Lies About Us

The Night

--MAAHIR POV--- 

After our family left, some acquaintances came by and kept us occupied. When we were ready to leave, it was raining heavily. "My place is closer. We should go there," I suggested as her house is farther than mine. She turned towards me and responded, "No, I'm not staying at your place. I don't have my things. Just have your driver drop me off." Why can't this girl cooperate right now, I took a breath and said "Haarika, I am not letting you sit in the car which is not driven by me in this weather. You are staying at my place till the rain stops". She initially protested, she eventually agreed but requested a change of clothes since her current outfit wasn't comfortable. While heading towards the car she spoke "Alright I'm driving the car" Although I wanted to drive but I couldn't refuse her., We got into the car, and she drove us through the slippery roads and blurred view caused by the rain, none of us spoke during the whole ride only sounds were the raindrops and the radio playing softly. She focused intently on driving, not even glancing at me. Once we arrived at my place, I parked the car. As I looked outside, I realized that the weather was getting worse with thunder and lightning. It seemed like a cloudburst, and she might have to spend the night here which made me anxious.

How come all my decisions r making the situation worse, I just dig my own grave.

--HAARIKA POV--

I will be spending the night at Singhania Mansion as the rain shows no sign of stopping and the roads are dangerous to travel on. As I take a look around the living room, I observed the luxurious decor. The mansion is truly fitting of the Singhania's name- mysterious, dark and powerful yet homely in the certain corners. As I examine the pictures on the mantle, I am drawn to one in particular. It features two children dressed in traditional attire, holding hands. It dawns on me that they must be the Singhania brothers. As I glanced to my left, I noticed Maahir's father standing with a woman and two children. Presumably, the woman was their mother, but where was she? My thoughts were interrupted by Maahir offering me a bag. "Thank you," I replied as he led me to the guest room which apparently happens to be next to his own room. "Maahir," I called out to him. He responded with a thoughtful "hmm." "Where is your mom? I haven't seen her since we met." I saw his demeanor changed. It was clear that this was a sensitive topic for him. "It's alright if you don't want to talk about it," I reassured him, taking his hand. Maahir gave me a small smile and told me that he would be in the next room if I needed anything. I said goodnight with a smile, and he disappeared.

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Glancing at the clock, I saw that it was 3:00 am. I haven't been able to sleep due to unnecessary thoughts and now I feel hungry, Ughh this late-night hunger. What should I do? After giving it some thought, I decided to call Maahir and tell him about my hunger. Though it might be embarrassing, it's nothing compared to the feeling of hunger.

--MAAHIR POV--

I changed into comfortable clothes and lay on the bed, reflecting on the day's events. From attending the party to bringing Haarika home, I couldn't help but wonder why her presence affected me so much. I reminded myself that it was just a contract deal. However, Haarika's sudden question about my mother caught me off guard. Just then, my phone rang interrupting my thoughts, it displayed "Haarika Rathod." Is everything alright?  

I answered the call "Hello," I greeted Haarika. "Is everything okay? Do you need anything?" She hesitated before responding "A-actually, I'm feeling a bit hungry." There was silence for a moment before I replied, "No problem. Come to the kitchen and we'll find something to eat." "Okay," she said before quickly ending the call. 

--HAARIKA POV--

As I exit the guest room, I hear the sound of utensils clinking which lead me towards the source of the noise where I find him standing in all his glory. Watching him set the plates is unexpectedly arousing, his posture is impeccable, and he looks incredibly attractive even in his simple clothes. I mentally scold myself for my thoughts, Stop reading so much fictional romance. "Are you going to sit or not?" he asks, not turning around. Did he catch me ogling? God! No... "Yes," and make my way to the chair. He politely pulls it out for me.

--MAAHIR POV--

As we sat down at the table, I served her the pasta I had just made for her, realizing that all the workers had gone home. "Aur Dalo," she said, amusing me with her behavior. I smiled and served her more, then settled down beside her. I waited for her to take a bite, and when she did, she moaned a little. Don't think anything dirty, Maahir, I scolded myself. "It's so tasty, perfectly cooked." She complimented me, and I smiled and responded, "Thank you." She then asked me, "When did you learn to cook?" I replied, "When I went to America for my further studies. As I already knew some basics, my mom taught me in childhood."  "That's why you're so good at this," she said, and went back to eating. At that moment, I realized that she didn't have a good bond with her parents. "Yes-yes" I said playfully and eat along.

Once we finished eating, we both worked together to wash the dishes and then went to our own rooms.

NEXT MORNING

I woke up at my usual time, but I didn't get any sleep due to my hyperactive brain. All I could think about was my marriage and how my behavior around her doesn't come naturally. I don't understand why my actions don't cooperate with my brain. I made a contract deal with her, but I feel like I'm already losing control. I got up, did some exercises, and got dressed for the day.

SKIP TIME

On my way to work, I offered to give her a ride back home. During the ride, she spoke "You spell your name with a double A, is that for prosperity?" I answered her "No, it was because my mother spelled it that way when I was born." she made an O face then spoke "I spell my name with a double A as well; I don't know why." I nodded and returned my focus to driving. When we arrived at her home, she thanked me and said goodbye. However, I couldn't help but remember the way her dark eyes looked at me last night when we were eating. The memory of her gaze stayed vividly in my mind.

... AUTHOR'S POV...

After a few days, on a chilly evening, Samar joined Haarika for a late-night video call over hot chocolate. They both sat on the sofa, wrapped in a blanket, with cups of steaming hot chocolate in their hands. Haarika asked, "When are you coming here?" to which Samar replied, "Soon! Don't worry, I will be present at your engagement." However, Samar was concerned about Haarika's happiness and asked, "Do you really want this marriage or is your situation forcing you to accept the proposal aka contract deal". Haarika was not entirely happy with how her life was going, and she often complained about it to Samar. She replied, "He is an understanding man," but she was still trying to figure out if the marriage was the right decision for her. "Are you certain you want to get married? The idea of being married to a stranger can be unsettling. You don't really know this person well enough to make such commitment. Have you considered how you can decide to stay with someone you barely know?" Samar expressed his thoughts. "That's an arranged marriage does for you. We at least get to know the person a little bit, whereas in previous generations, they barely got a picture or a bio data if they were lucky. Also, it's a contract marriage right not like I have to spend my whole life with him" That night, Haarika couldn't sleep as she thought about whether she was making the right decision. One of the factors that convinced her father to agree to the alliance was that Maahir came from a well-respected family. Moreover, his family seemed to like Haarika, which was a bonus as it would prevent potential issues after marriage.

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