PEARL BRIDE (AHUJA BROTHERS #1)

NIHARA"Hell yeahhhh!" I scream at my friend as we dance to the song. Being dragged to the club and getting drunk tonight was the best thing that could have happened to me in the past few months. I move my hips as the music played, enjoying every moment. But of course, God hated seeing me happy. My phone rings and my father's name flashes on my screen."SHIT" I say."What happened, babe?" Shreya speaks in my ears as the music made a normal conversation impossible."It's my dad, I need to pick the call up, I'll be back, you stay here" I say rushing out of the club making sure no music could be hear before I pick the call up."Where are you?""D-Dad, hi""I asked you something, Nihara""I-I'm at my friend's place dad, I told you i was going to stay over at Shreya's today" I say knowing I was in trouble."I hope you're not lying""I'm notttt, dad" I say. And my dad hangs up the phone. No bye, no take care. He never made me feel the presence of a fatherly love my entire life, except for in public of course, because he has to show how much he loves his family in public. I wonder how my mother lived with him, he showed no affection to any of us. My little sister, Nia whos still a teenager that needs the attention of their parents has never even spent some minutes of father-daughter time with him. And we hate him for that. It's been seven days. Seven days since my father announced my engagement. And I was shocked beyond limits knowing who my fiancé was. Abhimanyu Ahuja. The arrogant son of my father's best friend, Mr. Ahuja. I've never gotten along with Abhimanyu, he hates me I don't know why and I dislike him. We've never talked to each other except for when we fight. Mr Ahuja on the other hand, is more like a father to me. More fatherly than my father ever was to me so that's a good thing I guess. Getting Mrs. Ahuja as my mother-in-law would be nice. But getting him as a husband? SIGH, I'd rather die. I haven't talked to him once, even after the announcement. No calls nothing. And my family expects me to marry him. I tried convincing my mom to talk t dad, but she said, "You know how dad is, he never listens to anyone." And that brings us to the present where my best friend Shreya dragged me to this club, got me drunk and it feels sooo good I might have forgot all the tension if not for my dad's call.I rush inside, asking the waiter to get me more shots as I scan for my best friend. She was nowhere around. I try calling her but she doesn't reply. Minutes later my phone buzzes, i pick it up to see that Shreya had sent me a text.REYA: Hi babe, I'm sorry I had to leave something came up. Can't pick up the call right now but I'll call you tomorrow please reach home safely and text me once you do.ME: Okay, you take care too <3I wonder where she left. She never leaves this way, at least not without informing me. I take the shots the waiter brought me and take a seat at the bar. I'm planning on drinking more tonight. I need to get it all out of my mind. Just as I finish the 4 shots my waiter brought me, a dominant voice speaks, "What are you doing here?"I turn around, trying to focus on the man towering me. I was so drunk I couldn't even see clearly. I rub my eyes and what I see shocks me."Abhi-Abhimanyu?""That would be me yes""OH.""Nihara. I expect you to answer me when I ask you something""What did you ask me?" I giggle."My god you're drunk" he says nearing me, he takes up almost all the space blinding me from any other view except for his chest and lower torso. I have to look up at him to talk."Hehe I guess""Does your father know you're here?""Nouuu" I widen my eyes, "Of course not dummy" I grin.''Dummy? You shouldn't even be out here alone in the first place and if you are someone from your family must know""Well, now you know I'm out here, and you're family, aren't you?""Fuck. Niahra get up, we're leaving this instance.""I don't want to thoughh" I say pouting. And before I know, I'm picked up and thrown over his shoulder. His hands gripping my ass and my head dangling behind."Let me downnn""You won't listen to me and I refuse to let you stay here alone, so shut up and let me take you to my car.""Bu-""Don't say a word, Nihara. You're coming with me."ABHIMANYUGod this girl might just be the end of me. Seeing her in that black dress that ended above her knees, watching her long hair fall graciously over her face, and then I saw those men, eyeing her. I couldn't help but feel the anger in me boiling. I stride towards her and just to realize that she's completely drunk.I pick her up not wanting to let those men see her for a minute more. I stop only when we've reached my car that was parked in the basement. I gently make her sit in the passenger seat."Why are you here?" she asks me.To pick you up I say in my mind. Yes, her best-friend texted me saying she's drunk and alone and that she had to go away due to something. I was in the middle of work but imagining her alone and drunk in a club made me leave everything i was doing and rush to her."I just happened to be here. You cannot go around in clubs drinking like this again""WHY? Aap hote koun he mujhe rokne vale?" she asks bringing her face near to mine. It takes everything in me to not grab her neck and kiss her so hard she never asks this question ever again."Aapka hone vala pati" I say grabbing her neck and bringing her face close to mine."Haha, funny you should says that. Husbands to be usually like their brides and you hate me""I dont hate you" I tell her in a commanding way."Yea the way you change how you act when I'm there clearly tells me that you hate me. We've never talked properly, only fought. I don't know why you hate me but I'm not a fan of you either.""Nihara, stop. I don't hate you. And as for the way I am around you is because that's how I am not because you're around. We fight sure but thats fun too" I say tucking a strand of her hair behind her ears."But you didn't even call after the announcement. I know you don't want this either""I didn't call because it was shocking to me as well, I needed time to get used to the fact that I'll be getting married and that too with you""So you don't like me?""I like no one, I don't do relationships Nihara. But I'd rather have this marriage with you than someone random. I can't promise you that I'll fall in love with you, but I can and I do promise that you'll never feel like I'm a bad husband""So, so you want to marry me?" she asks me.No. I want to marry no one at this moment. I just took over my father's position after he retired 2 months ago. All I want to and need to focus on is our business and nothing else. But if I am getting married, I'd rather have it with Nihara than someone else."Yes.""Ok" she says and goes silent. I can feel that she's overthinking. Maybe I shouldn't have said that I won't fall in love with her. But that's the truth, I don't love. Love is for the weak people and I'm nowhere near weak. I'd agreed to marry because of the pressure my family put on me. I had no intentions of settling down but now, I am. I might be looking forward to it but I don't know. Right now the only thing I need to focus on, is business."Stop overthinking, Nihara. I know you are.""Maybe I am. Or maybe I'm just too drunk. Can you drop me home please?""You shouldn't even have to ask this, babygirl"