Aarna's POV:
I was disheartened by the fact that I got defeated in the game. Now I have to do what he will ask me to do. I am hella sure that he won't go easy on me.
I hate to agree but I am the dumbest person alive on this earth. How could I agree to challenge a person who was a pro in that game.?
I kept on grumbling under my breath and glanced at the person who was responsible for all my miseries. He was sleeping like a log without having any care of this world.
I so wanted to scratch his annoying face but I controlled myself and turned to the other side. Thinking about tomorrow, I closed my eyes and drifted into sleep.
Suddenly I felt like someone poured the water on me, making me open my eyes in surprise. I looked up to see that Dhruv was holding a water jug and gestured me to look at the clock.
It was already 5 in the morning but still, it was so early for me to wake up. So I glanced at him in confusion as I didn't understand why he woke me up so early in the morning.
"What's the matter.?" I glared at him as I was hell angry at him for disturbing my beauty sleep.
"Did you forget already.? You have to do whatever I ask you to do. So get ready. You are coming to the morning run along with me." He said and I looked at him with my mouth agape.
"I know I have to follow your words for a day but this is too much. You are so barbaric." I shouted at him angrily.
"I don't care. I just hope that you will keep your word. You have to do what I ask you to do. So I am asking you to tag along with me." He said in a calm tone.
I just bit back all the vulgarities that I wanted to honor him with and stormed into the washroom before grabbing the tracksuit.
After returning from the washroom, I saw that Dhruv was sitting on the bed and tying his shoelaces. I too followed his actions after I wore my shoes.
After that, he dragged the reluctant me outside and ushered me to run along with him but immediately after two laps, all the energy in me got drained.
"Dhruv..please stop. I can't do it anymore. I am hell tired. Leave me." I asked while panting so hard.
"See..this is your stamina. You have to work on building it. You are coming with me daily. No more discussions." He said as a final say. I couldn't help but get riled up at his damn audacity.
"Who are you ordering around.? I won't come with you again. You are so mean. I am not running anymore. I am going back. The hell with your running." I shouted at him and threw the water bottle that I was holding in my hand onto the grass at the sidewalk, before turning on my heels to head back home.
But he held my hand in preventing me to do so. I just glared at him and tried to wriggle out of his hold.
"Don't try. It won't be useful. You are coming with me. You got so many lazy bones in you. You have to get rid of this laziness. At starting, running makes you feel like it's suffocating you but once you get used to it, you will start enjoying it. Trust me. I am not doing this to get back at you but I am doing this for your own good." He said in a sincere tone that made me nod at him subconsciously.
It took me a while for me to realize that I again landed myself into a hot soup.
"Good. Since you have agreed. Sit on that bench for a while. You can join me in another lap." He said and I just nodded at him before sitting on the bench while wiping all the sweat with the small towel.
The weather is so chilly but it feels so soothing on my sweaty skin. I closed my eyes to enjoy the moment but opened my eyes with a startle when I sensed a hold on my leg.
I looked down only to greet with the sight of Dhruv who was tying my untied shoelace and I was just looking at his actions in surprise.
Is he the same Almighty Dhruv.?
When he noticed that I was looking at him, he immediately stood up while rubbing his nose awkwardly.
"Well. That..I saw your lace was untied. It is not looking pleasing to my eyes. So I tied it and you don't need to thank me for that." He said and I just rolled my eyes at his cocky words.
"Enough slacking off. Join me now." He said. I stood up reluctantly and started running along with him.
Since it was my first day, he went easy on me and when we both returned home, I saw that Gramps was exercising on the lawn along with his instructor. When he saw me, he started laughing gleefully at my plight.
I just chose to ignore him and headed inside. When I went to our room, Dhruv was talking to someone over the phone. Seeing this, I marched into the washroom with a simple salwar suit to get a good bath.
I came outside after I am done freshening up and went downstairs to help Attayya in the kitchen.
By the time we were done with it, Aadhya came and greeted me.
"Vadhina, Anna is asking you to bring breakfast to your room." She said and though I was confused, I nodded at her before serving his breakfast on a plate.
Holding the plate, I went to our room and saw that he was again talking with someone over the phone. What surprised me the most was, he was not in his office attire but his home wear.
Is he not going to his office.?
I thought and placed the breakfast on the table before heading downstairs to have mine.
When I came to the room after having breakfast, I saw that he was working on the laptop while sitting on the couch.
I cleared my throat and stood before him.
"Are you not going to your office.?" I asked him and still working on his laptop, he nodded at me briefly.
I groaned mentally because I was happy till now thinking that he would go to work and there would be no one to order me around but how wrong I was.
"Hey, my shoulders are paining a lot. Give me a shoulder massage." He said without lifting his head and I just threw a pillow at him as a reply to which he chuckled a little.
I rolled my eyes at him and settled myself on the bed before grabbing a book from the bookshelf. I started flipping through it and I was so immersed in the book that I didn't even notice that Dhruv too settled beside me. I only realized it when I heard the clicking sound coming from the keys of his laptop.
When did he come here??
I saw his long fingers were moving so swiftly as if he was playing the rhythm. I shifted my gaze from his fingers to his face. I could clearly see his side profile.
He has very sharp features, making him look so sexy and him wearing home wear added an additional beauty. He was wholly emitting the lazy, warm, and homely vibes. His usual coldness and arrogance seemed to be absent on his face today.
How good it would be if we were like any other normal couple. When this thought crossed my mind, my eyes dimmed a little.
I just don't want anything except for his love but I know, it is so impossible and him, trying to behave in a civil and friendly manner itself requires a huge effort from him.
So for now, I will be content with this little happiness. I am sure he soon will make some space for me in his heart.
"Done ogling at me.?" His voice snapped me out of my reverie. That was when I realized that I have been looking at him blankly till now. So I awkwardly turned my face to the other side.
"I am not looking at you. I am watching that painting on your side. It is so beautiful." I lied and shifted my attention to the painting that was on his side.
He just gave me an unbelievable look before turning his face to look at the painting that I was pointing but after seeing it, I felt him stiffen up beside me and he stood up immediately from the bed as if he got triggered by something.
"What happened.? Is everything alright.?"
Seeing his actions, I held his hand tightly and asked him but instead of answering me, he glanced at me indifferently and removed my hold on his hand forcefully before storming out.
I was perplexed by his actions as I didn't understand the reason behind his behavior. He was still being playful before I mentioned that painting, why did he behave like that so suddenly.?
Masking the hurt that I felt because of his actions, I went to that painting in the hope to find out something.
It is just a painting of a guy lifting a girl in his arms and they both were looking into the eyes of each other with a hearty smile on their faces.
Though it was not looking like it was painted by a professional one but one could easily tell that, the one who drew it had poured his heart and soul into drawing it.
I looked so closely to find out anything and I actually noticed a name at the corner of the painting. It was almost invisible. If we didn't look carefully, we couldn't find it at all.
Upon clear inspection, I found out that name was Dhruvitha. I was stunned for a moment before going back to the bed and sat on it in a daze.
I was sure, it is from his first love and though I don't know her name, I am sure that the name is an assortment of both of their names. I felt a throb in my heart upon looking at the happy couple in that image.
Why haven't I noticed it till now??
There are looking so happy and at this thought, my eyes brimmed with tears. I don't know whether those tears are for myself or for the pain he is hiding behind his facade. I wanted to question God. Why must he be so cruel to snatch everyone's happiness?
It is not fair. If he is going to break them apart, what's the need of letting them meet in the first place.
Seeing that painting, I fear that, my feelings will remain unrequited and all my efforts will be of no use. I am feeling insecure at the thought of how much he must have loved her and still loving her.
Upon thinking carefully, Dhruv and I are no different. The only difference is, in his case, the feelings are mutual but they couldn't be together and in my case, we both are together but feelings are not mutual.
All my life, I have been fighting for my mother's love. Though Dad said that she loves me a lot. I couldn't get her cold behavior towards me out of my head. Looking at my cheerful behavior no one will believe me if I say that I have gone through a lot. That is how I portray myself.
She never once scolded me and never once abused me physically. I should be happy..right but I couldn't because her indifference hurt me a lot. I felt like I didn't matter to her at all.
And that is the same indifference I saw in his eyes earlier. It's hurting me a lot. I can bear anything except for ignorance and indifference.
That one second I worried that I might even lose Dhruv and that thought created turmoil in my heart. I can't lose him. He is the only happiness that I got in my life.
Finally, I got a home to call it mine but at the cost of my heart and uncertainty of my future but still, I am happy because he is my home and the saddest thing is, I still don't mean anything to him while I am making him the center of my world.
For him, I might be a silly girl who always irritates him, annoys him but what he doesn't know is, I behave so carefreely in front of him because I wanted him to be his usual self instead of brooding over his past but I doubted, whether he ever noticed my efforts or not.
Maybe this is the reason why Indra Anna asked me again and again to reconsider my decision but he doesn't know the fact that his silly sister has fallen into a deep pit.
I may not know anything about his first love but I am feeling quite envious of her..envy but not jealousy. Feeling envy because she still holds an important place in his heart and her single memory is so capable of creating a huge void between us.
Can he ever love me like he loves her.?
I immediately wiped the tears that were going to fall with the back of my hand before taking a deep breath.
"Idiot. You said that you will give him all the time to move on and he is willing to do it. So don't be a coward. It is not easy to unlove someone and it is also not easy to love someone so easily. So show him your love for him through your actions and act all cute in front of him. He will surely start to fall for your cute and pretty face, and moreover for your pretty heart too. You are so beautiful inside and out. So be confident." I cheered myself before heading out of the room in search of him.
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.
Thanks for reading.
Please do vote and comment.