Aakriti's POV

I received Ansh's call as I was about to attend a meeting.

"Hello. If it is not urgent, let's talk later." I said nonchalantly, reading the file.

"Aarav got married." He said.

"You called me to tell me this; I know Aarav is getting married."

"Idiot. I said Aarav got married." He said.

"What? Isn't he supposed to get married after 15 days?"

"Aaku, are you a girl? You don't even know how to gossip?"

"Ansh." I said sternly.

"Ok. Listen. Aarav got married the day after Rajveer's reception."

"What?"

"That too in a full dramatic setup."

"Ansh, can you tell me properly?"

"Aaku, even I don't know the exact details, but what I heard from Rajveer was that Aarav was forced to marry that girl at gunpoint."

"And you are telling me that Aarav obediently married her? He didn't tell anyone about all this wedding fiasco. What about that girl? Did she come to create a scene now? What is that idiot going to do now?"

"The wedding with Riddhima is not happening. I have a surgery right now. How about you pick me up after 3 hours, and we meet that idiot?"

"Ok, bye." I sighed. Did he get married? Then what about Riddhima? Why can't my friends get married like normal humans? Is it necessary to create a dramatic scenario? Follow the sequence. Arrange a marriage, invite us, and then get married. Why are they directly getting married and not even giving us a chance to grasp the situation? After overthinking Aarav's situation for a few minutes, I went to the meeting.

I entered the presentation room and sat on my chair. The meeting started, and with each passing second, my mood dipped. What nonsense is he blabbering? I looked at the file, took a pen, and circled every fault. I looked at the speaker, and he froze. He was shivering, and I knew the reason was me because I was giving him a dead gaze. The atmosphere became quite tense. Everyone looked like a scared cat. Nobody is ready to be accountable for their actions.

"I was not here for a month, and look at the mess you all have created. Am I paying you all to increase my problems? The research on this drug was supposed to be completed ten days prior. What is wrong with you all? We were going to send this for trial. Why is so much work pending? I need a valid reason, not some stupid excuses." I said sternly.

"The drug breaks down too quickly in the body. So the research team is trying to use better-stabilizing excipients or encapsulation methods to increase the stability of drugs." He explained.

"When will I get the results?"

"It would take a minimum of six more months." Huh! Here it is; after one problem, there is another. They all were looking at me worriedly. It's not their fault, Aaku; don't be rude.Let's end this for now." I left and went towards my cabin. Dadu, do you want to give this company to your dear grandson? Can that dumb fellow even understand any of this issue? Does he know anything other than being proud? He doesn't even have a single good quality. Aaku, you need to stop, Dadu. And the only way to do it is to get married.

We three (Ansh, Rajveer, and I) reached Aarav's house and rushed towards his room.

"Idiot. You got married?" I asked him.

"To whom?" Ansh asked.

"Sachi"—she is Dhruv's sister, right?

He explained everything and left us shocked. I don't even know what to think. Is he mad? What was he thinking when he was hiding this matter from everyone?

"Did Riddhima or Sachi punch you?"

"No..." Before he could say anything else, I punched him in the stomach.

"Ouch." He winced in pain. Ansh and Rajveer were trying to control their laugh.

"Aarav. You have lost your mind. What the hell were you thinking? Why did you delay this matter? Do you even realize how traumatizing it must be for Riddhima? Even for Sachi. You idiot."

"I know. I was wrong."

"Except for Riddhima and Sachi, every other woman who got to know about his deed wanted to beat him." Rajveer said, trying to hide his wide smile.

"He deserves a beating. Is Riddhima okay with all your nonsense?" He simply nodded. This mad fellow. Is it so simple?

"Let's go and eat something." Ansh said and dragged me.

We were eating snacks when I saw Riddhima entering the house with a few shopping bags.

I was looking at Ridhima being happy and helping Aunty with the preparation. Isn't she affected by all this? Her would-be husband suddenly married someone else, and she reacts as if nothing has happened. Is she really ok, or is she planning something big? Even if Aarav is at fault here, I will still not allow him to be wronged. When I was lost in my thoughts, somebody tapped on my shoulder. I saw Riddhima in front of me and screamed pretty loudly.

"Ahh!" I screamed as if someone caught me while committing a crime. She gave me a wide smile and cracked a laugh.

"Do you want to ask me something?"

"No. No." I was flustered.

"Maybe you want to know whether I am ok or not?" She said, shocking me. Can she read minds? I am pretty sure I thought it in my mind. I swear.

"How..."

"How did I know what you were thinking? Because you looked at me with scrutiny. Nobody ever doubted me even for a second, but you are doubtful about my intention. So I thought about clearing it, or else you might just stare at me and ruin the fun." She said seriously.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. Why are you not affected by all this fiasco? You should at least be hurt, right? Because the person you were supposed to marry married someone else."

"Because I didn't love Aarav. Marrying Aarav was more like a transaction for me. When I first met Aarav, I knew that we would never have something like love between us, and neither was I hoping for it. All the other guys that I met only with Aarav, and I felt that I could pursue my career without any restriction. I agreed to marry when I felt at home with his family. I agreed because of greed that I could finally have a place where I was needed."

"Why do you say that love could never exist between both of you? Even though Aarav is an idiot, he is very likable."

"Because he didn't have an understanding of love, and I had already experienced the pain of being in love."

"You are telling me that you love someone. Who is he?"

"Why?"

"Just to know. Tell his name. Tell me something about him; otherwise, how will I believe that whatever you said was true?" What the hell? Why am I gossiping so much? I just needed to know whether she was a threat or not. By her words, she is clearly not.

"No. No. It's not needed."

"Otherwise, are you planning to stalk me during the entire function?" She seemed slightly annoyed. I wish to kill myself at this moment.

"Ok. Happy, Miss Paranoid." She said and started playing with her mobile. Tell me. She showed me a photo of her and... Who is he, Karan or Kabir? Both were smiling so brightly.

"Happy now." She looked angry.

"I am sorry for being nosy." I feel like I opened her wounds. Aaku. Yaar.

"No, no. It's ok. You were just asking for your friend's sake." She said in a low voice. I am feeling guilty now. If she is going to attend this wedding, won't she meet him?

"You don't need to feel sad. I have moved on from him." It clearly doesn't look like you have. She was on the verge of tears.

"Did he hurt you? Or gave you unforgettable pain?" I asked subconsciously. I placed my palm to cover my face as I realized what I asked. "You can avoid answering the question." She smiled.

"He did, but at the same time, he made me realize my worth in his life." she said and patted my shoulder and left. Aaku, you idiot, What the heck did you do? Why make her remember some horrifying moments? I am feeling bad. What about that idiot who hurt her? Who is it, Karan or Kabir?

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