Siddarth's POV

"Why did you say I am your sister's to be husband? I am your husband and you are my wife. Get this into your head"

What she said next shocked me to the core.....

"You love my sister and I am just a burden for you for the coming year. I have had this in my head since day one" she said in a firm tone.

I shook my head in denial because it's not the truth. How can she think this way?....Or even worse, how can she consider herself a burden?.....I just said harsh words to her that night out of anger and even apologized genuinely. What is this one year about dude....We never did any sort of contract marriage.....Oh my god! She is stuck on the one sided proposal of her sister on the wedding day....Stupid girl....She is my wife and I am getting comfortable with this idea observing her behaviour but she is on some other track.....

"NO! IT'S NOT TRUE" I almost shouted but her expressions did not change even a bit, flinching is a far off idea (What? In general people almost shiver at my tone flinching is just a glimpse)

"YOU ARE MY WIFE. Not some contract. I don't care what happens after a year but I don't love Neha. Moreover, who the hell told you that you are a burden?" I roared.

I absolutely hate the word burden now. I am not head over heels for her...yet...but how can she call herself that when she isn't one...

"Ok, I got your point. I am not a burden but a responsibility instead. As we don't know what the future exactly holds for us. Let's become friends. What do you say?" she asked.

Hmmm...Friendship is the best start so I just nodded.

"Hello, I am Siddarth Roy" I said and forwarded my hand for a handshake.

"Hey, I am Riya Shekhawat" she said and put her hands into mine and they just felt perfect.

"Stop calling yourself that" I told her.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"You are Mrs. Riya shekhawat Roy or better Mrs Riya Siddarth Roy, whatever you like" I told her as a matter of fact. I am not asking her to change her identity for me but at least add me in.

She just smiled and said "Hey, I am Riya"

I looked at her questioningly and understanding my doubt she said "I will say that to my friend once I get comfortable."

I was happy that she called me her friend but she did not say her complete name but I guess I have to wait for now. Then she took her hand back and muttered a quick "bye" and left my cabin.

I stood there still feeling her touch and as I came out of my trance I realised that she has no means of transport to go back and she just left like that. I had to run behind her and my employees were looking at me wide eyed but I couldn't care less so I just ran towards the parking area. I reached there and started to search for her nearby. After looking around for a minute I saw her walking on the other side of the road in the scorching heat. Is she mad or what...I thought. People will laugh it out when I say Riya shekhawat Roy was walking on the roadside without any means of transport and I am sure nobody is gonna believe me.

I crossed the road and indicated to my driver to follow us. I ran behind her and caught her wrist and she stiffened and became alarmed. She turned around with fury in her eyes but thank god she cooled down when she saw me.

"What happened Mr. Roy?" she asked me amused.

I tried to ignore the fact that she addressed me more formally than my employees. She could have called me 'SIR' also (note the sarcasm guys). I just tried but then all my rationality went into the drain and instead of asking her to come along with me I told her

"I am your friend now so you should drop this formality and call me by my name"

"Ok fine Siddarth, what are you doing here?" she asked.

My name sounds so soothing in her voice. Get a grip on your thoughts Siddarth.

"Come, let's go home together. Sit in the car, it's too hot outside" I said, pointing towards my car.

"Don't worry. I am not walking in this scorching heat for the first time you know and I am not going home right now" she said.

"You can't even agree with me for once" I said and she pouted. She looks cute.

She nodded and we both settled ourselves in the car comfortably. As we started moving I asked

"Where do you want to go?"

"Drop me at the willow garden" she said (A/n--Imaginary place guys) 

" what! Why the hell do you want to go to the other side of the city in this hot weather?" I asked.

"Will you drop me or not?" she asked in a monotone and I had to agree.

Many questions started running in my mind and as if she has the ability to read minds she said "Shoot. Start with your questions".

I just looked at her and she shrugged and said "your frown says it all"

I nodded and said "I have a lot of questions". She nodded and said "I am all ears" peeping into the most interesting thing for her called her mobile.

"why the hell did you give all the drivers a leave on the same day? "I asked and she chuckled.

"I don't find anything funny" I said in a monotone.

"Sorry, but how can such a silly question disturb someone" she said and I glared at her and she stopped chuckling and answered seriously "Actually today there is the wedding of one of my driver's called Mir so all including me were invited. All the drivers wanted to go. I asked them to attend it in rounds, I mean 4 at a go and 6 were on duty and obviously Mir had to be at his wedding. Then suddenly a panicked Mir called me and asked for help as his father fell down from stairs and the situation went critical so I couldn't help him in any other way than sending 4 more drivers to his help--" she said.

"How can you send 4 of your personal drivers to his help when it could prove to be a hindrance for you and wait, as far as I know you have 11 drivers at your service so where did that one driver go except for the one who dropped your team?" I asked, interrupting her.

"Breathe man, let me finish" she said and I again started to wait impatiently to hear her out. Even though I don't know this side of me as usually I am least interested in such topics but she is different. I have never met someone like her. Any rich girl or self made billionaire like her won't be so humble or listen to harsh words by anyone.

"The driver left to pick veena from the airport as she is returning back today. Shyam Ji, I mean the driver who came to drop my team today has been working with us for the last 4 years and he was the only one left and all my cars were also busy so I told him to drop my team" she continued. Yes, Veena had gone to London in case I forgot to tell you.

"Then as the car couldn't fit us all so I asked Shyam Ji to lend me his scooty for some time and on the way the scooty met with an accident--"

At the word accident I couldn't control myself and shouted cutting her off:

"WHAT, HOW" I hurriedly asked, holding her hands in mine and started checking for any wounds on her body.

"Why the hell did you drive that thing? Are you hurt? How did you meet with an accident? Should I call the doctor ?" I panicked and she looked at me shocked for a minute and said "Calm down Siddarth, I am alright. Let me complete it."

"Actually a little girl was standing in the middle of the road crying for her mother and in order to save herself I had to divert my scooty a little and it crashed into a car. Thank god nothing much happened except for a little foot injury" she said and stopped abruptly as if she had said the forbidden and I realised that she revealed getting hurt to me. I told the driver to stop the car and began to inspect her wound.

Silly girl...The wound wasn't too deep but there was dried blood all over clearly indicating she had royally ignored it. Wait, she was working and attending the meeting perfectly even after being hurt. Is she a wonder woman? I thought.

I got the first aid kit for the driver and started to dress her wound and as I applied the antiseptic she hissed "Ouch!" and I said "Wow! Now it's paining and since morning you were running here and there and now pulling this stunt of walking on the road. Is the pain playing hide and seek? Riya, you should have at least dressed the injury properly."

I looked up from her foot to find her smiling with glassy eyes. I raised my eyebrows questioningly because I can't understand why she is smiling like a fool when I am scolding her in my typical no-nonsense tone.

"Now what makes you smile? The paining foot or my scolding" I asked.

"Actually after mom's death except Veena nobody has ever cared about me getting hurt like this" she said.

I hugged her tightly and she stiffened but I cared less. After dressing the wound properly we continued our journey and we both sat back on our previous positions. I gestured to her to continue her tale and she nodded.

"Then I helped the girl cross the road and we began to search for her mother. We found her standing at an Ice cream shop and I handed over the girl to her mother asking her to be careful from now onwards. Then I somehow managed to drive the scooty and came to your office and told Shyam ji to get the scooty repaired as a bit of its paint got spoiled and the headlight was to be repaired. He agreed but started asking me about the details of the accident and questioning about my well-being and as I was getting late I skipped his questions and went to the washroom nearby to make myself a bit more presentable as the accident left me with dust on my clothes." she said and I interrupted her again.

"As far as I clearly remember, your team members told me that you were on a call so how come" I asked.

"In that team most of the men consider me as their sister and being the protective brother's they are they would have taken drastic steps like postponing the meeting or sending me on bed rest for a week so I decided to keep this event to myself and told them that I would be there in five minutes as I was busy on a call" she told me shrugging her shoulders.

I smiled at her answer and she asked "What makes you smile? Are there any more questions left?" She asked in one go.

"Answering your first question, your family status makes me smile and secondly no, I still have questions left" I answered. Seeing her quiet I continued:

"With a swelling in your leg and the sun at your head, why do you want to go to a garden?" I asked.

"To eat Ice-cream" she answered casually looking into her phone.

"Are you freaking nuts...Have you got a brain?...For an Ice cream you want to travel to the other side of the city?" I was more than shocked. For just an ice cream, we were travelling to the other side of the city.

"Yes, I have a brain but I ignore it when my heart demands. Moreover I love the ice-cream of that place as my mother loved it and we always had it from the same place" she answered without even looking at me. She shares a very deep bond with her mother, I observed. I felt sorry for her loss.

Sometimes I realise that she is exceptionally calm when I am almost screaming like a mad man questioning her choices. Neha used to shout even louder for little things and I used to hate it. Is she really her sister...I wonder.

"Any more questions mister?" she asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Yes, my last question is; you stormed out of my office as if you had a means of transport to go to that garden but in reality the cabs were on strike today and buses and three-wheelers are available only near the bus stand which is 5 kms from that place, how the hell were you going to reach that garden with that swollen foot?" I asked.

"Stop with this what the hell, first. Secondly I had two options. The first was to walk 5 kms and the second one was to call Alina, a friend who lives nearby and she could drop me in her car" she answered in a firm tone which I did not mind at all which is again opposite to my usual self.

"You could have called me asked me for help as it was better and easier than your other stupid ideas" I asked as a matter of fact.

"I don't like to ask for help," she answered in a low voice.

"You couldn't ask for help but walk 5 kms with that pain and just like Alina now I am also your friend so why couldn't you ask me?" I asked her, clearly annoyed.

"I wouldn't have asked Alina for help, I would have ordered her as she is my friend and it's not the same case. Now stop with your questionnaire as we have arrived at our destination" she answered. She acts a bit bossy sometimes...huh...'But you like it' my brain mocked me.

I quickly went out and opened the door for her considering her swollen foot. She came out and started walking towards the vendor slowly but with lots of excitement. She refused my help and I had to agree as I know this stubborn girl. 'She is cute' my mind told me and a genuine smile adorned my lips.

She reached the vendor and he instantly gave her two scoops of Choco-chip ice cream with extra chocolate sauce as if he knew her order. She greeted the vendor and he asked about me. It was clear that he was also a part of her family.

"He is my friend," she answered the vendor. I did not feel bad as we had to take it slow.

"What would you like to have son?" the vendor asked me.

"The same as hers" I answered looking at her smiling face. I don't like chocolate much but just to accompany her I agreed to have it.

We settled on the nearby bench and started relishing the ice cream which was tastier than expected. Suddenly a question popped in my mind and I asked her "Why do you love Veena more than your own family?". Seeing her a bit uncomfortable I said "If you don't' want to---"

She cut me short and said "Veena was married in her teenage years and her husband divorced her after two months of marriage when she became pregnant as he was not ready for the responsibility. Society never supported her and her parents never wanted her back. She left her hometown and came to the city and started working as a maid in shekhawat Villa. I was just a young girl at that time crying over the loss of my mother with no one by my side. She proved to be an angel as she started treating me as her own sister and showered me with love. Our bond got deeper and during her pregnancy period I acted like her sibling caring and helping her. She gave birth to a beautiful daughter Shreya who is currently studying in London. As her daughter grew up I enrolled her in a part time college and she became educated. I told her to leave this job of a housemaid and join a job which matched her qualifications. She refused and said she would never leave my side as she considers me her sister. I agreed to her on a condition that she would work only for me and not follow orders of others. She always remains with me through thick and thin and as you say I have a big family" she said laughing out loud and the first time I saw the smile reaching her eyes. 

With this questionnaire our ride ended and we went back home only to face two angry people shouting and creating a scene.

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