2

ALAYA

"Calm down, Alaia.Let's not go the past, shall we?" I said to myself

"I'll do whatever you say, I'm your wife." So, I gave him a diplomatic response from my side too.

"No. You're not. Please refrain yourself from using such words. We don't share any relationship, Ms. Alaia. Our marriage is purely for public." He spat, without sparing a glance at me.

"Offcourse, I'm sorry. I didn't mean like that...." I said, my gut twisting.

I'm not his wife, merely his liability.

I closed my eyes and then all of sudden, the flashback hit me like a hurricane.

What was my fault? What was the fault of a twenty five years old girl when she decided to sleep with her boyfriend? And what was her fault when her boyfriend drugged her and made his four friends rape her whole night? What was her fault when someone uploaded her sex tape? What was her fault when her boyfriend physically assaulted her? What was her fault when her family threw her out on the streets? What was her fault when her family disowned her and her father slapped her till she went unconscious?

What was my fault? To love a wrong boy or to believe that the boy who promised me moon and stars will someday ruin my life?

And then there's this man who is still in very much love with his dead girlfriend. Oh, to be loved by someone like Agastya.

\*time skip\*

"Let me help you, please." I said to the Gardner who was sprinkling water over the plants.

He looked at me and then passed me the sprinkler. I smiled at him and started doing something that soothes my soul.

I used to be simple girl with simple dreams. I've always dreamt of marrying a nice man and living in a small house with a huge garden on the back where I'd take care of my flowers in the day and cook nice food for my husband. Maybe, being born in a small town to a average income household does this to us. I wasn't allowed to study too much, just complete my graduation and then get married.

When girls around me were busy in making their career, I was forced to learn how to be a perfect housewife. And I never realised when being a perfect wife became my only dream.

I smiled when saw a bunch of white lillie. I sat on the ground and touched them under the tip of my cold finger. They felt soft and refreshing. I love lilies.

"Why there are so many lilies? Do you love growing them?" I asked to the Gardner, after looking around in awe.

The old man, probably in his late sixties, released a sigh. "Zoya Ma'am loved them."

"Zoya?" I looked at him in confusion.

He shook his head. "Nothing. Please, let me do my work."

I blinked, realisation drowning upon me but I didn't say anything about it. I just turned around and saw a bunch of red roses. I plucked on of them and adjusted it in my hair. "When I was a kid, I used to secretly pluck roses from the park and hide them in my books." I said to him, smiling.

He gave me crinkled smile. "Tell me what flowers you like, I'll grow them."

"Jasmine and orchids." I replied in a heartbeat. And then my eyes fell on the lilies. "But I like them too. Please don't stop growing them." I pointed at the flowers.

He nodded, hesitating to say something but before that could happen, Agastya walked into the garden. I stilled at my place and quickly tried to look everywhere but him.

What if he thinks that I'm trying to intrude into his personal life?

"I-I just came here to....I didn't mean to..." I shuttered, not knowing exactly what to say.

"It's your house too. You don't need to explain everything." He replied and bend down to pluck a handful of white lilies and then walked away.

I followed him, hesitantly. "Wait." I called out for him when he was about to step out of the house.

He turned around and raised his brows.

"I-I..." Stop embarassing yourself, Alaia. I took a deep breath. "I need to buy some groceries. Can you take me to the shop?"

"Whatever you want to eat, you can tell it directly to the cook, he'll prepare it for you. Don't bother yourself." He said, glancing at his wrist watch.

I swallowed a thick lump down my throat. "I like cooking." Because I don't know anything else to do. I want to kill my time and keep my mind vacant. But obviously I can't say it all to him so, I said a single sentence hoping that he agrees.

He scratched his head and for a split second his eyes clearly told me that he doesn't want anything to do with me, let alone going grocery shopping with me but then he nodded anyways.

He gestured me to follow him. As we walked to his main gate, there was this black luxurious SUV waiting for him. The driver get out and handed him the key.I silently opened the backseat door and sat inside. For a moment I wondered if he's going to ask me to sit in the front next to him but he didn't bother to do so. Or maybe he wasn't comfortable with me sitting next to him.

I looked out of the window and it's been ages since I last went outside.

"Do you know how to drive a car?" His question caught me off guard.

"No. Why?"

"You could use any of my car to go out. If you want, I can arrange someone to make you learn driving."

"Am I bothering you? It's okay you can tell me if you feel uncomfortable around me, I'll try not to disturb you." I said, feeling guilty.

He didn't say anything nor did I.

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