Akshara awoke the next morning, not to the sound of her alarm clock but to the sound of her phone blowing up with notifications from all her social media apps, WhatsApp, Instagram, texts, and even the rustic Facebook.
What the hell? She thought, as she groggily opened the WhatsApp notifications to see people —acquaintances that she'd barely even talked to in the last 5-6 years messaging her 'good morning', 'how are you?', 'so what's new with you?' Weird,
Amidst all the messages, she came across a video or rather videos of her and Abhimanyu from their first official 'date'.
She opened the first video to see it was shot inside the restaurant by one of the patrons or staff of Panache titled 'Infamous Cardiac surgeon on a date??!!!' All that was missing were a few wide open mouthed shocked emojis to convey the emotions. The video showed Abhimanyu and Akshara smiling at each other, lost in their own little world as they held hands.
In the short clip, it did look like they were staring at each other with love and admiration. Even though the reality had been far from.
Just as she had finished watching that short clip, another video popped up, titled 'Abhimanyu Birla's mystery girl?' The video was of him dropping her to her car after dinner and the little cheek kiss they had shared.
Her cheeks inflamed as she watched herself kiss Abhimanyu on the cheek. An act so personal and intimate that now was a 30 second viral clip on the internet for everyone to view.
Immediately, without any further thought her fingers searched up Abhimanyu's number saved on her phone and pressed 'call'. She needed to talk to him. She needed to hear his voice.
Ring, ring, ring...her patience waned out the longer the phone rang without hearing an answer from his end. The phone kept ringing and just as she thought the call would go to voicemail, she heard his voice. Finally. After what seemed like a million years!
"What?" A husky growl greeted her from the other end of the line. His voice very tired, much like she had disturbed him from a deep slumber.
And suddenly all thought flew out the window as she pictured him laying in bed, in probably nothing but his shorts. Now she was curious as to what he wore to bed. No Akshara, stop! Where are your manners? But further more, she couldn't remember why she'd called him in the first place.
"Someone leaked our clips on the internet and now we're going viral!" The words came out more high pitched than she would've liked.
No response.
"Abhimanyu!" Akshara cried out.
All she heard was soft snores on the other end of the line. What the hell? How could he be sleeping whilst she was out there, freaking out?
Akshara's brows furrowed. "Abhimanyu! Someone made not one but two! Two videos of us from last night! And posted it online!" She screamed frantically.
"Okay." He replied simply, closing his eyes again, drowsing of to sleep.
"Okay? Okay?!" Her heart was palpitating. How could he remain so calm when she was feeling violated of sorts.
"Yeah, okay. Videos of the date are circulating online. So?" She heard a loud yawn over the phone.
How could he be so calm while she was freaking out? Did he not care at all?!
"So? That was such a personal and intimate of ours! I don't even know we were being recorded!"
Abhimanyu was not the least bit concerned. "Not a nice feeling is it when your personal and vulnerable moments become breaking news?" He taunted, drowsily, reminding her of the video of his she'd watched.
Ashamed. That's how she was feeling of her earlier behaviour. He was right. Now she was beginning to understand how Abhimanyu would have felt under public scrutiny.
"But...," she began to argue.
"And isn't the videos circulating the socials exactly what we needed? Isn't it exactly what you're being paid for? Remember the contract? We were acting for the people remember? It's not like we're actually in love with each other." He explained.
Oh right. The contract. The fake girlfriend-boyfriend experience. That. Of course she remembered!
But still, why did those videos of their private moments being leaked bother her so much? Especially if that was exactly what she was being paid to do?
But that was the point right? The point was to be seen by the general public, get noticed. To show Birla shareholders and board for directors that Abhimanyu Birla was a change man?
"Hello?" Abhimanyu sat up in his bed, wanting to hear Akshara's voice.
"Akshara? You there?" He spoke into the phone again, getting a bit concerned.
Concerned? Abhimanyu Birla never got concerned. Not for him. Or anyone else. Only his patients.
But he also knew how big of a culture shock the videos might have been for her. They had been a rude awakening for him too when he first become headline news on various paparazzi websites.
But he got used to it. Akshara would get used to it too. She knew what she was getting herself in to.
"Akshara?" He tried again, softly this time.
10...9...8...7...6...5...he sounded down the seconds, waiting for her reply.
Akshara's grasp on her phone tightened as she tried to come out of her mindless oblivion. She couldn't be having thoughts of privacy especially when she herself signed those rights away when she decided to willingly enter into The Marriage Contract with him.
"Yes. Sorry. Of course. This is exactly what we wanted. I don't know why I freaked out. Sorry for disturbing your sleep." She replied, her voice mellow and soft with her reality.
And without as much as a goodbye; Akshara disconnected the phone call. She then put her phone on silent and hoped it would stop chiming.
Only it didn't. Instead her phone got knocked off her nightstand by the constant set of vibrations. Great. Just freaking great.
Such a weird girl, Abhimanyu thought, as the line went dead.
He flung his phone onto the night table and plopped back into bed, his back hitting the mattress as he let sleep engulf him once again.
~*~
Akshara tried to fall back asleep, especially since she wasn't working at the restaurant anymore and even her visits to the community center had to be limited. According to Richa, Akshara had to lay low, so people got curious about her, wanting to know more about Abhimanyu Birla's mystery girl.
And honestly, she had to hand it to Richa. It was working. Thus far, none of the social media sites had been able to name her. So far, to them, she was just his mystery girl.
A girl that Abhimanyu Birla was not afraid to be seen in public with. A girl that was not his dirty secret. Oh, the irony.
All she had to do now was stay home, and wait. Wait for Richa to call her and inform her when and where her next date with Abhimanyu would be.
Another date which would end up going viral. A tinge of disgust and hurt pricked her heart knowing nothing about her life would be private anymore. None of her and Abhimanyu's moments would be private.
But why would you want them to be Akshara? It's not like you even like that guy. He's just a rude, arrogant, sarcastic, playboy. He's just a job.
A knock was heard on her door. She turned around to look at her clock reading 12:35pm.
She dragged herself out of her bed and opened the door without checking who was on the other side.
"Ronak." Her voice was sharp, uninterested.
"So you went out on a date with the most renowned playboy, Birla?" He asked curiously.
The creepiness of the way he was running his eyes up and down her entire body sent shivers of disgust down her spine. Suddenly, even the full length pajamas she was wearing didn't seem enough.
"What are you talking about?" She stuttered, trying to remain as calm as possible.
"Oh, I've seen the videos alright." He replied, his tone teasing, making her uncomfortable.
"What do you want?" She asked, staring directly at Ronak, trying to brave out the entire conversation.
"Nothing. It's just...funny how you won't go out on a date with me but yet you'll go out on a date with the city's biggest playboy? Is his dic—"
"Goodbye Ronak, I have work to do." She snapped and shut the door on his face.
She turned around and held a hand to her chest, trying to calm her pounding heart.
No, no, no, this wasn't good. This wasn't good at all.
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I hope you like this chapter! Their date number two is pending. What do you think it'll be?!
And will Ronak cause problems for Abhimanyu and Akshara in the future?
What do you think?