You know, I had no plans of posting an update before 27th but then...I got a lot of inbox, message board and comments messages to update so here I am presenting before you a brand new chapter! Enjoy, comment and vote.

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Disha and Arjun loved each other since like forever. Or maybe that's what Disha bragged about during her entire teenhood.
I had always heard about this guy whose name was Arjun and his best friend Parth but never met them in person. Both of them were like brothers. Best friends forever.

As I have told you about this earlier, I wasn't much of a career oriented creature. I dreamt of getting married since childhood and that too to a nice guy who would be caring and loving...that's it! And I forgot the most important element trust. Again, I never thought about it...it was like 'if there's love, there's trust' and I was wrong.

My marriage checklist was all perfect but the moment things took an ugly turn in our lives, I quickly added a box signifying trust but it never got ticked...

Passion. Check
Love. Check
Care. Check
Compatibility. Check
Looks. Check
Sex. Check
Trust. ?

I had always cared for my family's reputation. I could do anything for them even though it won't get me the best outcome. I even sacrificed my dream college! I left everything...for him and for my family. How? Then let's jump to the darkest chapter of my life.

Eight years ago...

"Meera chill okay? Zara is all done with her packing and Kabir too is all set. I just have to do a last check of my stuff and I am also done. So now, you just go and chill," I said as I packed my lingeries in the lingerie bag.

"I still cannot believe it yaar. Zara, you and I are going to the same college dude...and Kabir and Zara are married. I know it will be a long distance kind of thing but...I know they will manage!" Meera said dreamily.

"God...life in New York is going to be so damn amazing. With three of us in the same apartment...we'll start from a scratch. It will be awesome," I squealed in joy.

"So, all the functions done?" She asked.

"What functions?" I asked, not taking a note of what she said as I was busy counting my magazines.

"Arre...that mehendi, sangeet and all and all," she stated.

"Oh yeah! All done. The wedding is tomorrow," I said as I took a last check of my backpack.

"Be on time Amaya. An hour early means an hour early," she said in a strict tone.

"As if you're going to be early," I taunted. This girl can never be on time..

"I will reach there two hours before," she said and we burst out laughing.

"Okay listen, is your mom coming to drop you at the airport?" She asked, acting all cautious types.

"Nah! She's busy. Driver and bhai!" I replied as I took a seat on the floor.

"Great and Mahira?" She asked

"Ughhh...she's is upset and her melodrama...don't go and how can you enjoy living in NYC and all," I said. "I mean she's my best friend but you know...it's complicated. Friendships these days," I added.

"Chill yah...she just wants you around. She just wants you around all the time but that's not possible!" Meera said.

"Yeah but...hmm...maybe," I couldn't agree more to her. It wasn't like she was wrong but she wasn't right either.

"So, checked your passpo-"

"Amy come, mom is calling you," bhai came in a hurry, panting for breath whereas I just hung up muttering a bye and descended downstairs.

I was shocked to see everyone standing in the drawing room like everyone. Mom, dad, badi maa, bade papa, Diya, all my buas, Disha's mamas and all the aunties as well as uncles and relatives. Everyone was tensed. The moment I arrived, their eyes were all on me.

"What happened?" I asked my brother who also joined them.

"Have you seen Disha?" Badi maa asked.

I nodded negatively. She burst out crying. My mother took her side and consoled her.

I didn't understand what was going on.

"Disha has left a letter that she is going away from Delhi in order to finish her studies and that she didn't want to get married this soon, although she loves Arjun," Diya explained.

Fuckkkkkkkkkkkkkk....what?

"Why...I mean...she was here with us in the morning isn't it?" I asked in a shocked state.

"Yes and now she isn't here," Bade papa said.

What she did is called running away...leaving the so-called love of your life!

"Now?" I just didn't know what to say next. It's such a large-scale wedding. It cannot be cancelled and the guests? They will have a new juicy gossip around.
And media? They will ruin everything...

"We will have to find a way out," my dad said in a very serious tone.

How can Disha be so insensitive and selfish? Does she even have a heart? She just literally ran away from her own wedding after doing all the ceremonies and she had the guts to state such a lame reason...I mean where was her guts when everyone asked her about the wedding? Where?

And Arjun? Poor guy...media won't leave this gossip anytime soon. It's midnight and today is her wedding...in the morning. At nine thirty...and she just eloped.

Badi maa couldn't stop crying like a typical Indian mother. If my daughter would have done that...which she would never do, I would have hunt her down rather than sitting and crying like this!

Everyone was tensed and cursing Disha like hell...

And I was like...I am leaving tomorrow! Great!!! Now how will I go? No ways...everything is messed up and I just can't leave. That's what my thinking.

"Amaya...come here," dad called me and asked me to follow him.

I did as he directed.
He gave a solemn gesture to mumma, as if he said that he will talk to me or something.

I didn't understand anything and then dad and I went into the mini library and took seats opposite to each other.

I was feeling like they were going to accuse me of why Disha ran away but something worse than this was going to come my way.

"Amaya...I know it's going to be difficult for you but..."

"But what papa?" His serious voice was freaking me out.

"Amaya see, our families are one of the most reputed families of India," he said.

Why is he telling me all this? I know...

"So?" I asked

"We cannot let our families' reputation sink, do you get me?" He asked.

He was trying to hint me something and I thought I was getting it but I didn't want to believe it...like really?

"No...I don't get you. Come straight," I said as I was getting a creepy feeling.

"Amaya...get married to Arjun," there he just said it...that's exactly what I was thinking and I AM NOT GOING TO DO THAT!

"No dad," I said as I felt I was about to burst the next moment.

"Why Amaya? Arjun is a nice guy!" He reasoned.

"Are you serious?" I shouted. "I am just nineteen. I am turning twenty after four months but it doesn't make sense. I want a life and I have dreams and-"

"Stop it Amaya. Is that the way you talk to your dad?" Mom came rushing inside the library.

"Mom...why aren't you getting this? I know...I know you people don't like me much but that doesn't mean you will marry me off to someone I haven't even spoken to even once," I gave all the possible reasons I had for not getting married.

And is marriage a simple ritual? No...there are so many ceremonies involved in it. So much of joy and celebration. I don't want to get married like this...not in any way. They will tell me today and marry me off tomorrow! This might have worked for others but not for me.

"I will not get married and that's my final decision," I said and stomped out of the room and while I was crying like a maniac, I could hear all my relatives talk in a very hush hush tone about my extremely rude behaviour and that girls like me should be married off as soon as possible or else we create problems for the society.

I don't give a Fuck!

I was crying continuously and felt my future was going into dark and I just couldn't believe that my father and mother wanted me to sit in Disha's place? I mean why would I??

At four in the morning I heard a knock at the door. It was mummy...I know and I wasn't going to open the door at any cost.

"What?" I shouted from inside.

"Amaya see...it isn't about your choice today. It's about our reputation. Please understand!" She begged.

"After Disha, it would have been you who would have got married and after all this...do you think anyone would agree to make alliance with us?" she asked.

"I can find someone for me who will love me. I don't need an arranged marriage for that. I don't want to get married now...mumma please," I just begged in the last line.

"Amaya...okay...listen. Baby...please open the door," the way she said this just melted my heart.

"See, you are my best baby in the world and I know you love your mumma...don't you?" I couldn't help but open the door and let her in.

"Mommy," I rarely get that warmth from her and if I am getting it...maybe she really means it.

She shut the door behind her and made me settle on the bed.

"Betu Arjun isn't a bad guy," she said.

"I know," I replied. "But just like Disha, even I want to continue my studies. I was going to go to New York today. It's my..." I sniffed and had a hiccup due to excessive crying.

"Dream," she completed. "But Amaya do you think it is right to be so selfish?" She asked.

I am not being selfish! Everyone thinks about themselves first.

"You are a grown up girl Amaya, just think about your father. Think about the whole family!" She reasoned and she was right.

But...

"And who said that marriage means end of studies and career?" She asked. "You will continue studying here. I have talked to the dean of NIFT and since you had already qualified for it but you chose New York, you are more than welcomed in this institution," she said and by just listening to the way she was explaining...I was convinced. Not whole heartedly but I thought that was the best and perhaps the only option for me.

"No one will marry Diya even if you will find someone for yourself. The market shares, society...everything will be over. You want that to happen?" She asked.

"And can you see me paying for someone I disliked my entire life?" I threw my question and I was right. Why would I do this for Disha? I never liked her.

"I am not forcing you now. It's your choice. I will tell your papa that you don't want to get married. You leave for New York today and we will see what's in for us next," she said and stood up to leave.

"I am ready to marry him," and my voice was so still. I couldn't believe marriage was going to come so soon to me and it I never thought it would be so heart breaking.

I didn't trust my own voice. I just said that. My mom turned around in shock and kept on staring at me like a madwoman.
Her expressions, I can never forget it...till date. She didn't seem to be happy at all with all this. Not at all. She was upset but wasn't she the one who convinced me?

Today, as I think of this incident, I realise, it wasn't mumma who wanted me to get married but papa...who isn't even my own father.

She came to convince me so that in the end she could send me away from everything...she could easily say that they cannot marry me off against my will but I Bing the biggest emotional fool in this world jumped in the ocean to save my family's drowning reputation. I could have easily escaped and saved myself from every mess that happened with Zara, Diya, Arjun, Parth and me.

Arjun and I got married that day but before that I was made to sign a few papers by my dad. He said it was for my benefit but I still don't know what was it.

Anyways...let's come back to reality. My past is a little too bitter to enjoy!

I walked into this lavish Italian restaurant, my eyes wandering in every direction to have a single glance of my children and my family.

I spotted them at a corner table laughing at something and Karan, Aahana and Aryan making faces at each other.

I just cannot explain my feelings. Seeing my kids here in front of my eyes...even before I expected to see them, it's awesome.

As Karan said, "Amy aunt is here," all my friends turned into my direction. They all smiled at me but Aahil seemed to look a little, I don't know...maybe upset? Tired I think. He has travelled all day maybe that's why.

"Hi Amaya," all of them said in unison. And although I expected Aahil to be the most cheerful, he wasn't.

"Hey mommy," Aryan and Aahana wrapped their arms around my legs.

Aww...adorable!

I bent down to their level and kissed both of them on their head.

"Welcome to India," I mumbled and I don't know why.

"Mumma...is this the place where you were born?" Aryan asked in his ever so childlike voice.

"Well no. I was born in Lucknow," I replied.

"Where is Lucknow?" Aahana asked.

"In Uttar Pradesh," I replied smilingly knowing their questions won't end.

"Where's Utt-uttr...whatever. Where is is mumma?" Aryan asked.

I just laughed at their pronunciations. They really need to work on their Hindi.

"Listen everyone, no English with kids from now on," I said as I controlled my laughter.

Everyone burst out laughing the moment I said this. I took a seat next to Sarah while this whole episode kept on going with Karan making faces on being marked as 'angrez' by Kabir.

Aahana and Aryan rarely understood anything so they kept on laughing mindlessly whenever they saw us laughing. Ultimately we had to turn to English because we are just so habituated to it.

But Aahil's behaviour was a little amusing. He wasn't laughing wholeheartedly. There was something he was hiding.

And I was right.

"Amaya, I want to talk something to you in privacy," he messaged me.

His expressions were blank. I looked at him and then at his text message and again at him.

"Please" came another text from him. He was really texting.

"What happened Aahil? Is everything fine?" I texted back.

"Yes...it's very important," he replied and I sensed the urgency in his expressions and his text.

"Ok" I typed back and pressed the sent button. "Meet me near the washroom" I added and sent it to him.

Everyone was busy ordering the food and seeing that no one was going to follow me to the washroom, I excused myself.

The moment I reached there, I just felt I saw Arjun there. Someone dressed in black date shirt and pants but even before I could interpret anything, someone dragged me inside the ladies washroom and to my surprise it was Aahil.

"Fuck...what are you-"

"Shhh..." he shushed me quickly. He looked around to see if anyone was in here but no one was around.

"Are you mad?" I whisper shouted, my eyes would have popped out any second.

"Arjun is here?" He asked.

What?

"How will I know?" I asked, totally taken aback by his question because if what he asked would have made any sense, then Arjun was surely here.

"Because he is your damn to-be ex husband," he mocked.

"Shut up,"

"Do you know that man is crazy? Why did he bring Disha to the same place where you came to meet us?" He asked.

"Ughhhh...I don't know Aahil and if that's what you have called me here for then I am going. You are so-"

"I have something important to tell you. It's just that I didn't know Kabir and everyone were going to come here. I wanted to tell this to you over a dinner because you won't react like you do when we are at home and not in public," he said, holding my hand and pinning me back to the wall...(don't get wrong signals. It was just an act to stop me. He moved away at a safe distance after that).

"Say," I folded my arms and said.

"Amaya...promise me that you won't kill me after I tell you this," he said with a damn serious look.

"Did you murder someone?" I asked jokingly.

"It's something serious Amaya," he said.

When he said this the second time, I knew he wasn't joking.

"You are creeping the hell out of me," I said.

"I know," he muttered.

He took a few deep breaths and did one full round of the washroom. I was rooted at a place and gave him the time he wanted but then I grew impatient.

"We are in the ladies toilet," I whisper shouted again.

"Yeah...yeah I know," he replied.

He took one final breath and blurted, "I am your half brother,"

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Hello everyone! The update is a little late but I can't help it...I have my exams going on and you know how crazy exams can turn you!

Anyways, tell me, how was the update? Did you like it?

Andddddd....how was the surprise??

Shocked?

And now all of you are going to say..."shock pe shock...shock oe shock...Aditiiii...jaan leni hai kya?"

So, one of the major flashback is revealed. And now I guess there are two or three more to go!

And Ofcourse...now your guesses.

So, Aahil is Amaya's half brother. How is this possible? And also, if it's really true or some plan!

What's Arjun doing here? This man should have been a detective if not a business tycoon.

And what do think about Amaya? Do you think she did the right thing eight years back?

Any guesses what papers Amaya was talking about ( the one she signed before the wedding? )

Huh! You have to do a lot of guess work!!!

Please please do let me know what you feel about the update and the characters and the whole book through you amazing votes and comments. I love reading your comments.