Charmed

Kaise Kahu...

Aditi sits trying to process in her mind what he's saying. A complete numbness spreads throughout her body "You have to give me some time to think about it, Shubham. I can't just drop everything."

"I will hire you the best baker in the country to take over while we're gone, money's no object..." Shubham tries to sweeten the deal.

"Please don't do that. I've worked very hard to make Lucario what it is. I won't just entrust it to anyone, especially someone I don't know."

"I get that, Aditi."

"Do you? You have more money than you'll ever spend in your lifetime. I have put everything I've earned back into my business. I have payroll to meet, my house payment, all of that." Aditi abruptly stands up, slips on her jacket, and grabs her handbag.

"Aditi, don't leave like this," Shubham grabs her arm and pulls her against him. He pushes a strand of hair behind her ear and kisses her forehead.

"I'm not mad at you, Shubham but this is a huge decision. I can't make it on the fly. Please understand that." She raises, presses a kiss to his lips, and with a nod, walks out of his office.

Asking for time has been her biggest mistake. She spends every second of it having to look at the man she loves, knowing she's going to break his heart when she tells him no. Aditi loves him so much but their lives are so diametrically opposite of each other. He can drop everything and go anywhere he wants on a whim; she has her business to attend to. She can't afford to let it fall into mediocrity with long absences while she's gallivanting around the globe with him.

He knows something's up, she blows hot and cold, wavering on which would be the easiest way to break it to him but who is she kidding? There will be no easy way.

The first several nights, she spends lying awake, grasping for any solution, every morning only coming up with the cold hard fact that Shubham will be hurt no matter how gently she tries to break it to him.

Resigned, she devotes the last night to watching him sleep, tracing every lock of hair and eyelash. Every kiss he places on her lips feels like a cruel countdown.

In the morning, she stealthily gets out of bed and goes into the bathroom. She looks in the mirror happy that her eyes are no longer swollen from all the tears she's cried. After showering, she goes back into the bedroom, surprised to find him gone. Opening up a suitcase, she begins to pull her things out of his closet and tucks them inside.

Sheer pain snaps through every nerve when she hears him open the front door and call out to her, his footsteps leading to his room magnifying in her ears. It takes him all of five minutes to notice her silent on the bed with the suitcase next to her, he halts and gives her a nervous smile.

"Does this mean you're coming with me?" he looks at her hopefully.

Aditi feels like she's watching what's happening as she floats above, helpless to stop it. All her emotions crush into a tight ball, to be dealt with later.

"Shubham, I don't know how to say this but I can't go with you. I have several weddings coming up and I've been booked for a few other big events." she moves to stand in front of him. "I can't leave my business, not right now."

He lets out a derisive chuckle "So the bakery is more important than me? I told you I'd hire the best baker available to manage while you and I are gone. And frankly, you don't even need to work? I'm more than able to support you."

"I'm going to pretend that you didn't say that," she snaps, her hackles rising. "That bakery is my baby. Contracts have been signed for me to do the work. Everything I have is invested in it. Try to understand."