𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 ✓

• 11 •

ARYA POV:

(In the middle of the night)

"Uhh, I'm feeling hungry," I moaned, clutching my stomach.

"Arya, yaar, sleep!" I scolded myself. My inner voice retorted, "But I can't help it. I can control anything but being hungry, no way."

Unable to ignore the gnawing hunger any longer, I decided, "Alright, let's do something about it, Arya, or I'll die of hunger."

I got out of bed and began pacing. "Think, Arya! Do something!" I muttered to myself.

An idea sprang to mind. "Should I just go to the kitchen and have something?" My good conscience chimed in, "No, no, what will he think? It's not good to sneak around."

But my devilish side argued, "We're not sneaking; we're just hungry." And guess which option I chose? Of course, the sneaking one.

I carefully opened the door as slowly as I could, peeking outside to ensure no one was awake. I heaved a sigh of relief, whispering, "Thank God, there's no one."

I tip-toed through the hallway, taking big strides. I cleared the first hurdle, the stairs, and mentally patted myself on the back.

Now, the kitchen. I tip-toed past the second hurdle, relieved to have made it to the kitchen.

"Now, the last step, Arya," I muttered to myself. My mission: find food. Pressing my lips together, I gradually opened the fridge without making a sound. To my utter disappointment, I found nothing but vegetables, eggs, butter, and bread.

I complained under my breath, "How can a Billionaire have an empty fridge like that? I had more things in my fridge than this."

But then I cheered myself up, saying, "It's okay, Arya. Today, we'll make do with bread and butter." I closed the fridge and settled down on the kitchen counter, enjoying my simple late-night snack.

In the midst of taking a big bite of bread and butter, all the lights suddenly come on. I'm so shocked that I feel like my eyeballs might pop out.

As I find myself face-to-face with him, Aryan, standing there with his arms casually crossed over his chest. A mischievous thought flits through my mind, suggesting how irresistibly captivating he appears. and my devilish side whispers, "He looks delicious, Arya." Quickly shaking off that notion, I mentally correct myself, "No, not delicious-shocking, definitely shocking."

He approaches, and I gulp hard, the bread bite still in my mouth. He asks, "Are you sneaking?" lifting one eyebrow.

As always, I struggle to form any words, left utterly speechless. I stammer, trying to explain, "I... well... I..."

He interrupts, asking, "Are you hungry?" I can only nod in response, giving him puppy eyes.

***
ARYAN POV :

I step outside for a walk, unable to sleep due to the thoughts of today's incident. My mind keeps replaying it, knowing that she's the one who saved my life.

As I wander the house, I hear some sounds coming from the kitchen. It's odd because there shouldn't be anyone else in the house at this hour. All the employees leave at sharp 10 pm. Curiosity piqued, I enter the kitchen.I overhear a whisper that goes, "How can a billionaire have an empty fridge like that? I had more things in my fridge than this." I find it amusing but manage to stifle my laughter.

Then, I notice a small figure coming out and sitting at the counter. It finally dawns on me who is it. She says, "It's okay, Arya. Today, we'll make do with bread and butter." That's when I decide to switch on the light.

The sight before me is undeniably humorous. Her mouth is full, and she's holding a piece of bread in her hand, while her eyes look like they might pop out at any moment. I can't resist teasing her and say, "Are you sneaking?" while lifting one eyebrow.

After that, I ask in concern, "Are you hungry?" She nods, giving me puppy eyes, which I think no one can resist.

***
ARYA POV :

Aryan looks at me and says, "I'll make you something."

I blink in surprise, asking, "You know how to cook?"

He nods, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Yes, I do."

My mischievous inner voice chimes in, teasingly whispering, "Arya, he knows how to cook. Total husband material." I quickly shake my head, dispelling the thought.

"Alright then, step aside," he instructs, rolling up his sleeves with confidence. Taking the lead, he starts gathering ingredients, and I find myself trailing behind him, closely observing his every move like a lost puppy following its tail.

After a bit of time passes, He carefully places a beautifully prepared dish in front of me. The aroma wafts up, tantalizing my senses as I gaze at the dish, impressed and intrigued.

"Dig in" he says to me.

I start eating like it's my first time seeing food in front of me.

He confesses, "Sorry, I forgot to ask if you were hungry."

I reply, "No, no, you don't need to ask" while taking big bites.

He folds his hands, looking curious, and asks, "What's your name, by the way?"

I answer, "Arya."

He inquires, "Arya what?"

"Arya Shrivastav" I reply, looking at him.

I remind myself, "Arya, he's using your weakness for food to get information. Let him be. I have food; what more do I want?" Shaking off my thoughts, I continue eating.

Then he asks, "By the way, I didn't reveal anything in front of Uttraksh My secratary, but I want to ask, how did you end up in my hotel room that day?"

Without thinking, I answer, "It was nothing. I was just reading a book at library, and you called me into the book."

He says, "What?" in shock, and I realize what kind of blunder I just made. Biting my tongue, I try to explain, "Uh, I'm your fan. I was following you around that day...but I did stop following you after you scolded me." I give him puppy eyes, thinking, 'That should work, Arya.' And it does, I guess.

He replies with an "Oh" and then asks, "What were you doing at night in such a place?"

I ponder what to say now. "Uhh... I just turned 19 two months ago, and the NGO I was in gave me a warning that I needed to leave after turning 18. But somehow, they let me stay until I turned 19, and now they asked me to leave." It's a lie, and I feel guilty about it, especially towards my parents, but it's the last time I'll lie about being an orphan.

He accepts my excuse with a simple "okay." After a few minutes, I finish eating, my stomach content. I take my leave and head back to my room.

Once there, I take a deep sigh. "Aaj toh pakdi jaati, Arya," I scold myself, realizing I could have been caught today. But despite the close call, I drift back to sleep.