"Kindly recieve the files and send them to me by evening." I say to my secretary and leave the office.
"Good Afternoon sir, leaving early today?" The lady at the front desk ask as she notices me leaving early. I don't blame her, as for someone who never leaves early or takes a day off. I would be confused too.
"Yes dad has some work." I reply with a smile as I step outside. I get in the car and call my dad to ask him where to go. The only thing I know it's definately something weird.
"Hello Kabir." My dad replies from the another side of the phone.
"Hi dad."
"Did you leave?"
"Yes on my way."
"Okay listen come to the restaurant I will text you instead of home."
"Why a restaurant?"
"No reason, just come okay."
"Okay send me the name and the location."
I hang up and focus on driving when my car screen popped with a notification of the location of the restaurant. I open the notification as my eyes divert from the road for a second as I hear a thud at the back of my car.
"Shit." I step outside of my car to see a black Mercedes almost crashing into my car.
"What the hell." The person in the car screams and comes out.
"Excuse me? Are you blind?"She speaks at me in a high pitch.
You were the one who ran over me bitch.
"I am sorry but its clearly visible whose fault this was. Yours!"
"My fault? Who was the one who ultimately just slowed down the car."
"Come on, You are a woman driving a mercedes, its clear you swiped your daddy's plastic, but I bought this Rolls Royce with my own money, and its a new edition and you just scratched it."
"What makes you think I purchased this car from my dad's money, I bought it with my money, and bitch I don't need to prove that. I clearly saw your eyes diverting to the screen of the little rolls royce you bought with your OWN MONEY."
"You could've honked or something, there was no need to scratch my car."
"One, It wasn't intentional, two, I am getting late so get out of my way, you still owe me for the scratch on my bonet."
"And you owe me for the clearly larger scratch on my car."
"Alright give me you bank account number, you might as well buy a new car for yourself with the money I send."
"How dare you-" I was interrupted by my phone ringing.
"Hi dad."
"Where are you?"
"I will be there in ten minutes, someone just scratched my car."
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, don't worry I will be there."
I hang up the call as I run my hands through my hair.
"Alright I give up, I am getting late."
I walk away as I notice the woman roll her eyes an walk towards, I turn my head behind as she does the same. After giving each other a death stare for a minute I sit inside my car and drive away.
~
I enter the restaurant and the receptionist asks me if I have a reservation or with someone else.
"Ah yes, I am with Premraj Sharma."
"Sure sir, this way please."
I go to table where my dad was sitting, and I sit opposite him.
"Finally you are here."
"Well you called me here."
"Haha funny, well order whatever you want."
"Well I had lunch so just a drink."
"Okay."
Dad calls the waiter as I take a look around the restaurant. It was new.
A five star restaurant, during afternoon just to talk.
Something's cooking.
"So what's up? A five star restaurant during afternoon. What's the deal."
"You are smart."
"Beta kiska hu." (Who's child I am.)
He laughs at my statement as I smile.
"So you know Veer Rao, the CEO of the Rao group of hotels."
"Yeah I've heard of him."
"Well his company has been facing a few issues lately, and he is my friend."
"So.."
"Well like a decade ago, our company was almost bankrupt and he helped us a lot, so we have to return thye favour back."
"So you want me to help him financially?"
"No more like Publicity help."
"What do you mean?" I say as I take a sip of my drink.
"Well he has a daughter and you have to act like you both are dating for a month and going to get married later, but after a month we will end it."
"WHAT!!"
"Calm down."
"You mean a PR stunt."
"Exactly."
"No way dad, especially dating? have you thought about how this would affect our company?"
"I have and maybe it will profit our company too."
"But dad-"
"Look I know why you are hesitating, but son its been three years now, everything is going well. Don't let your past ruin your present."
"It's not about that dad. It is just that fake dating and all just doesn't sir right to me.'
"I know it does not but just this once for me?"
I take a moment and sigh, "Alright I will do it."
"Really?"
"Yes!"
"Thank you so much Kabir, I love you!"
"It's okay dad, I love you too!"
"Also your mom and siblings are the only one who know about this fake dating so don't tell anyone except the two musketeers of yours."
"Sure dad!" I say with a giggle as my phone started ringing.
The name 'Sameer' pops up on the screen .
"It's Sameer."
"Name the devil and he calls!" He says while raising his glass of drink as I pick the call up.
"YOU ASSHOLE, YOU TOOK A DAY OFF AND DIDN'T EVEN TELL US!"
"Sorry, I had to meet dad, I will call you later."
"Okay sure, tell uncle his favorite son said hi!"
"Okay now bye!"
I hang up and ask my dad,
"But as much as I know, Veer uncle has a daughter who got married a few years ago, you know my friend Vivaan, and a son younger than me?"
"He has a second daughter, Anaya Rao, she is a fashion designer, she even recently had her own show in 'Paris Fashion week', a great person to be honest, I have met her once or twice!"
"Okay!"
"Well that's all i needed to talk about, you can go if you want to now."
"Yaa you probably have to buy a gift for Akansha!"
"Yes that's what happens when you procrastinate!"
"Alright you may go now."
"Okay then, bye, see you tonight."
"See you."
I leave the restaurant as I lean into the seat of my car and call Sameer,
"What's up sweetheart!" Sameer says from the other side.
"I am done for life."
"Oh okay, what happened?"
"Meet me and call Devam too."
"Sure see you, where though?"
"The usual."
I run my hands through my hair not knowing what to do now.
Why did my dad think it was a nice decision. Technically he could've asked my brother, Mayank to do it. There is definately something sus between them. And he was right about why I did not want to do it. Since that day I have never even had a thought about dating cross my mind, why did I agree now. And why only our family, Veer uncle is socially active and he has many friend who have young rich sons.
Why me?
I broom away the thoughts as I drive to the cafe near marine drives. It has been our 'usual' since we were in college, Devam, Sameer and I.
Devam is an Estate Agent and owns 'Randhawa group' and Sameer is a Lawyer and owns his own firm, 'Malhotra Law Network'. And well me, I am the CEO of 'Sharma Enterprise'.
I park and enter inside the cafe and spot Devam sitting on the table by the window on a call with someone, I sit on the chair across him as he hangs up the call,
"Heard your life is messed up?" He says as he orders three coffees for us.
"Big time." I saw as I rest my hand on my forehead.
"What's wrong."
"I will start after Sam arrives don't have the energy to say it twice."
"How bad is it on a scale of one to ten."
"I guess it would break the scale." Sameer says as he takes a seat beside us.
"To be honest it does."
"What is it?"
"Fake dating, PR stunt."
"Fuck." Devam and Sameer say in sync.
"Why though, your company is doing well."
"Not for our company, dad's friend company, he helped dad a few years ago and now he needs help, apparently it involves her daughter and me dating."
"Ohh seems like some Romcom novel."
I look up at him with, 'Are you serious?' and Devam hits him with a 'shut up.'
"What I am serious, although, who is the lucky woman?"
"I don't some fashion designer daughter of Veer Rao."
"No way, Anaya Sharma?" They both say in sync confusing me.
"How do you both know her?"
"Who doesn't know her dude, she was recently in the 'FORBES 30 UNDER 30'. An amazing fashion designer by the way."
"How come I found out today that Veer uncle even had a second daughter."
"Well you and fashion are like two ends of world." Sameer says sipping on his coffee.
"Wait if she is Veer Rao's daughter can it be we have met her?" Devam says like he just unlocked a secret agent code.
"What do you mean?"
"She can't be the one at Vivaan's wedding right the one we were chasing around during 'Jutta Churai'".
"No way, the one who took his shoe and hid in the basement turned out it was hidden inside her lehenga?" Sameer says in shock
"The one I chased down for like fifteen minutes and had an interaction with?"
"Well I wouldn't call her falling over you in the basement an 'interaction'." Devam says with a smirk.
"Uh well, but how can it be her, she seemed like eighteen or nineteen?"
"Ya because that was five years ago." Sameer says rolling his eyes."
"She is still young though, almost Mayank's age, why would dad ask me to do it?"
"I don't know." Sameer says as Devam gives him a death stare, again.
"Alright you know what, let's just leave it, I have to go and buy a gift for bhabhi."
"Oh ya congratulate her, even we have gifts to give her."
"How about you both come over, I am going to buy the gift and then home."
"Sounds great." Sameer says.
"Well I have a meeting."
"Come on Devam don't be a party pooper." I say as Sameer nods.
"Alright I will see what can be done."
~
"What should I get?" I ask them while walking around the jewelary store.
"I don't know dude I am not the one pregnant."
"Well you must have an idea, what would a pregnant lady like."
"Kabir, we both are single and this is my first time buying a pregnant woman gift." Devam says as Sameer giggles.
I give up and buy a dainty diamond bracelet. I mean what else should I get her. We were driving back home when Sameer utters,
"Well did you see the photo of Anaya?"
"No."
"Wait I will show you."
He opens his screen and searches up some name from the back seat, Devam was driving I was in the passengeer seat and he was in the back-seat.
He turns the screen towards me as I can't belive the scene in front of me.
WHY HER?
"WHAT THE HELL!"
"What?"
"She is the one who scratched my car this morning."
"No freaking way." Sameer and Devam say in sync as they looked at me wide eyed.
××
Hey, sorry this chapter took a while, so what do you all think about
the male character?
Let me know, see you next monday or sooner, if possible.
Till then,
signing out,
Saumya
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