Chapter 13 - Invitation

Aryan returned to the Arora Mansion, heading straight to the kitchen to store the chocolates in the fridge. He then went upstairs to his room, where his wife was fast asleep. He changed into his pajamas and headed to the bathroom for a refreshing bath.

As the cold water cascaded down his body, his mind was filled with thoughts of the girl he spent the evening with. Her radiant smile and infectious laughter lingered in his thoughts, her bright red lips and long, slender legs etched in his memory. A soft smile curved his lips as he whispered to himself, "Sanaya..."

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In Sanaya's room, she took a refreshing shower and dried her hair in front of her dressing table. She applied moisturizer, body lotion, and a few drops of hair serum before heading to bed. When she returned to her room, she found Shefali and Alvira fast asleep, exhausted from their double shift - college and work.
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A week passed, and life at the Arora company continued as usual for Aryan and Sanaya. However, Aryan couldn't shake off the strange feelings he had developed for the girl who wasn't his wife.

He was confused, wondering if it was just an attraction, but the strong emotions he felt whenever he thought of her were unlike anything he had experienced before, even when he was dating his wife. There was a peculiar happiness that came with thinking about her, and he tried to distract himself with work.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and he curtly said, "Get in." Arjun entered, "President, I've shortlisted these girls who match our criteria for surrogacy."

He handed Aryan a file containing the profiles of 15 girls. Aryan opened the file and noticed that only four of them were virgins.

He looked up at Arjun, "Do the medical check-up on all 15 girls. The healthiest body with no hereditary diseases will be perfect."

Arjun nodded, "Yes, President."

Aryan was struggling with the idea of touching another girl, but he knew he had to do it for the sake of having a baby with his wife. However, the thought of Sanaya kept creeping into his mind, and he found himself wanting to touch her instead. He was conflicted, and his phone rang, breaking his train of thought.

"Hey, miss me?" Aryan said seductively, answering the call.

Sanaya's heart skipped a beat, and her eyes narrowed. "Is this Aryan Arora's way of saying 'hello'?" she replied, her voice laced with sarcasm.

Aryan chuckled. "No, it's only for a few. So, are you in college?"

"Yes, I bunked a lecture because I was feeling too sleepy to attend, and I'm sure I'll sleep if I attend the next one," Sanaya said, yawning.Aryan laughed.

"So, are you free this evening? I'm thinking of inviting you for dinner."she asked him.

"Yeah, why not? I'll come to pick you up," Aryan offered.

"No, I was thinking of making a meal for you and inviting you to my house, my friends Alvira and Shefali will also get a chance to meet you"

Aryan's face fell, displeased with the idea of meeting her friends. "Sanaya, can't we just have dinner alone? You can introduce me to your friends later."hey got irritated.

Sanaya was taken aback, unsure how to respond. The silence lingered, and Aryan checked his phone to ensure the call was still connected.

"Hey, I mean, I'll meet them, but first, we can get familiar with each other. Next time, you can bring your friends, and I'll bring mine," Aryan suggested.

Sanaya relented, "Okay, sure. Then fine, I'll book a seat for us."

Aryan's face lit up. "Booking? Didn't you say you'd cook personally for me?"

Sanaya laughed. "Because I was inviting you home, but now that you're not ready to meet my friends, we have to eat out. My friends will be at home during dinner time."

Aryan's eyes sparkled with a new idea. "How about this? I take you to my home, and you can cook whatever you want."

Sanaya agreed, "Sure, I'll come. Bye, take care."

Aryan replied, "Take care, meet you at evening."

He then made a call to his wife, Kashish. "Hello, how are you?"

Kashish replied, "I'm fine. How about you?"

Aryan shared the update on their surrogacy plans, "We've moved a step closer, and I'll be late until the girl is finalized."

Kashish was thrilled. "That's great news! Who is the girl?"

Aryan explained, "Arjun has shortlisted a few girls, and I've asked him to conduct medical checks. The healthiest girl will be finalized, and then I'll introduce her to you."

Kashish expressed her gratitude. "This is the best news I've received. Thank you, Aryan."

Aryan replied, "You're welcome. I'll be late today."

Kashish said, "Take care."

Aryan ended the call, knowing that Arjun could handle the surrogacy process without his direct involvement. He had made an excuse to spend time with Sanaya.