The Arranged One | ✔️

Chapter 12 - Will that be enough?

Siya took a deep breath. She had always been able to keep her crazy hormonal physical attraction to Abhi a secret. She saw no reason to change this. While she was looking forward to the intimacy, she firmly believed in 'love before lust'.

"I haven't really given it a thought", she finally said, thinking it was the best way to approach the subject.

Abhi nodded for her to continue.

"I won't say I'm repulsed by it, or that the thought of physical intimacy with you upsets me. But honestly Abhi, shouldn't we worry about that later, and work on other more important stuff like turning the platonic love to something more? Like romantic love?! We are going to be married after all! And married people love each other in a more conventional sense of the word. Friendship might be the foundation, but I think love is the bridge between friendship and physical intimacy."

Siya finished, looking at Abhi and waiting for him to respond. Abhi raised his eyebrows at her opinion.

"Okay. Are you honestly telling me we can put off discussing about 'physical intimacy'. God Siya! You can't even say the word can you?"

Siya blushed a deep crimson at his attack. He felt bad about his outburst and continued in a softer tone.

"Siya. I get what you're saying and I understand it's important for you that our relationship progresses to a romantic one before the physical closeness. My problem is I don't know if I can give you what you want! I don't believe in romantic love. Why do you think I haven't had a girlfriend after Nikita?"

This was the first time he mentioned Nikita after their cringeworthy dramatic break-up five years ago. She could still hear all the hurtful things Nikita had said and done to her like it was yesterday.

Siya couldn't believe what she was looking at. The newspaper in her hand crumpled under her cold viselike grip.

"Siya! Will you let me have a look at it?" Abhi gently loosened her grip on the paper. He was worried as she looked visible pale, like she was going to be sick. She was in such a daze that she didn't even notice when he wrapped an arm around her.

He started reading the headlines.
"Software tycoon breaks it off with Beauty Queen for In-House love interest"

There was a picture of him and Nikita and alongside a picture of him and Siya. Abhi's eyes widened in shock as he continued to read.

"Abhimanyu Acharya the young and newly appointed CEO of Soft-tech is not only excelling in the business world, but apparently is also quite the star when it comes to the ladies.

He recently split from his girlfriend of two years Nikita Raichand, the twenty year old Miss India Earth. Miss Raichand is devastated by this event, but Mr. Acharya seems in no such pain.

If fact he has quite successfully moved on to his friend and business partner Siya Deshpande. The two have known to be close friends since their very childhood and she has also been living in the Acharya mansion since her fifth birthday.

According to the heartbroken beauty, the two have always been way too close for her liking. "Even when I was with him, he would always spend more time with her. I was fine with that, I mean I had male friends too. But then she was always around and wouldn't leave him alone with me even during our dates."

Raichand said she put up with everything because she loved him and thought that he loves her back.

"But that day, after I went to his place, just after my photoshoot, I walked into his room, just like I always did and I couldn't believe what I saw. They were both lying on the bed with their clothes...well...you know what I'm saying."