Kabir's POV
I looked at her as those big words slipped from her tongue and left me tongue-tied.
"I mean, marrying him isn't a bad idea. Maybe he would support your career and adjust to your schedules," she completed.
"This marriage is a bad idea," Megan replied. Meera raised her brow in response.
"Meera, help me out please," she said instead. Meera's eyes shifted to me and she said,
"This matter is absolutely not related to me, so stop behaving like a kid. Sort it out with your to-be husband because I have got no time to waste" Meera shrugged her off while I had enough of her behavior.
"Meera, you don't care for me. Am I not your friend?" Megan pouted.
"Right! You wouldn't be surprised to know that this mansion has an official desk for visitors. After passing three security checks, people are supposed to report to that arena and my official office is built just a few steps away from that desk. If you wouldn't have been my friend, you would have been sitting there in the official waiting room for further procedures, not here in my drawing room rambling about silly matters which don't even concern me. The waiting room where you were sitting before was a luxurious seating area for closed ones. So next time expect the treatment that other models receive" Meera rolled her eyes while Kiyaara looked at her Maa and asked, "Can I laugh at her baffled face?"
Meera smiled at her daughter sitting on her lap and said, "Go on. I will glare at her if she stares at you"
Kiyaara giggled along with Meera while others smiled at her. Watching the cold billionaire laugh was a sight to behold for them while for me it was adorable. Her always smiling face in the past made me wonder what gave her the strength to always smile and now it's the opposite. What made that smile go away?
Megan came out of her trance and zoomed her eyes on me. She said "I don't wanna marry you"
"That's quite great and also you cannot marry me," I replied.
"Why?" she asked, offended. Ya, she doesn't want to marry me but as soon as she heard my words she got annoyed, which was written on her face. Meera did not look at me curiously, like always, which irritated me. Now it's showtime.
I walked towards Meera and sat beside her and Kiyaara with one leg over the other.
"Because Kabir belongs to Meera" I announced and all the eyes shifted towards me while one person smiled broadly and I could kill and die for that smile. It wasn't princess. It was angel who gave me a full-blown smile.
Megan's eyes popped out while she gasped. My princess just sighed in response.
"WHAT?" she yelled.
"Yeah! Why do you think I am here?" I asked folding my hands to my chest.
"Meera, is he related to you?" Megan screeched.
"Kiyaara's father," she said with a straight face.
"And since an hour you are saying that this matter doesn't concern you?" she yelled again.
"Because it doesn't. I am there to solve such petty concerns. I am her husband and would remain one till I am breathing" I said looking at her while she was busy caressing Kiyaara's hair.
"Then why am I getting involved? Why is your family behind me marrying you? It's not a game" Megan said, getting up.
"It's not. That's why I would like to inform you of an important missing factor over here that Kabir and I are divorced. This is why there's nothing wrong with you marrying him" princess said.
"Oh really? Why can't I remember anything as such?" I said, making a thinking face. The right I cannot even dream of losing is the right to call you mine.
"Meera! What the hell is going on?" Megan yelled. Her yelling seemed to annoy my princess so she said,
"Ms. Megan Hill. I did not go to your house asking your hand for Mr. Raichand. I am not the one who is supposed to marry you. I am not the one who wishes to interfere in your peaceful marriage ceremony and I swear I will not be the one to interrupt your wedding like a drunk maniac asking you to give him back to me. Sort it out by yourself" she said, making me glare at her. Why doesn't she clearly say that she wants to dance at my wedding?
"Meeeraaa...Clear this mess for me please" Megan whined like a child.
"This isn't a shoot where you whine and boom, I will turn things the way they should be. Real life is supposed to be complicated" my princess said.
"Ok wait, let me clear one thing first. I did not want to marry Kabir ever and now after knowing that he has something to do with you I am absolutely not stepping into all this mess. By the way, I have a question: how did you even manage with his mother?" she asked. Mom has changed over all these years but she doesn't get to talk about her like that.
"Excuse me Miss, kindly watch your words," I said sternly.
"You watch your mom. She told me to put a ring on your finger as soon as I meet you. This is not how it works. I dated Stephan for four years and yet I left him because I couldn't imagine a future with him. I am currently seeing Ken and I am still figuring out things. I take my own time to mingle with people. I don't go around marrying random men" she fumed. In this way she is right.
"Megan, look, currently you are looking at this scenario with a messed up brain. Cool down. Sit" Meera ordered and she huffed and sat down.
"See, first remove the thought of him being related to me. The second thing you must do is look into this matter from his mother's perspective. She wants her son to be married and settled in life. She wants the best for him and after a relentless search when she has found you she is just showing her excitement. A mother is supposed to be happy for her children and this is her way of doing things. You would even shout and yell if someone held your hands out of excitement because this is how your mind works. You get comfortable with people and then start opening up whereas she already considers you her daughter" she explained while I looked at her with all the love I could gather. How can someone like her exist?
It did hurt when she said 'his' mother which clearly meant that my mom was nothing to her now but she defended her as well.
"How are you so calm? You make things simple for me but who the hell convinces someone to marry a man who declares that he belongs to you?" she asked.
"You look at him as a man who belongs to me. I look at him as a human who is capable enough to decide for himself. I am saying the same line for the second time in the day that I don't need to be told to claim what's mine and believe me if I had any intention of stepping in between you guys I would have never let you enter this place even after knowing he is residing here. I would have made you disappear in a snap of my fingers" she said looking at Antonio.
"Am I supposed to be afraid because you sound threatening?" Megan asked.
"Nope! Chill dude. I don't hide my possessiveness so go on marry him or do whatever your heart says" my princess said making me boil inside.
"Yes, go on marry any man you like but I am married to the love of my life so spare me the trouble by denying the families yourself because I would be 100% rude if I do that. They are anyway yet to face my wrath" I muttered the last line to myself.
"Hey man, don't get your hopes high. I am never going to get married to someone Meera has been related to. If you have the ability to bear her then you come into the category of unique men. I like normal people more. Rare ones are crazy like her" Megan said and then immediately covered her mouth while Kiyaara made a face and jumped out of her mother's lap.
"My maa is perfect. You are crazy. The speaker in your throat won't let you say a sentence without yelling so tell me who's crazy?" my angel said and the Clifford brother who had been a silent audience for a long, laughed.
"Oops! I guess we have got a protective little one over here so I accept my fault. Your mom is a genius and I am absolutely crazy" Megan said raising her hands in surrender seeing the angry face of my angel.
"Are you sure you can deal with these two?" Megan asked me looking at my princess and angel.
"I don't deal with them. I love them. I admire them. The most adorable they look is when they are supporting each other" I said looking at the duo while for the first time, my princess looked into my eyes. Hayee! She is freaking beautiful. She looked away while Megan said "Go on! Keep looking at her like you have turned people blind and you are unable to see others present in the room"
"Why do you have a problem? I am not looking at you or your Ken so mind your own business" I said, giving her a look.
"Are you done Megan?" princess asked her.
"No, but I have more clarity now. I have to go and tell my father—
"That Kabir was dumped by Meera and he would automatically cancel your wedding because he wouldn't find him of your standard" Ben guessed.
"No freaking way! He would rather force me to marry him then because it would mean that he had something going on with Meera in the past which means he comes in the category of polished men. I will tell him that—
"You are in love with Ken," Meera interrupted.
"Why would I tell him that?" Megan asked.
"Because you are" Meera emphasized.
"How are you so sure?" she asked.
"You have missed the same shoot thrice with the same excuse to go on a date with him," princess said and Megan's eyes widened in realization.
"I love him," she said, freaking out.
"I really really love him" she jumped around and assessing her next step princess carefully shifted Kiyaara to the sofa from her lap. Megan pulled princess up and started dancing with her. Meera looked at her with a straight face.
"How did I not realize my love? How did I even fall in love in just a few weeks?"
"Because you were too busy getting horrified with the thoughts of marrying someone other than him and planning ways of escape while he was too busy reading 101 ways to make your partner fall in love with you. Idiots" she said and Megan made an 'O' face while Kiyaara silently giggled. She's having fun.
"And what about the second question?" she asked.
"I don't know how love works, so better ask this question to someone else," she said, making my mood drop. Where did my wife disappear and who is she? My wife used to say it takes a moment to fall in love and you are talking about weeks.
"Yes, you don't and Kiyaara dropped straight from heaven" Megan rolled her eyes while Meera said,
"Get out. Your 70% issue is solved and 30% your good-for-nothing brain can handle"
Megan stomped her foot and said "You wait and watch, I am gonna prove to you that my brain works just fine. I will convince dad by lying in front of his Bentley"
"All the very best! Now leave" princess waved at her and she went away huffing like a kid.
"So Clifford 1 to 5 the show is over. Would you like to leave or would you prefer me throwing you out?"
"Neither, first meatballs with spaghetti then we will think about leaving," Ben said and princess said, "only because you made dumplings for her which she liked very much"
Kiyaara hit her forehead dramatically and asked "you bear him for me or because is your bro?"
"90% because he cooks food that you like and 10% because he's sticky," princess answered, making Kiyaara smile.
"Now come on let's show them the power of chef Meera and Kiyaara," princess said showing her bicep, making angel laugh and mock salute her. I followed behind them to the kitchen because family cooking is incomplete without me na. So I will help them. As soon as I entered I saw music playing in a corner while they both were humming and cooking together. They looked freaking cute in the same customized printed aprons.
I looked at them with a pout and asked "Where's my apron?"
"Here" kiyaara handed one to me and I was shocked to see my name printed on it with 'Daddy' written alongside. My eyes teared up, and I looked at Kiyaara who smiled and said "Welcome to our cocina Dad"
"Thanks, angel," I said bowing, making her giggle. Damn! It was music to my ears.
I picked her up and made her settle on the stool from where she jumped down to get my apron. She focused back on the music playing along while I focused on the beauty standing in front of me stirring the sauce.
I stepped closer to her and she fake coughed which was a warning signal for me to stay away. I did the absolute opposite and stood just behind her back keeping my hands on the slab caging her from both ends. She tilted her neck to look at me and I wasn't able to move my eyes away from her pretty face. I wanted to feel her again. Meera looked back at the sauce and kept doing her work like our proximity meant nothing to her. I quietly stepped away as kiyaara called me to help her with the lid of the cookie box.
"Angel, would you like to go out and share these cookies with those uncles?" I asked her and she quickly nodded and went away. I rushed to my room and searched for my suitcase. I turned it upside down, emptying the contents on the bed. I finally found what I was looking for. I quickly grabbed those papers and reached the kitchen.
My princess was busy garnishing the meal when I held her by the waist and spun her around. She banged into my chest and gave me a questioning look. I held the papers in front of me and she blankly looked at them. My eyes darted towards the stove and I set those on fire. I had been itching to do this for years. Yes, I set those divorce papers which she had signed on fire. We kept on looking at each other and she did nothing but save my hand from getting burnt by throwing that half-burnt misery in the bin after extinguishing the fire. She gave me a look and went back to what she was doing earlier. I caged her in my arms from behind and muttered in her ears "I have been carrying those papers with me for years to burn them in front of your sight the first chance I get. Remember the last time you gave these papers to me I told you that you are not an option to move past. You are my only choice, want, and need"
My breath tickled her earlobes and I could feel her heartbeat quicken. She took a deep breath and said "Then try harder to remove my existence from your mind so that you can live in peace"
"Who told you to drive straight into my soul that my every effort to imagine a life without you seems futile? Your love is consuming darling and the one who experiences it once has no way back. I haven't experienced it but I have relished it. I have lived it. I have been deranged and yet secured by it. You are my peace. My peace comes from a glance at you. My peace lies in your embrace. Return it back to me" I said, holding her close.
"Then I can do nothing but apologize for entering your life and seizing the peace you had before I changed its definition for you," she said shifting her eyes to the flames erupting out of the stove. Her dead eyes scare me. Scare me to the core that they might be hiding scars that I would be incapable of healing.
"I would have accepted the apology if it was for your remarkable stunt of disappearing in thin air when I am not at home. I would have accepted the apology if it was for leaving me behind with a pointless note and thousands of tears. If it was for snatching away the right to breathe in your fragrance as I return from a tiring day at work. If it was for being my solace and leaving me tormented. If it was for keeping yourself away in those months when I had to pamper you the most. You had to be there in our room all cozy and warm and I don't even know if you had a roof above your head at that time. I would have accepted the apology if it was for not agreeing to get back with me the moment you saw me after these painful years" My hold on her was firm as I poured out my emotions. The thought of letting her go away from my embrace seemed to unnerve me now.
"You are right. I should have been there, but I wasn't. I am not sorry for anything I have done, so an apology is pointless. Move away, I don't like to push you away considering the relationship we had in the past," she ordered, and I had to oblige. I didn't want to leave her but respected her words and stepped back.
She took the tray and went to serve dinner while I leaned on the wall and calmed myself down. The day ended as the brothers and their pathetic friend went away after a lot of tantrums and whining. They didn't even leave a bit of food made by her for me and angel. They had it like they were starving for ages while my lovely wife rolled her eyes at them and brought two fresh plates already served with food, which she had preserved earlier. She had her share of food left by them, especially for her. How considerate of them to fill her plate before pouncing on food like cave dwellers.
The next morning came pretty early and again my dream of seeing her in a red saree adorned with jewelry was broken. I promised myself to make it true. My reality was better than dreams for now because I get to see her whenever I want.
After a cheery breakfast, we left for the office and got busy with our work. The afternoon approached, and a hustle was heard around her cabin and I was shocked to see my little brother Aditya barging inside her cabin without permission while Jhalak was rushing after him. I dashed towards her cabin but stopped outside at the door, struggling with questions like whether I should enter or not. I went back to my cabin to see that the phone from which she was passing orders to me was still on and I could clearly hear them. Second thing was that my cabin was just beyond hers and the glass wall clearly allowed me to see them. Meera had not set the blinds down. I held the phone closer to my ear to listen to what they were talking about.
"YOU ARE HEARTLESS" Aditya roared while Meera relaxed in her chair.
"Thanks for the compliment. Anything else?" she asked while he fumed in rage. Why the hell was he angry? How dare he use that tone on her? Aditya sat down in front of her and resumed.
"For the past 7 years, I have been hating my mother for letting you go, but now I hate myself for trusting you over her. I called you myself to inform you that Bhai (Brother) needed you or else he would slip into depression, yet you refused to return. You love your this kingdom so much that you did not even return when he was in that state from where we were unable to pull him back. I have never seen a person as selfish as you," he yelled while the intercom nearly dropped from my hand. Meera knew about my depression. She refused to return to me? Aditya knew her number and did not tell me when I was searching for her like a madman. What the hell is happening?
"Is that all you want to say?" Meera asked calmly.
"No! I want to say so much more. You are the most insensitive person out there. Whatever happened to you, you deserved it. You deserved the way people treated you. You deserve all the pain the world has got to offer. You deserve nothing but tears for hurting my brother so much," he said, making me go blank for a moment. He bloody cursed my princess. Mr. Aditya Raichand, you have committed a sin. I am overwhelmed to know that you love me so much, but you don't even know her reasons. You didn't even give her a chance to explain.
"May god listen to your every word that you speak from your heart, Mr. Aditya Raichand. May god fulfill your wishes," she said, looking straight into his eyes sending chills down my spine. It scared him as well for a minute before he resumed.
"You have nothing to say in your justification? If not for Mrs. Shyla Maan, who happened to be his psychologist and our neighbor, we would have lost him. Thank god for sending her to our lives or else a merciless being like you would have pushed him to hell," he said.
"Thank Mrs. Shyla from my side as well, then. You say you hated your mother for 7 years, right?" she asked. He nodded.
"Then hate me for the rest of your life. You might be able to get the peace you are unable to achieve right now by cursing me," she said, shocking him.
"Right! How will I even achieve peace by cursing you because, unlike you, I loved you truly. I loved you as my mother. I called you bhabhi Maa and treated you like one. I supported you when Bhai didn't. I supported him when he was persuading you. I supported your relationship when it was falling. I defended you whenever others blamed you. I believed you to be the right one for him. You proved me wrong. I regret standing by you whenever you needed me," he said while she took a deep breath and said,
"You don't need to fist your hands. You can hit me if it calms you down. I'd see who stops you," she said, making me spring out of my seat. Like hell, I would let anyone raise a hand at her.
"Pagal ho gayi hai aap. Aapne jis rishte ki izzat nahi ki na usse main bhula nahi hun (You have gone mad. I haven't forgotten the relationship between us)" he said, getting up from his seat in anger.
"You left Bhai because his business was falling, right? Such a money-minded person you are! Choti Maa kept on saying that whatever was happening was for the good of the members of the household, but I never believed her. I believed you instead. I don't even talk to her now, but I think she was somewhere right. You don't care for my brother at all," he said. He is wrong to even dare to think that she left me as my business was going down. She was the one who pushed me to start it, goddammit.
"I accept all my flaws. I can offer nothing but an apology for hurting your emotions, but don't expect me to be guilty of anything," she said, picking up a file from the other end of the desk.
"GOD!!! She was so right. You don't know the meaning of love. I want to see my niece as I got to know about her after reaching here. You had no right to keep her away from us. I don't know what sort of treatment you would be giving her. She would be feeling suffocated in your house where you care for nothing but money. Don't tell me you torment her or you mistreat her. That poor little being would feel caged in your house. You don't deserve to be a mother," he said and by now I was storming towards the cabin. My brother hated my princess this much?
"We would fight for her custody—" he was saying when I held his collar and slapped him hard.
"Bhai..." he said, keeping a hand on his cheek.
"You have gone nuts. Baat karne ki tameez bhul gaya hai tu. Bhabhi hai vo teri (You have forgotten your manners to talk with others. She is your brother's wife)" I roared. He had crossed his line.
"For the lady you slapped me did not even turn back for your sake. She doesn't give a fuck about you. I told her about your condition and yet she did not return. I begged her to come back once for your sake and she hung up on me. She bloody didn't even care if something happened to you and you are fighting with your brother for her. You left the house quietly, not even thinking about all of us once to bring her back, and she? What is she making you do? She makes you work like a servant. She keeps us away from our own blood," he said and I was about to speak when Meera said,
"Sorry to interrupt you guys, but this is my office and I don't tolerate any nuisance over here. You wish to curse me and call me names? Go on but kindly do it outside the premises. For now, Mr. Kabir Raichand get me a strong black coffee and Mr. Aditya Raichand dial the number of your aunt and put it on speaker," she said.
I did not move from my place, but Aditya dialed choti maa's number and put it on speaker. As soon as she picked up, Meera spoke,
"What is your family doing in my cabin? You promised me that they would never remember me, so why are they disturbing me now?"
Hey people!
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