped her tiny hands.
She was the happiest now.
His kind gesture melted Aadya's heart and she found herself staring at the emotionless king with a soft smile on her face.
"Aadya sister you were saying that you will explain us how to deal with kids meal tantrums," said Aksha's mother, breaking aadya's chain of thought.
"Oh yes.. Yes please all parents and guardians pay attention," Aadya said, somewhat embarrassed.
Was she staring at the aloof king ?
"Feeding baby is not about putting food in their mouth it's about them learning to eat. It's about positive interaction between a parents and babies..." Aadya started explaining.
Digvijay's eyes were fixed on her as she explained everything to the people. He was watching how she was making hand gestures while explaining things, how her eyes were shining like a star when everyone was listening to her with their full attention. How there was a constant smile on her lips even when she was talking about something very complicated.
She was looking ethereal like an angel while doing her work. For the first time Digvijay felt something tugging his heartstrings. It was her... Aadya Kumar.
On the other hand, Aadya was impressed with Digvijay. He was a kind of man who not only speaks but listen too. She liked this side of him. He was not like what she was thinking.
He was something else, something better.
Only if she knew his another side.
Digvijay had a conversation with Mr.Mishra and donated a huge sum of money.
It was not disclosed that how much amount he was donating. But everybody knew it was undoubtedly the biggest donation they ever got.
At the end, he even participated in seed planting programme.
Aadya noticed when he was planting a sapling the girls who were volunteering him were literally drooling over him. Well no one can blame them. He was pleasant to the eyes.
However he was so immersed in his work he didn't notice the attention he was getting.
Aadya smiled with her eyes fixed on him. She was so wrong to judge him so quickly.
Suddenly Digvijay looked at her, she felt her cheeks getting warm as he caught her staring at him. They looked into each other eyes.
Aadya admiring his dedication, his work ethics.
While digvijay thinking how easy is to play her.
.....