"Repeat", Rehan said as he ordered to refill the glass of his drink and Ananya stood by.
"Stop now, you have had enough." Ananya told him while pulling his glass towards her.
"But I'm too happy.", Rehan said pulling it again from here. "You know why am I so happy?", he asked the boy behind the counter. "Because this..."he pointed at Ananya
"Stop now. Let's go.", She said dragging him before he spread the news of her proposing him to the entire world.
Most of the guests including Rehan and Ananya's parents had already left the party and only a few close friends remained.
"Keep her the happiest", Both Ananya and Sarah told Daniel before he and Sanya left for the airport to head to their honeymoon together. "We love you and we'll miss you.", All three ran into a tight hug and they left.
Ananya went up to the room to check if anything is left was followed by Rehan who was still blabbering his happiness that he was in love while she only smiled at him. She was about to check out of the room when Rehan fell flat on the bed. She turned back to look at him. He looked adorable but was too drunk to be handled alone. So Ananya told the staff that they would leave in the morning. She shut and locked the door, placed a few things at the side and went to freshen up. As she came back and was sorting her clothes out,he called in half sleep,"Ananya ", he said in his rusky yet sexy voice.
"Yes", she said softly but not turning.
"Ananya",he called again turning sideways from how he was laid down earlier on his stomach.
"Hmm.", she said sitting beside him and slowly running her hand over his forehead and then through his hair. He placed his over hers and then bought it closer to his lips and kissed it slowly. She smiled and kissed his hand. He then turned her to lay her next to him, cuddled her from behind her back in contact to his chest and felt asleep.
The next morning Rehan woke up to the vibration of Ananya's phone somewhere below his pillow and found himself cuddling a pillow. His vision a bit blur from yesterday's hangover he saw Ananya asleep on the couch right in front of him with her collection of about four pillows. He closed his eyes for a minute and then woke up and went to freshen up.
He went to wake her up post freshening up silently sat on the floor beside her couch he whispered a "Good Morning " in her ear. She slowly opened her eyes to find him looking at her with love.
"You know I don't like you?", she said while placing a pillow between them.
"Huh?What?",he was shocked.
"I don't like anyone who wakes me up or disturbs my sleep.", she said pouting at him.
"Then probably you are going to hate me for your entire life.", he said and started tickling her. He know it was her weakness. She laughed her heart out and tried stopping him but couldn't. Finally he did and placed a small peck on her cheek.
"I found your phone there by my pillow?", he held her phone up.
"ou... I must have left it by mistake. I anyways slept on the couch.", she told him.
"And some of your hair also .", he said making a weird face. "You left them too?"
"Hawww you mean to say I have hair fall problem?",she said narrowing her eyes.
"May be.",he winked.
"Rehan ",she got up to hit him and he ran away.
About an hour later Ananya dressed in a formal black skirt and white blouse in heels with hair tied up in a high ponytail reached the restaurant below. They were having breakfast.
"I want to take you somewhere. Are you free today?",she asked him.
"Where?"
"Are you free?",she asked again.
"Ok".
On their way,they stopped at a temple where Ananya asked if he was interested in accompanying her to which he said that it would unnecessarily create commotion at a public place due to his star image and would like to wait in the car. Ananya agreed.
Next they headed to her office. She lead his way inside.
"Now that we are being a big part of each other's life I wanted you to see this and want to thank you for this.",she told him.
"Thank me? Why?", he asked her still in awe of her beautiful office.
"Because only after that confrontation in Goa I was determined enough to build this for myself.",she smiled at him and was heading towards her cabin.
"I have a very important meeting and I want you join me.", she said collecting certain files from her desk and then running back and forth in her cabin.
"Now at least don't flaunt me in your financial business deals. You are going all out.", he says leaning on the wall.
"Haha very funny. But when I said important, it is more important for you and your family",she told him as they reached the meeting room and Rehan found his father and three other men seated inside.
"Ananya?",he stopped her from going inside. "What is this man doing here?"
She stepped in front of him and said," This man! This is your father and you are his son and today he needs you and you should be here. That's all I know. Now come on."
"No. I can't do this. Yesterday his presence in the wedding was enough for me to tolerate.", he told her.
"To tolerate? I don't know how much you will understand the things that will be spoken inside and so will your father but just having a family member around will give him strength to get over this difficult time that he is going through all alone for so long. Please.", she insisted.
"Do you love me or my father?",he asked in an annoyed tone and opened the door and stepped in. Ananya just smiled and walked in a minute later.
Rehan's father was shocked initially to have his son today here in this meeting. But was really happy and felt the strength when he saw him walking in. Rehan simply smiled and took a seat next to him.
"Good morning gentlemen. We are all here today to talk about the investments in reviving the R.K productions as it is in a little problem now. He is the heir of R.K's Mr. Rishi Kundra and his son Mr Rehan Kundra and these are your potential investors.", Ananya introduced and then was joined by her staff to carry out the other discussions.
Rehan throughout the meeting tried to figure out what was going on but could hardly understand anything but he had full faith in Ananya in whatever she is speaking would be helping his father out. He managed to guess the level of mess his family production house was in. The intense look in the eyes of his father was also noticed by Rehan. He was hit by the fact by how unaware he has been of his father's situation and how silently and confidently had Ananya handled him. He is a difficult man to deal with post a tiff. Having both of them at the best that they do was weird but real for Rehan.
"Thank you so much", his father told the investors when they decided to invest and help the company.
"Sir this is merely a meeting for formality sake. When miss Ananya put to us her proposal we were in then . We know how unfortunate you have been to be cheated by Mr. Ben but you should be happy and relived to be helped by her. She is one of the best in her kind and also very ethical in her job.", one of the investor said.
Ananya smiled and shook hand with them while they were leaving.
"And you young man. Good to see you supporting your father.", they told Rehan and it touched him straight in the heart. On the outside he smiled but inside was guilty of the communication gap between them and was thanking Ananya for this moment.
The father- Son sat in silence till Ananya came back after leaving the investors.
"Congratulations Mr. Kundra.", she told his father.
"Thank you.",he said.
"I think its my time to leave. I have not been home since a few days. Mom must be waiting.", Rehan said trying to step out and wanting some time alone. Ananya understood that the sudden realization of his father's problem had disturbed Rehan .
"How about we go out and celebrate this.", she said trying to stop him.
"That would be great.", his father agreed.
"I told you Ananya I have to go.", his voice raised but calmed instantly " Anyways it is your celebration. You'll go ahead.", he jerked her hand while she tried to stop.
"Just a cup of coffee. Please.", Mr. Kundra said in hope of letting his son stay.
Rehan looked back at Ananya and then said," I'll ask the driver to get the car." Ananya and Rehan's father high fived after he left.
The coffee date of trio was not very interesting as both the men were stuck in their respective phones and Ananya alternately staring at both of them. It was weird for her to be alone with them and not as easy as she thought it would be but wasn't bad either as they were not sharing cold vibes.
First Rehan's father excused himself and after he was back Rehan headed for a phone call. Ananya being the constant when they were alone. A few minutes later the waiter came with two debit cards in his hand and when Ananya asked him what was the matter he said," Ma'am both of them came to the counter to pay the bill, which card should I swipe?"
She was left in confusion. She looked at both of them as they looked up all of them sharing a awkward moment.
"Mine", both the men said in unison confusing the waiter again.
"Would you accept cash?", she asked him and removed the cash from her wallet and paid taking back the cards and giving it back to their respective owners.
"Are you going back to office?", Rehan asked her while they were waiting in the valet for the car.
"No.Actually I'm very tired. I head back home.", she told him.
" So son. You go drop her. I'll head home.", his father said ,sat in his car and left.
Both Ananya and Rehan didn't spoke for about half of the journey.
"Tell me what are you thinking? If its about me I'm sorry that I didn't...",Ananya spoke to break the silence.
"No its not about you . Its just that he was in such a mess and me as a son .. I was so unaware or rather so ignorant." he said his eyes straight on the road.
"It's not that you were ignorant. We know that you and your father ways and visions are different. You can't blame yourself. It was he who didn't want to involve his family in all this and after want happened in Goa between us, him and Ben, this was expected.",Ananya tried to cheer him up.
"Damn this Ben", he punched the steering.
"Yeah I agree.",Ananya said giving out a laugh.
"But he was happy to have you for this meeting today.", she looked at him as they stopped below her building. He also turned to look at her not speaking a word.
" I love you too.", she told him and smiled.
"How did you know I was thinking that.",he asked her.
" I just know. Ok now.Bye."
"What bye? I'm coming upstairs."
"Why?"
"What why? You can spend so much time with my father so even I want to spend time with your mother.", he said.
"Really.", she raised her eyebrows.
"Really.", he said,.
Rehan was served delicious food by her mother. While Ananya changed and settled beside her father on the sofa who saw his wife feeding Rehan and smiled.
"Hi dear. How was everything yesterday?", Ananya's father asked her.
"Yesterday?", She hopes he doesn't know about the kiss which is quite impossible as her mother tells him everything.
"Yaa Sanya's wedding after we left. Everything went smoothly?", he asked.
" Oh! That. Yaa everything went about smoothly. She had a few tantrums like you know but now they are for Daniel to handle.", she told him.
"And what about his father's meeting? What did the investors say?",he said looking at Rehan.
"That also went by smoothly. He is now relieved. He was super stressed. But now everything is great. Even Rehan accompanied him. He was happy.", she told him while looking at Rehan.
"Are you happy?", he asked his daughter.
"Baba", she smiled.
"That blush on your face is answering.", he said.
Rehan came up to touch her father's feet before leaving and looked at Ananya asking him to come till the door.
"The blush on his face is also answering.", he said again.
"Keep quiet baba", Ananya walked with Rehan.
"I have been rigged and ragged for what your mom saw yesterday.", Rehan said laughing and face palming" but she gave me food. She is super cool."
"My mom. Afterall."
They hugged each other a goodbye. She leaned by the door while Rehan waited for the lift
" Talk to your father once you get home.", she ran to the lift to tell him as he stepped into it.
"I will."
Back home he normally spoke to his mom about the wedding but didn't tell her anything about the meeting but she did mention it. Post dinner he was in his room watching a football match when someone knocked at the door. It was his father with a bottle of wine.
" Up for a drink?", he asked Rehan.
"Sure.", he took it from him and prepared them drinks.
"Football? There is a cricket match also.", His father told him. Rehan immediately changed the channel to the cricket match.
"No its alright. Football was fine. Actually lets switch it off." Rehan did as said."Thanks for coming today."
" Oh no. You don't have to thank me.", he said looking at the ground. It was really awkward for both of them to have a talk like this. They have never had such a conversation.
"I wish you could have told me earlier so you wouldn't have to deal with it alone. I mean I know we don't share the same interests and I have told you I'm not interested in looking after the activities of R.K. but I always told you I'm available for help."
" I know but I didn't want to bother you", the father said.
"Or you thought I wasn't capable enough.", finally Rehan looked into his father's eyes after a lifetime and had a real man talk.
Rehan's father was struck by this for a moment but managed to answer.
"I didn't know that my son had grown up.", he said and a tear rolled up ."I'm sorry. I was always too busy in myself to actually witnessed you grow up. It was always your mom. And so I thought...",he placed his glass on the table and Rehan rushed to hug him." Papa.I love you.". He hugged his son back with a lighter and happier heart. And to a suprise they were joined by Rehan's mother and grandfather. It was the happiest moment for his mother as she was always the one between her husband and son but today in her heart let out lots of blessings and love for Ananya who was successful in breaking the glass wall between the father and son.