As Ayaan and Prakash made their way back to the mansion, the sound of rain tapping on the car roof created a soothing background for the conversation that was about to unfold between father and son.
"I don't know why you hate her, Ayaan. Naina is one of the kindest ones," Prakash began, breaking the silence that hung between them.
Ayaan, staring out at the blurred city lights through rain-streaked windows, didn't respond immediately. Prakash persisted, "You know about me, Ayaan. I don't do anything without a reason. Naina has this great talent; you'll be amazed too."
This grabbed his full attention, but it was quickly clouded by memories of past incidents involving his parents. The emotional baggage from his family's history cast a shadow on the idea of welcoming someone new.
"You might think, why am I telling you all this, especially about Naina," Prakash continued, a hint of concern in his voice.
"I am soon gonna hand over the company to you, and seeing you have a bad opinion of Naina, I thought that you might cut the investment with her."
As Prakash continued, Ayaan grappled with the internal conflict between his heart and mind. His heart whispered a desire to explore the unknown, to follow the spark of curiosity about Naina. Yet, his practical mind, shaped by the relentless pursuit of success in the business world, urged caution, reminding him of potential risks.
After thinking deeply and fighting within himself, he released a few words from his mouth.
"Is she a trustworthy person, Dad?"
Prakash stopped the car since they reached home. Prakash nodded his head, assuring him that Naina is no harm.
"Ayaan, Naina is like a daughter to me... no, she actually is my daughter. And I believe in my daughter. You might think everyone is like your..." Prakash couldn't complete the last word and sighed.
"I don't know what to tell you, but not all people are the same; she is different," he said and got out of the car, walking into the mansion.
Ayaan, who was still sitting back, got struck with the words his father just now said.
'She is different.'
He didn't know why he suddenly blinked his eyes to come out of his thoughts and got out from the car, rushing towards his dad.
"Dad!"
Prakash stopped his track and turned towards his son.
"You want me to trust her, don't you?" Ayaan asked, making Prakash nod his head in a confused manner because his son was behaving a little weird.
"Then you should do something for me," Ayaan said, making Prakash think that he is doing something nuisance.
"What is it?" Prakash asked in a serious matter. If his son is trying to hurt Naina, then he would not allow that even in dramas.
"I want to..."
**NEXT DAY**
The following day at the cafe was like any other day, with Sejal and Krithika working seamlessly together. Although there were few customers in the physical cafe, the online and occasional orders kept them busy.
The warm and welcoming atmosphere prevailed, accompanied by the delightful aroma of freshly prepared cakes.
Sejal, as always, was engrossed in her cake preparations. She emerged from the kitchen and noticed that Krithika was managing tasks around the cafe efficiently. She came to the cash counter and sent Krithika inside to handle other responsibilities while she attended to taking orders.
As she was taking orders with the three to four customers present in the cafe, the bell at the entrance rang, signaling new arrivals.
Sejal turned towards the entrance with a smile to greet the newcomers.
Advik walked in, accompanied by a girl. Sejal's initial expression of hospitality quickly shifted as she rolled her eyes in response to Advik's antics.
His flirty behavior irritated Sejal, and she sighed, knowing that dealing with Advik might add an extra layer of complexity to her day.
Advik, seemingly unfazed by Sejal's reaction, approached the counter and greeted her with a charming smile.
The girl with him looks decent then any other girls he has come with.
It shocks Sejal that why the hell he is distancing himself from the woman he came with.
It wasn't his behavior; he would flirt like a pro player. But guess he is not playing his player card today.
Sejal, suppressing her annoyance, decided to maintain professionalism. She directed Advik to take their order first before engaging in any further conversation.
"Welcome. Let's start with your order first," Sejal said, trying to steer the interaction back to the cafe's routine and away from Advik's playful banter. The girl with Advik waited patiently, and Sejal hoped that this encounter wouldn't disrupt the usual harmony of the cafe.
"Just two cold coffees, please,"
Advik and the girl accompanying him took their order and found a seat near the cash counter, where Sejal was busy with her tasks.
Advik couldn't resist stealing glances at Sejal, captivated by her presence. The woman with him, named Manasa, suddenly redirected his attention.
"If you planned to stare at her, why would you take me on a date?" Manasa inquired.
She works with Ayaan in his office, and unlike other girls Advik has met, Manasa stands out for being friendly and understanding. Advik had asked her if a friendly date was possible, and she had agreed.
Upon arriving at the cafe, Manasa noticed how Advik's eyes never left Sejal, realizing why he insisted on coming to this particular place. Advik remained silent, continuing to gaze at Sejal.
"Come on, Advik. Go talk to her. Look at you, you're like a teenager in their puppy love era," Manasa encouraged with a smile.
Sejal at the same moment called out their order number so they can pick them. Advik went to take the order.
When Advik went to take his and Manasa's order, there were three men in the cafe talking loudly about him. Advik, holding the tray of orders, overheard their derogatory comments.
"Look at him, he is such a disappointment. Dude just shows his muscle power in beating shit out of people but fails to play well," one of the men remarked.
The conversation took a darker turn when another guy spoke up, "His mother's boyfriend is the owner of one of the teams. Guess the dude is making it out alive because of him."
Advik, now in front of Sejal with the tray, couldn't ignore the insinuations about his success being linked to familial connections.
His grip tightened on the tray, and veins popped out on his forehead. Despite the tension building within him, he remained where he was, silently absorbing their comments.
Then, the conversation took a more personal and disrespectful turn. "Boyfriend? Damn, she must be so hot that even at this age, she's got a man," one of the guys remarked, leading to laughter from the group.
Advik, fueled by anger, unleashed his fury in a split second. The tray he was holding became a weapon, crashing onto the guy who made the inappropriate comment.
Advik swiftly dealt with the other two, throwing one onto a nearby table where Manasa was sitting, causing her to jump in terror.
The last guy, who attempted to confront Advik, found himself thrown onto the cash counter. The impact shattered the glass counter into pieces. Amidst the chaos, Sejal, who had been standing nearby, suffered a light but deep cut on her forehead as a shard of glass grazed her skin.
The cafe, once filled with chatter, now echoed with the aftermath of the confrontation.
Blinded by anger, Advik's actions left the place momentarily silent. The guys who had been taunting him were now yelling in pain.
Advik, crouching down to the guy thrown at the cash counter where Sejal was also positioned, issued a stern warning, "Again, if I see you ruining your dirty mouth and making false statements, it will be your last day on this earth. Understood?" The guy, feeling the intensity in Advik's words, nodded in compliance.
Advik, sporting a smirk, got up and noticed Sejal staring at him, her eyes blank.
Hearing the outside chores krithika came outside just to scream in horror.
A strange, unspoken connection lingered as they locked eyes without exchanging words. Sejal eventually broke the staring competition, saying, "You have to pay for the damage you did," addressing Advik directly. He stared at her with a blank expression and nonchalantly threw his wallet saying then pin number to his card and threw it on the shattered glass table before walking away, leaving Sejal in a state of confusion.
Manasa, sensing the tension, chose to apologize to Sejal instead of Advik and took her leave from the scene.
"Sejal you are bleeding," krithika said and went to bring the first aid kit. Sejal's gazed at the wallet she picked it up and open it she found a picture in it.
Their were three members in it, one was Ayaan, adivk and a small kid she was around 5 or 6 Sejal thought.
That kid didn't fully looked like an Indian...
Advik sped through the streets, arriving at a bar where he sought solace in alcohol. Ordering drinks one after another, he drowned his sorrows, the bitterness of disappointment fueling his anger.
Advik was muttering to the bartender," Can you believe it, man? I expected more from her. All I wanted was a little understanding,"
The Bartender was nodding cautiously.
"I mean, who wouldn't want someone to care, I wanted her to say something and that something is to Pay the bill! Can you believe that?"
Bartender nods, trying to maintain a neutral expression.
Advik, raising his voice,"I just needed her to ask if I was okay, to give me a damn hug and say everything's fine. But no, she's all about the damage I made,"
Advik continued to vent his frustrations, sharing his feelings with the bartender, who only nodded in fear.
To Be Continued...
It's been 8 chapters so far, anyone wanna say something about the story? Like what do you think so far?
Do share your view about the book ❤️