The ride back home was a quiet one; Arya switched her make-up with a frown and didn't even look at Ross, who was in the driver's seat gazing at her apologetically and trying to hold her hand. She had almost refused to go back home in his car and only changed her mind to avoid further embarrassment; both she and Ross were from affluent families, and it would give them and their upcoming wedding a bad publicity.
All efforts to get Arya to talk to him proved futile. Ross had apologised and even sent flowers through a courier later that evening, but Arya didn't budge; this is unacceptable, she told herself. On one hand, she was mad at Ross, and on the other hand, she couldn't help thinking about her short and surprising encounter with Haydar.
She met Haydar at Damiens jewellery shop, when she accompanied her bestie, Tara to purchase a piece. Tara's niece was turning two and she wanted to buy her a diamond pendant. They spent quite some time checking out different designs and chose a cute one that'll suit a baby girl. Tara went over to pay with her card while Arya surfed the "Crown Area", and just then, a Cartier emerald-cut diamond tiara caught her attention. Safely kept in a glass, it looked so exquisite that she felt like kissing it, "so divine ", she said almost inaudibly. "Not half as breathtaking as you are", said a manly voice behind her. Before she could turn to face him, his perfume, a rich mixture of oud, musk and saffron, swept her off her feet. She held her chin high, hiding her embarrassment of being caught gawking at a crown by some stranger and, in this case, a drop-dead gorgeous creature of a man. He was tall, well-built, with a shortly trimmed beard, and had little lips and deep eyes; she could bet her money that he was Middle Eastern." I'm so sorry, did I startle you?" he asked gently. Arya didn't want to act impressed even though she was. She was barely nineteen but had mastered the art of feminine aura and grace from her ever-elegant mother. ." It's fine", she said slowly and turned to catch up with Tara, who had finally managed to pay after her card had declined twice.
The girls had reached the parking lot and were about to leave in Tara's Bentley when the husky voice, which had etched itself in Arya's pretty head, interrupted them. "Your majesty, you didn't even tell me your name; I'm Haydar", the man from the jewellers said, looking at Arya keenly; your majesty, Arya laughed inwardly; who even says that anymore? Is this the eighteen twenties? oh, brother. It sounded like a nineteenth-century knight trying to tame a damsel; oh well, the least she could do was be polite.
"Hi, I'm Arya and this is my friend Tara", she said with a cute smile. "Nice to meet you", he said and also smiled at Tara. Could I please have your number? "Oh my, I'm so sorry if it's too forward, but I want to talk to you more". His words sounded cute, and he seemed shy, too. They exchanged numbers, and the girls drove off.
"There's a courier here for you, Miss ", Susan, one of the maids, said to Arya after serving her her morning tea. She opened the parcel as soon as Susan left the room, it was a diamond crown, the same one he had seen her staring at the other day, with a note attached, which said, "It reminds me of how we met, and my Queen must have her tiara, sorry I stink at poetry." She blushes as she looks closely at her gift; it has her name engraved in it, her very own customised diamond crown! Her phone's beep distracts her, and she picks it up to see a message from Haydar saying, "How about lunch today?" "Sure", she quickly types a reply.
It was a beautiful Monday morning, and Arya was in class, barely paying attention to what the professor was saying. She couldn't wait for the class to be over, as she had a spa and henna date with Haydar's sister, Ayesha. Ayesha's husband, Fahad, was an heir to the Mansour Empire, a family that was primarily oil and gas traders as well as real estate. Ayesha is currently pregnant and barely has any friends; Arya crept into her heart as soon as she set her eyes on her, and they instantly became inseparable. Arya often accompanied her on her frequent shopping sprees when she bought clothes for herself and her unborn baby. Today's henna date was one of the many only girls' outings they had.
Haydar came from a family of gold merchants and precious stone miners who unfortunately lost their wealth and a huge part of their prestige after falling victim to a sophisticated fraud scheme. Haydar being the eldest son, resolved to track down these fraudsters and restore the family's honour. This happened shortly after Ayesha's wedding. They'd already spent lavishly on her wedding and picking up the pieces was almost impossible. They were still fairly comfortable, even after losing almost every asset they had acquired for generations.
Haydar was a strong man, his bravery and chivalry swept Arya off her feet. She even learnt how to wear abayas and beautify herself with the few gold pieces he bought for her. Arya's parents didn't particularly have a problem with their relationship, since their daughter was happy. However, Aleena saw him as not rich enough, and the fact that he was chasing after his family's lost wealth, which he may or may not recover, did not impress her at all.
Their relationship ended abruptly when he was accused and arrested for theft, illegal mining and a few other allegations. He was even accused of stealing the diamond tiara that he gifted Arya, and her family almost got into trouble for that. He sent her a breakup message a few hours before his arrest; she'd rushed to meet him only to see him being handcuffed and bundled into a police car. She didn't get any heads-up or closure. It ended just like that. They'd only dated for ten months but it felt like she'd known him for ages. She hadn't been brave enough to commit to a new relationship until she met Ross, the only son of Calton Wallington, owner and founder of the Diamond Atelier.
She heard a knock, which immediately ended her flashback session. Her mother came in with a glass of water in a small tray. She sits on the bed and looks closely at her daughter. "You've been upstairs since you came back from your photoshoot. Did anything happen, fought with Ross?" Aleena waited for her daughter to reply. Arya hesitated for a moment and then told her everything: how Ross had fed her garlic-infused guacamole and how Haydar appeared on time to help her. Haydar, the mention of his name took the glow off Aleena's face. Her daughter almost got arrested because the tiara he gave her was allegedly stolen. Their relationship with Damien and the fact that they could afford it saved their family's image from being tarnished. Why was Haydar back again, and why was he at the scene? Was he stalking Arya? Should they inform the police?