LIZA’S POV:

I started taking big steps toward meeting room; taking a big gasp I opened the door. I was always not this much nervous but didn’t know why that day I was feeling that something was going to happen. I was become habituating of this nervousness as I had been handling my status of director of MIST Company for 3 years. I can see the people from back that were from higher executive directors from ACRON film industries. It was common since MIST is a fashion designing company and I have to do the best as it can benefit my company.

I was going to bend down to greet them but suddenly the face that appears near me was not less than a nightmare. A man who was like a rose appears in my sight, whose petal was beautiful but if throne stuck in hand then we curse the whole rose.

He could still read my mind after seeing my socked face; he took out his hand to shook and said, “Hi Ms.Liza, I am Ivan Raj, currently C.E.O of ACRON film industry…” I was just staring at his hand, the hands that once i admire, my eyes became teary.“Ma’am? Ma’am?” my secretary who was just standing behind me take me out of my imaginations and I realised that my hands were already in his hands while he was smirking, it seems that I don’t wanting to let them go, I embarrassedly pull my hand back, he asked, “can we start the purpose of meeting?” I nodded. Neither my eyes moved an inch from him nor were able to concentrate the talks that the man with him was saying. He wasn’t uncomfortable with my stares oppositely I was the one who was uncomfortable because of his stares and it can be easily seen by anyone. “so what do you think about it?” the man with him said. I hurriedly replied “ye…yes, can you leave the file of proposal of your meeting here…I ...i will then reply you then”. His secretary( the man with him) said, “but..” Ivan interrupted in middle, “Okay then” take out his card “this is my number, call me when you make your mind” “okay” I replied. He stood up, so as I do, I greeted “thanks for visiting here” when he turned and responded, “Can’t I have a look around the company?”, “what” I responded with my big eyes opened, “Can we talk while walking?” I glared at my secretary to go with him, “I wanna take about some criteria with Ms.Liza” Ivan responded just after reading the facial chats of mine and my secretary.

Both of us came out of meeting room and I was becoming stable after talking about marketing, investments etc and etc, but suddenly he asked interrupting me, “How are you?”, I stopped for a second but he started walking continuously. “You become more beautiful. I have missed you each and every seconds that I have lived yet, I was anxiously working just to forget you but I couldn’t erase you, I always wondered what were you doing, maybe because I have many debts to pay you back, I am really sorry…” he turned back and he was seeing the girl who turned into a prettiest women was trying to control her weeps that were naturally coming out. He rushed toward me asking, “What happened?” I pushed him harder as much as I can and ran away from there, I locked the washroom door and started staring at myself, and I can see broken me in the mirror that was crying like this once during my school time, I smashed the mirror with dustbin can, not wanting to look my past, one of the mirror particle touched my chin and one of that particle hit my arm, “Aaah…” I cried in pain when I got to know that he was behind the door that I had closed “Are you okay?...Liza are you there? Lil reply me…” I was losing my conscious but can hear the sound of being someone worried about me from the door that he was trying to open, I saw him lifting me before losing my whole consciousness. I wanted to ask him where you were when I need you in my most difficult time and I didn’t want his help in my life anymore but when that time came, I was unable to say anything.

I wanted to ask him where you were when I need you in my most difficult time and I didn’t want his help in my life anymore but when that time came, I was unable to say anything.

It was like I again flipped to the beginning from where my nightmares started.

That day it was thundering hard, 7 year ago, the 16 year old me was sitting near the window, waiting for my father and mother to come home, as my mother hurriedly left the home just after receiving a call and told me that everything was perfect. I was alone in my castle where my father who dearly loved me calls me princess. It became evening, then night but neither my dad returned nor my mom, that’s making me anxious and worried. Suddenly I heard the sound of a car coming inside I just opened the door thinking it was my parents and without umbrella I came out of my door and jumped to the car, but my face colour changed when the car’s door opened. It was someone of my father age.

Next moment I was in hospital where my mom was crying hard and I hugged her tightly and busted out in loud voice, that was the day when my father died.

When I could again sense anything I was in the house of a stranger where a middle-aged woman was watching over me with big eyes, making me hide behind my mom. The man (Mr.Raj), who was my mom’s college friend and who had took me to hospital, called a boy who was as same age as me, I was not in the mood to appreciate his charm that I didn’t noticed him well “Ivan, see this is your new friend and she will live with us from now on, Lily this is Ivan”, I was still hiding behind my mom. “Ivan takes her to guest room”, I started staring at my mom to know whether I should go or wait. “Lily go with Ivan, I have something to talk with Mr.Raj”, after my mother’s command I moved with that boy. After going a few steps the boy I was following, looked behind, I startled for a second that time I noticed his big eyelashes , his shining pink lips, his perfect long nose, his bright face that was leading to an extent which was saying that he is extremely beautiful. His gaze was making me uncomfortable then without saying anything he started walking ahead and I was not in a mood to say anything so I again started following him back. “This is your room”, this time I get to hear his gentle but rude voice. And he flew away from there as soon as he delivered his speech.

I got in and started unpacking my stuffs, and was thinking that how my life changed just in one day and again my tears that were hidden started flowing out. But suddenly Ivan entered my room, I became embarrassed that someone was seeing me cry, I hurriedly rubbed my face with towel. I can see him in his earlier state only that was with a rude face.

I asked, “What happen?”

“Till when are you planning to stay here?” he said

“What?” I asked in confusion.

“What a dumb, when are you going to leave?” he directly asked with an irritating face.

I was a little surprised with his words. “Aren’t you going to reply me?” he asked like he was out of patience.

“I…I don’t know” I hesitated as I even don’t know what was going to happen with me. While he was giving me a dangerous gaze.

“Leave from here as soon as you can”, he left the room saying this, when I was wondering what the heck he was babbling.

IVAN’S POV:

My life was going to be fulfilled as I thought that now I can shift in America with my whole family but sudden appearance of a girl and her mom made my life stuck at that place only. I heard the conversation from behind the door between my mom-dad, and that aunty. My mom seems to be unhappy because of them, while my father seems like he had already taken responsibility of them.

“…I have to take responsibility of Lily as it was decided that she will be mine daughter-in-law, I have promised Jay (lily’s father) about this.” Dad said like he was out of patience, while I became dumb folded thinking that what did they took me for? how can I marry a girl with whom I have no feelings at all. I attached my ears from door.

“but she is not wife of Ivan still, so why you have to take care of her whole family matters?” said my mom pointing indirectly towards Lily’s mom.

“what do you mean by whole family matters?” now dad started shouting “even if they aren’t my relatives but they are still my bestfriends . how can I leave her when I already know what happen to Jay?”(*Lily’s mom, Lily’s dad and Mr.Raj were colleagues)

“do you even know how it will affect Ivan? We aren’t even able to go U.S, now bringing a girl just because of a mere promise?” now my mom started shouting that I can clearly hear everything from behind the door.

“mere promise?”I can sense that my dad was became red from anger.

Before my dad could say anything Lily’s mom started crying, “ please…please don’t fight because of this. I promise once I get a house to live, I will leave from here.”

It seems like she was begging my mom, and she agreed because my mom seems to be heavy-hearted but she is very soft-hearted from inside.

I rushed toward guest house before they open the door, where I see Lily was crying just like her mom, I know I am emotion-less, but I also didn’t wanna give any hope to a girl who was chosen to be my bride. I directly stated her to move out of my house as soon as possible. I even didn’t know whether she knew about being my bride or not.

Next day, I can sense that my mom was angry with my dad while we all five, were doing breakfast.

“Ivan, take Lily with you to your school.” Dad said which made me bite my tongue, I look toward my mom and can see that she already knew about it (that was why she was angry). “I have talked with principal of your school.”

“But uncle I don’t think it’s necessary for me to go school, I can work from now on.” I became happy for first time hearing Lily. “ I had already passed out my 10th board, and I know programming and drawings, so I think I can easily get a job.”

‘yeah you will get a job just don’t agree on going to school, I don’t want my image to get down because of you’ I was wondering in my mind.

“no, you just can’t say no, you are going to school, do you want that your uncle should take his words back from the principal, I always used to stick to my words.” My dad should really get an Oscar award.

“but isn’t the principal your friend, he will listen to you…” I try to interrupted but failed seeing my dad’s glare.

“no…that is not what I mean…but I think I should think about that.” Lily said.

“ Lily, you should listen to your uncle” Lily’s mom said “you are too young to enter the business line, first study well and you will get much more benefits ahead”.

“okay then…” she stared at me with a scared look, seems like she wasn’t wanting to go with me but I really started enjoying it.