Author pov
Aarvi was waiting at the Columbia Square subway with her heart in her mouth. As soon as the train arrived, Aarvi struggled to enter and surprisingly found a vacant seat.
She couldn't stop thinking about how difficult it was for her to afford the tickets for Advait Thakur 's event. She couldn't stop wondering if she would get the chance to meet the man she deeply admired.
She had her fingers crossed and decided that upon fulfillment of her dream, she would forget her diet and treat herself with a brownie. She was desperate and nervous at the same time.
Amidst this bucket full of emotions and excitement, She couldn't stop but think about Rishi's words. Rishi was Olivia's best friend and was the one to arrange the passes. Perks of working in an Ad agency!
Rishi had mentioned earlier that Thakur's family might get into trouble very soon.
" I had overheard my boss speaking with someone on the phone.. They were discussing a big scandal associated with famous business tycoon Manav Thakur being exposed soon.. You can make your Advait aware of it.. hahaha" Rishi said teasingly.
It seemed there were many skeletons in the Thakur family's closet.
Aarvi actually took Rishi 's suggestion seriously and thought that she could notify Advait about the situation. However, it was almost irrational. All she wanted was to see Advait Thakur once.
She was so much into Advait that the wallpaper of her phone did the talking. She kept gazing at the picture. She sidelined all the thoughts coming to her mind and decided to focus on her looks. She kept checking out herself on the black screen of her cell phone.
In order to distract herself, she quickly pulled out a lipstick from her brand new bag and applied it. She constantly assured herself that she is the prettiest and she was supposed to leave no stone unturned to get Advait 's attention.
She quickly cleaned her 8- Inches stilettos that had some mud on them due to the sudden rain outside and gawked at the wallpaper on her cell phone screen again.
She realized that the people sitting around were staring at her witnessing her weird actions.
❃.✮:▹ ◃:✮.❃
The lobby of The Hilton looked no less than a palace. The chandelier reminded Aarvi of the Prince's castle in Cinderella.
It was a big day for famous business tycoon Manav Thakur and his family as his only son Advait Thakur was awarded 'Young Businessman of the year" the previous day. In order to celebrate this achievement, a party was arranged for high-profile industrialists, media personalities, and some close friends.
The Hilton was flooded with paparazzi.
Standing at the line near the main gate of The Hilton, Aarvi felt nervous, restless, hopeful, and frightened. It felt as if she was living a dream. She showed her ticket to the bouncer standing at the entryway, anticipating that she may not be allowed to go inside. However, she was thrilled when her pass was stamped and she was asked to move forward.
Aarvi could not believe her luck.. " It seems even the universe has decided for us to meet today Advait ", she thought to herself and with that, she walked inside..
Aarvi couldn't stop gazing at the huge crowd. The hall was filled with charming men in tuxedos, gorgeous women in designer clothes, and a lavish buffet.
Suddenly she sensed the excitement in the air. The reporters and journalists present became alert. Finally, the man of the hour ' Advait Thakur' arrived. He looked like a dream. The moment he entered, all the cameras flashed on him, adding to his grandeur. His personality reflected nothing
"He looks better than my imagination",
Olivia muttered to herself. She couldn't move or take her eyes off him.
He walked past her, greeting everyone and waving to the reporters and reached the stage. Olivia stood still at her place.. Stunned by Advait's presence. She came back to senses when Advait grabbed the microphone and started speaking.
" Good evening everyone, Thank you for being here.. I am overwhelmed with the kind of admiration and love I have received and the immense support and trust each one of you has shown in my capabilities. I feel like I have conquered the world today. Whatever I have achieved today is thanks to the love and support bestowed on me. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my dad and give credit to him as well for my success. Though it's unfortunate that due to an important business deal he is not present here, I am sure he is always there to back me up. I hope we will have more such opportunities to interact. However, right now we have gathered here to celebrate. So ladies and gentlemen .. let the party begin and enjoy the night.. This admiration, love, and fame are more than what I could have ever asked for. I appreciate your presence and I can't thank you enough for your support and trust.I promise to keep your trust and faith intact. I hope I will exceed all your expectations. I truly believe that we will get more such opportunities to interact in the future" Advait orated his speech and expressed.
Advait then grabbed a bottle of champagne from the attendant standing nearby and popped it open. As the champagne bubbled out it marked the endeavor of a grand night ahead for everyone present at the party.
As soon as Advait moved to walk down from the stage, he was interrupted by one of the journalists present in the crowd. " Excuse me,Mr. Thakur , you did not even allow us to speak...please don't ignore our presence. We were looking forward to a question and answer session with you" the journalist complained..
"Oh come on .. Mr. Sehgal .. This is an informal party kept to celebrate my accomplishment... relax and enjoy the party.. We can definitely have a quick session of Q & A later.. But right now just grab a drink and enjoy." Advait replied avoiding the situation wisely..
"Sure Mr. Thakur , but it's strange that today is such an important day for your career but your father is not present here with you to celebrate..", The journalist interrogated.
, " I can not agree more. Unfortunately, he had to rush to New York for an important business meeting," Advait answered arrogantly and then waved to one of the waiters, asking him to serve the journalist a bubbly glass.
.
Every single person at the party was just admiring Advait Thakur .. After all, there was grandeur reflected in his aura.. Advait 's charm and his incredible good looks could make any girl's heart skip a beat.
Advait had achieved a lot at the young age of 25 and the happiness of achieving this success was visible on his face. His face was beaming with the glory of his success.
On the other hand, Aarvi who was standing at one end of the hall, couldn't stop admiring Advait even for a sec. She just kept gazing at him.
She wanted to register each and every moment of this day in her mind. Her eyes could not stop checking out Advait Thakur .. Her eyes fell on his well-groomed hair and traveled to his body which seemed toned and fit.
Advait was walking around the room, meeting people and having conversations while moving around. He had a constant smile on his face as he met people. This was an important party for him as it was the first time that he was meeting everyone on his own, representing his father and his company. A lot was at stake for Advait today.
Aarvi , on the other hand, was thinking about her obsession for Advait Thakur and how she followed every update and news related to Advait for the last two years.
She recalled the first time when she had seen a picture of Advait on the front page of ' The Washington Times. Titled as 'The Rising Star' was a detailed piece on him. Reading Advait 's interview, Aarvi found him extremely intelligent and his thoughts on some of the global issues had instilled a sense of attraction in Aarvi's heart.
Since that day, Aarvi left no stone unturned to read and follow pieces on Advait . And it was this craziness for the young tycoon that got Aarvi to this high-profile event.
Aarvi was constantly assuring herself that all this was not a dream and she was in Advait Thakur 's party for real.
While she was submerged in her thoughts, she did not realise Advait walking past her. Noticing the close reach Olivia began to motivate herself to make use of this opportunity.
" You can do it, Aarvi , it's now or never" she mumbled
And suddenly, she walked up to Advait and stood in front of him.
"Hi Mr. Thakur , I am Aarvi ". She introduced.
Advait was taken aback by Aarvi's bold approach. He stared at her from top to toe and was dazzled with her beauty. Her waist-length curly hair had covered a portion of her face and her soft pink lips had a quiver reflecting nervousness.
Dressed in a royal blue floor-length off-shoulder gown, Aarvi looked exceptionally beautiful. Advait could not help but get attracted to her instantly.
He couldn't stop gazing at her. For some reason, Advait wanted to speak to her that very moment, however, he greeted Aarvi and moved forward.
Aarvi 's confidence and her beauty were attractive features of her personality. Advait was checking out Aarvi whenever possible, However, Advait being the casual self that he was then deviated from observing Aarvi properly.
Meanwhile, she was slightly disappointed as their conversation wasn't long. It was barely even a conversation. But she was adamant about sharing her feelings with Advait and also informing her about the scandal.
Aarvi started following him, she started going everywhere he went. People at the party began to wonder who this woman was. They were curious to know more about her. Some of them could not stop themselves from asking Advait directly, "who is this girl who is walking along with you?"
Hearing some of these questions Advait looked around and looking at Aarvi he frowned in confusion. But Advait did not reveal that he did not know this girl that everyone was talking about.
He excused himself from the person standing in front of him and walked past Aarvi . " Hey you, Come with me" Advait whispered to her.
Aarvi 's excitement reached a new level on being called like that by Advait and she silently started walking behind. She paid no attention to Advait's infuriated expression.
Once they reached an isolated lobby where they were alone, Advait turned around and held aarvi's arm tightly with anger.
" What's your problem? Who are you? Why are you following me like that? With whose reference are you here to attend this party" Advait bombarder Aarvi with a series of questions.
"Oh, God.. relax.. So many questions.. At least breathe..ask these questions one by one so that I can answer them.." Aarvi replied, flapping her eyelids.
" Look, girl.. Don't try to be over smart with me.. Got it .. just tell me who you are" Advait yelled sternly.
Seeing Advait so angry, Aarvi began to lose her confidence. His anger made her shiver. She was scared and answered nervously " Sir, I am Aarvi and I am a big fan of yours.. I got the passes to your event through one of my friends who is a journalist. I even treated him to a 5-star hotel for this .. you know.."
Aarvi could feel the pain in her arm, as Advait tightened his grip.
"Fan...that's silly.... am I a movie star that I would have a fan following.. Stop giving me lame excuses and tell me quickly, who are you..?.. I am asking you for the last time" Advait asked again but this time in an angry tone.
"But, I am telling you that I am Aarvi . I am a big fan of yours and I really admire and like you.. I am crazy about you.." Aarvi blurted out repeating herself.
The innocence on Aarvi 's face came across sharply as Advait released her arm. He was attracted to Olivia's boldness and checked her out from top to toe. "So Ms. Aarvi .. May I know how big of a fan you are of mine" Advait inquired teasingly.
Aarvi composed herself and replied with a sarcastic laugh, " Oh that... you have no idea.. I am so crazy about you and your work that I can even take a bullet for you Mr. Thakur ". Saying this Aarvi stared at Advait with utmost confidence.
There was something about those eyes that Advait could not stop looking at them. He turned around and said " Now this is too much" and laughed.
Before Aarvi could say anything further, they were interrupted by Advait 's manager 'Madhav'. " Excuse me, Sir, may I have a word with you... sorry to bother you but a problem has occurred".
Madhav informed Advait softly.
" There's a party going on and it's a night to enjoy Madhav .. And you are still stuck with problems.. Go inside, get a drink and loosen up a bit.. We can discuss problems in the office tomorrow", Advait instructed with an irritation in his tone.
" My apologies sir, however, you need to know a few things on an urgent basis... It is unavoidable." Madhav informed.
Before Madhav could complete, Advait moved ahead, " Ok let's go", Advait ordered and walked giving a quick glance at Aarvi .
Aarvi understood the criticality of the situation and started to leave but Advait stopped her and instructed, "You will stay here till I come back, get it" and walked away along with Madhav to the other end of the lobby.
Advait went inside a room and rested himself on a big lounge chair. He lit a cigarette from his case and then questioned, "So tell me, what was so urgent that you could not wait till tomorrow and we had to leave the party and come here"
Madhav looked at Advait with full empathy and said, " Advait , I hate to tell you this, but some people have got their hands on some confidential news related to your father".
"Oh Madhav , I appreciate your proactiveness but you have to be more specific. Fill me in, what is going on.. What news are you referring to?" Advait asked confusingly.
Madhav struggled and found it hard to tell Advait about his father's whereabouts.
He somehow gathered the courage and said, " Advait , you know I am always here for you. No matter what people say, I will always protect the Thakur family. Advait , apparently this is inside info in the media that your father is hooking up with a top model in Los Angeles. Journalists are talking about it and are trying to tarnish the image of the Thakur family".
Advait was shocked. He had been worshipping his father. He believed him to be the best man on this planet who loved his family and his wife.. Not even in the wildest dream, Advait could have imagined infidelity from his father.
"Have you lost your mind, Madhav ? How could you even talk about my father like this? You know he's a gem of a person. He's the best Madhav . People talk when they are jealous of your power. They have nothing better to do. That's the media's job." Advait yelled with anger.
Madhav did not say anything and stood quietly at his place.
"Do you believe this?" Advait questioned roughly, breaking the silence in the room.
" If I would have heard it from someone else, never in my wildest dream would I have believed it, But whatever everyone is discussing..", Madhav paused for a minute and then continued, " It's the truth, Advait , I have witnessed it with my own eyes" Madhav revealed.
Listening to this, Advait froze in his place. He didn't know what to do now.
Upon listening to Madhav , Advait was in a state of complete shock. The pressure of handling this was immense. He hoped this to be a nightmare.
"Dad can never do this to his family. How could he have an affair?" He tried to convince himself.
"This is not true and I should believe this" Advait thought.
Advait looked at Madhav who seemed worried and helpless. Madhav was tense and his facial expressions were a clear indication of the gravity of the matter.
Advait felt helpless and blank. However, analyzing the current situation, he pulled himself together and realized that he needed to act with more maturity.
It took him a while to calm down and speak, " This news should not go out of this room under any circumstances. Got it!" Advait instructed Madhav sternly.
"This can't get public. We have to stop this", Advait added.
"But how are we going to do that Sir, it is easier said than done", replied Madhav nervously.
After thinking for some time, Advait responded "Madhav you go and handle the party and let me see what needs to be done about this whole situation. If this news goes out in public, it can destroy the reputation of my family and business empire. I cannot let this happen. We need to find some solution to this whole thing soon."
" Yes sir, you are right. But I have a suggestion to make. Sir to subside this news from becoming the headlines of tomorrow why don't we come up with something which is much more sensational. I mean if we create a bigger piece and give the media something juicier to gossip about then they will not bother to pay heed to any other information. They will have their news and we can protect the private life of Mr. Thakur . I think that should work as of now." Madhav suggested in a concerned manner.
"Hmm" Advait replied, taking a deep breath.
When Madhav opened the door to leave, he found Aarvi standing at the doorstep.
Taking a glance at Aarvi who stood still, Advait rushed towards her and asked "What are you doing here? Were you evesdropping and secretly listening to our conversations?" he inquired with his eyebrow raised. Seeing him in that temper, Aarvi got a little scared. Denying his allegation, she stuttered, "No, Mr. Thakur . It was you who asked me to stay back. I was just doing what was asked and waiting for you."
While answering Advait , Aarvi was cursing herself in her head.
"Yeah, I did tell you to wait but not to follow me around like a stalker," Advait replied annoyingly.
Advait started to doubt if Aarvi had overheard the conversation. Narrowing his eyelids in anger, he furiously questioned her, "I told you to wait in the hotel lobby and not here. What on earth are you doing here?".
Aarvi did not see this coming. She was frightened to see Advait get mad at her and she was clueless about what to say. Aarvi did not know how to tell Advait that this was her first visit to a luxurious hotel and that everything amused her. She found everything so fascinating and beautiful that she lost herself in that fancy jazz.
Keeping his eyes on her, Advait asked Madhav to leave. "You can leave, for now, I will figure something out and let you know," Advait instructed.
As soon as Madhav left, Advait turned towards Aarvi and in an authoritative voice instructed her, "Come Inside".
Advait wondered if she eavesdropped and heard everything. The thought scared him.
Being asked to come inside made Aarvi a little uncomfortable. She did not feel right about going inside a hotel room with Advait . However, looking at his stern face, she dropped the idea of turning him down and thus, followed him inside.
Advait sat on the bed and asked her to occupy the couch. He lit a cigarette and looked at her. After a while, he finally spoke,"So you are Aarvi , and you admire me right?"
She nodded her head instantly to show affirmation to whatever he asked.
"Well, you did come up with a nice story, but I am having a hard time believing it. So let me ask you straight away, why were you eavesdropping?" Advait responded.
Aarvi had no option but, to tell the truth. She was a little hesitant at first but then she spoke coyly, "I hate to tell you this Mr. Thakur , but this is my first experience at a luxurious hotel like this. I was so fascinated by all the decor and interior that I started exploring. Everything shines like a diamond here and that got me so engrossed in them that I did not realize when and how I landed outside your room. I think you will get it when I say that when something that you have been dreaming of for the last two years, suddenly becomes a reality, you tend to not think clearly. Your mind gets cloudy".
While finally opening up to him, one could easily sense a hint of affection and admiration in the tone of Aarvi's words.
Advait as staring at her all this time and did not know how to react.
After pausing for a second or two, Aarvi then looked at him and continued, "I wish I could tell you how much I adore you. I wish I could make you believe how much love and respect I carry in my heart for you."
Aarvi was desperate to tell Advait how badly she wanted to meet him and that she had been waiting for this for the last two years. She wanted to tell all of this to him. She wanted him to know what he meant to her. This was because she was well aware that fortune does not favor everyone every day in such a manner. She knew that this was the moment, a moment which may or may not ever come back.
All this while, Aarvi 's magnificent appearance, and her lustrous eyes captivated Advait . He was almost hypnotized with the way she expressed.
A bright shade of blue shimmer eyeshadow was peeking through her gorgeous eyelids, while the tiny light bulbs hanging all around the roof were making her golden locks shine and how.
Advait did not want to get involved in this. He began to convince himself to not get attracted to Aarvi .
"Oh my God, what did I land myself into?" he thought.
Just then, his phone rang. Rebuking himself in his mind, he got up from the bed and headed to the bar counter situated at the other corner of the room. While pouring a glass of whiskey, he answered the call, " Yes Madhav "
" Sir! I just called up to ask if you have come up with any plan. I am a little afraid of this news making it to the headlines. We need to stop that from happening. We have to do something as soon as possible because we don't have a lot of time in hand." Madhav replied anxiously. He reminded Advait to think of a plan as they needed to fix things quickly.
"Well, I have not thought of anything so far. Let's see what we can do. By the way, what is up with the media as of now? What is the status? and how are things outside?" Advait replied.
"Just a while back, two news channels approached me and asked a couple of questions about the matter. I dodged them somehow but we cannot do it for long. I guess, only those two channels know about this mess as of now. And I am sure they are planning to turn it into some breaking news. So, that would keep them from talking about it to any other media channel," Madhav answered.
Madhav was trying to look at the silver lining in the current situation.
Advait seemed to agree, "Hmm... Let's hope for the best" he uttered.
"But Sir, regardless of everything, you will have to enter the party with a solution in hand. Journalists from those two news channels have been waiting for you eagerly. It seems that the moment you will walk in here, they are going to storm you with all sorts of questions about this whole situation. The journalists have been waiting for you. They are yearning to bombard these questions at you," Madhav warned him.
"Well, the problem is that we have very little time in hand so we cannot even pay them some money to keep their mouths shut. Who knows if they take it up as a bribe and then turn it into another issue against us?" Advait replied.
"Do not worry much, I am here to handle things. I will get a plan soon and we will sort this out," Advait assured. He then disconnected the call.
Advait started to think and was inclined to make a decision real quick. His mind was thinking of all sorts of possible solutions to this problem. Though these kinds of tales were very common in the kind of society he belonged to... In high profile business class, affairs like these were heard of, every other day. However, he also knew that many of his clients purely work on the basis of ethics and morals.
Advait was scared of losing a lot of his clients and the fear of defamation was another aspect of the whole matter. He did not want the matter to affect his professional life in any way as that would destroy him completely. It was extremely essential for Advait to get this problem resolved quickly.
He moved towards the bar and poured some more whiskey. " Come on Advait , think of something, come on," he muttered to himself while he gulped down the glass.
He drank like a fish trying to subside his anxiety and helplessness.
In the meantime, Aarvi , who was still sitting on the couch, was delighted to be in the room with Advait Thakur ... She could sense that Advait was in a big problem, but she was living her dream. Before stepping into this dream, all she had thought of was to see Advait up close, which would have been more than enough to cater to her one-sided love, but now they were under the same roof. She could not believe how lucky her stars just got.
Aarvi just wanted to sit beside him and talk to him for hours. She had a bucket full of emotions and she felt her heart would explode if she did not convey everything to Advait that evening.
She wished she had a magic wand so she could cast a spell and get rid of all the stress in the room. She wanted to help him with all his tensions.
Finally gathering some courage she decided to break the awkward silence persisting in the room. She looked at Advait and said, "Mr. Thakur , you look a little worried. Is there something you want to talk about? Is something bothering you? Can I do something for you?"
"Will you help me?" Advait inquired in a heavy yet anxious voice.
He picked up his glass of whiskey and walked towards the center table. He sat on the table and continued, "Well, yes I am in big trouble and I would appreciate all the help. But how do you plan to help me?"
"I can take a bullet for you. I would do anything", Aarvi replied.
She had a broad smile on her lips while her eyes screamed confidence out loud. Advait then knew what to do. At that very moment, he found a solution.
Advait got up from his place and kept down the glass. He grabbed Aarvi by her hand and walked out of the room in a rush.
Aarvi could not make sense of his hurried footsteps as she tried to match up the pace.
"Where are we going Mr. Thakur ?" she asked nervously.
Advait glanced at her and stopped. They both stood just closer to the entrance of the hall where the party was held.
Advait checked the nod of his tie and replied arrogantly, " "We are going.. to test your admiration for me. Let's see if you can stand firm in all those claims you made just a while ago".
As he said this, he offered his hand, "just hold my hand and pretend that we are a couple, got it," Advait ordered authoritatively.
Aarvi could hardly make sense of anything that was happening, but she had no other option than to do as asked. She held Advait 's hand and together they walked inside the hall, slowly, like a couple. They boldly held hands and looked at the gathering. They managed to grab everyone's attention as they walked inside.
People started to wonder who the beautiful woman was, who was walking with Advait Thakur . They made all sorts of assumptions.
"Who is this girl," said one of the journalists.
"Is she his girlfriend?" another one questioned.
" That's strange! How did Advait Thakur manage to hide his relationship from the media?" the former added.
While everyone speculated, Advait had already reached the center with Aarvi . All the alcohol that Advait had, was now slowly impacting him. However, Advait still managed to keep himself controlled. He grabbed the mic kept on the table and stared at everyone present. He then looked towards Aarvi and passed on a smile.
Aarvi was clueless about what was happening. Everything happened so suddenly that she hardly got the time to reason with things.
Till now she was just functioning as a puppet in Advait Thakur's hands. However, she could observe a sense of contentment on Advait's face, as if he was well aware of what he was doing.
He began to speak.
"All of you must be wondering who this gorgeous lady is. I am sure you all want me to answer all your questions," Advait spoke and looked at Olivia with admiration. She reciprocated with a confused look on her face.
Advait did not stop there but continued. He looked at Aarvi and putting his hand on her waist, he pulled her close. Aarvi was taken aback by this sudden gesture of Advait and her awkwardness clearly reflected on her face.
"Stop being dumb. Don't you remember telling me how much you loved me and admired me and that you could do anything for me? So here is your golden chance, be my girlfriend and behave like one," Advait whispered softly to her sensing her resentment.
Hearing Advait's instruction, Aarvi immediately had a smile on her face as she muttered slowly, " But I did not tell you everything so that you could announce it publicly and pretend this whole couple thing."
"Whatever...Now just do as I say...," he replied.
Advait ignored her awkwardness.
Aarvi was left with no other option but to continue with the pretense. She was confused but was delighted too. It felt like a dream.
Seeing Aarvi smile, Advait continued, " Ladies and gentleman, meet my girlfriend. Aarvi , my love, my soulmate, and my world". As he announced, Advait pulled Aarvi closer and kissed her.
Aarvi was taken aback by this sudden action but she recalled Advait's instruction to pretend like his girlfriend and so she carried on with the act. She closed her eyes and pretended to enjoy the kiss shared to officially announce their relationship.
The amalgamation of alcohol and this fabulous kiss felt surreal to advait .
A series of flashlights filled the room. All the journalists present in that room wanted to capture that moment in their cameras and did not want to miss this chance. After all, this was breaking news.
As soon as the kiss was over, Aarvi felt emotional and began to wonder if all this was guff or did these mean something to Advait . She was lost in her thoughts.
Aarvi started to understand the intensity of the situation. She realized this was happening in front of the media. " Now what will happen," She wondered anxiously. She felt nervous as, after this incident, she was answerable to a lot of people.
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