7th April 2023
Aarvi, who just came out of Ali's office after giving him another lecture, was walking towards her office while thinking what did she do wrong to get this guy's attention to that level. Even now she was sure that if she turned back, she'd find that same infatuated lost look on Ali's face that he would always have whenever she was around.
Just to check, after turning the corner she took a glance back, and saw him waving his hands in the air creating a sand clock pattern like a hooligan or pervert.
'This guy' Aarvi clicked her tongue and left. 'Why doesn't he just give up already?' She thought in her heart.
She had been ignoring him and his feelings for literally forever and the harder she tries, the more he follows her. Be it going to foreign country for studies or leaving their homeground city to start a new business here - Ali had followed her everywhere.
If not for the fact that she knew he had no bad intentions towards her, or that she had known him and been friends with him since childhood, she would really be creeped out and call the police.
Aarvi Andrews, a girl who only had a career and future in her mind. Her whole life she had the goal to prove herself to the world, and for that she had been working hard throughout her life.
Recognition, that's what she needed - from her parents, from her family, from everyone. She wanted to stand alone and prove that even without any support, with her own hard work she made it to the top.
Yet her personal life had always been the one filled with generic tropes of many novels her company published every year - A mother who died mysteriously. A father who married again, a new stepmom who doesn't like her. Elders who're discriminating against the talented girl child while making their incompetent son the heir just cause he's a boy. A rich family who's forcing her into a marriage she doesn't want, and lastly a useless young master whom she couldn't shake away - it was all so frustrating for her.
From the day her mother died till today, she couldn't say if there was ever a day she didn't have to worry about something and could sleep peacefully, even now when she was away from her home and left everyone behind to start and run her own company - the stress of the job is literally driving her insane.
Yet all of these things were outside her control and something she couldn't change easily.
She liked Ali, he was funny, caring, and somehow he would always manage to take her mind away from all the stress, and that's why she preferred his company when they were young. But ever since he proposed to her and she refused his love, it had all become so weird and awkward for her.
She liked him as a friend, and she never even thought of taking that relationship any further than that. She couldn't remember how many times she tried to explain all that to Ali, yet his idiot lovebrain never understood anything. That's why she started to avoid him, she changed schools, went to a different country with the excuse of further studies, went to a different city to pursue her career - and through all her efforts this guy followed her everywhere.
He didn't pester her all day, or forced her or proposed to her in grand manners like he used to do in high school - but she could still see the expectations of love in his eyes and it's just not fair.
She could pretend that she liked somebody else, and that's why she couldn't love him. She could find a fake boy and have him stand in front of Ali and say I choose him so just move on - but she knew if that ever happened what kind of damage that would do to him, so she never did that.
She didn't want to hurt him like that just so she can be a bit free and away from him.
So she did the opposite. She tried to set him up with other girls, hoping one of them would manage to win his heart, and they would both be free from his obsession, which was starting to ruin their friendship - yet she couldn't understand what this guy saw in her that he never took a glance at anybody else.
I mean sure, she was beautiful and smart, she knew it too, but so was his personal assistant Emily, her secretary Meredith, his cousin Selena, and Olivia - all of them were pretty too.
She tried to set him up with everyone yet Ali remained ignorant, and ignored everyone else besides her.
'Why don't he just go with Liv, she even likes him like crazy. And they're both similar at basically everything. They'd make a great pair too - as long as he leaves me alone.' Aarvi thought as she looked at the few messages on her phone.
[Dad - The people from the Su family are coming to the capital city to meet you tonight. If you want you can still say yes to the proposal of Parker family.]
[Idiot - Come to Roseate hotel at 9 pm. Don't make young master Su wait for you. He's not like that doglicker you can order around.]
[ Liv - Fucking bitch. ]
Reading it again Aarvi just closed her phone, after blocking her idiot brother. She laid back on her chair, closing her eyes and massaging her temples.
The next month she is about to sign the biggest deal of her career, and if she managed to convince all the investors and board officials before that, then she could literally lead Sky Ultima back to its former glory days, and even surpass that top position and become a giant in the business world.
Yet when she's so close to achieving her goals, she's surrounded by all this drama.
'Damn it.'
Aarvi was thinking if she can really hold back all this pressure from everyone until the next month herself. Or would all her hard work fail yet again this time.
-tuk tuk -
She was thinking like that when she heard someone running outside her office in high heels and soon someone entered her office without knocking.
Aarvi opened her eyes and saw her secretary Meredith standing there while holding the door. She was dressed in a gothic style which really contrasted with her professional role in the company. Her face looked ashen pale despite all her makeup, which can draw anyone's attention.
She was panting heavily while pointing outside. Her words coming between her breaths, making it hard to hear or understand what she is saying. "That_ outside -huff huff- accident."
"Meredith, take a long breath, and tell me what happened?" Aarvi asked as she stood up and came near her to help her stand straight.
Meredith was her personal secretary and she's been working with her for the past two and a half years, and this was the second time she saw her this worried. The last time was probably when she reported that Shiva gave a beating to Ali on the rooftop, and now Ali was lying there waiting for the shift to be over and her to leave before coming down.
"Just take your time and there's no rush." Aarvi said, passing her a glass of water.
But ignoring that Meredith still pointed outwards and said - "An accident happened outside."
"One of our employees." Aarvi asked, cursing that this is exactly what she needed, a shitstorm at this time. If her employees were at fault then she needed to handle this matter cleanly as at this time she didn't want anything to ruin her company's reputation and endanger all her hard work.
Meredith nodded her head while breathing heavily, as Aarvi asked again "Who was it, which hospital did they take him to."
{This was the gene of the heroine in her speaking out, as despite having thousands of employees in the company, fate always makes sure that its chosen sons and daughters remember all of their underlings, down to the last foot soldier and janitor.
Even though the protagonist saw someone's face once while pissing his pants in primary school, he'd remember him instantly if he saw him again decades later. Does it make sense, fuck no. But do authors writing these novels care, hell nah}
"It was Shiva. H_ he, he's dead." Meredith finished her words trying to tell everything as soon as possible. But hearing her words Aarvi, who was standing there holding her shoulders let go of them and took a step back. Her mind tried to process everything, as she stumbled over her own feet and almost fell down, until Meredith supported her.
Instead of giving Aarvi time to process anything or calm down, Meredith shook her shoulders and said in a serious tone. "You have to stop him."
Aarvi, who came back to her senses, looked at Meredith and worriedly asked "Where's Ali? Is he okay?"
"He's fine," Meredith said as she explained what she saw when she came out to take a break a few moments ago. After telling Aarvi about the accident and everything, she said, "Ali went alone with a gun in his hand, You have to stop him before he does something in anger."
Aarvi, who was able to calm down a bit hearing Ali was okay, nearly lost her mind again. She couldn't imagine the consequences of what would happen if Ali did something in the center of the capital city and that too when so many people are around, cameras are everywhere. With so much exposure and proof even Parker family would have trouble cleaning up the mess if things got out of hand.
'Damn it, damn it. For God sake Ali please be fine. Please don't do anything wrong. Don't throw your life away.' She prayed on her way out of her office. Cursing the lift which seemed to go slower and slower to the ground floor. 'Just go faster, damn gravity.'
As she descended the floors of the building, her composure began to crumble. She felt the weight of the situation bearing down on her, as her mind played all kinds of scenarios which this situation could lead to. She knew that this could spell disaster, not just for Ali but for the company and her own dreams too. She couldn't let Ali's anger ruin everything she had worked so hard to achieve.
By the time she reached the ground floor from the 31st floor, her appearance had already changed. Her mind was a mess, with a worried face and eyes which seemed to be lost and looking everywhere yet nowhere. A few employees who were starting their new shift or working overtime, and were still in the company couldn't help but gossip among themselves wondering what happened as they saw their dignified boss running out of the office in a hurry looking like a mess.
Yet ignoring them Aarvi walked out, and started looking around. 'Please Ali, please be smart. Don't act like an idiot at this time. Please be rational, or it would ruin everything.'
She prayed and had only taken a few steps across the road when the sound of gunshots shattered the air, followed by a man's agonized screams.
-bang bang bang-
-ahhhh-aaa-
Aarvi's legs gave way beneath her, and she crumpled to the road, unable to stand up and move forward. She looked at one side where a crowd and an ambulance were gathered and the sign of blood splattered on the road was visible, and then at the other side from where the gunshots and the man's scream echoed from.
She saw as some people ran away, while some started running towards the sound to check what happened.
''It's over." She muttered as a tear trickled down her cheeks, feeling a new sense of despair wash over her.
It seems in just one day she lost two of her friends together.
##
A/N - what're your thoughts about her now, ehh. Hahahha