!!A Blast from the Past!!
ADITI ' pov :-
I always had a thing for food. It was my passion, my joy and my therapy , so when I started my blog and begin reviewing local street food. My career quickly took off and I became a household name in the food Blogger world, but there was one thing that I never let in the way of my success "relationships"... I adhered rigidly to the my rule of staying single and focusing on my career
My life was in perfect harmony. That is , until I saw him .
My ex-boyfriend "Raghav, standing near a street food , stand his face having changed but his presence still has familiar and infuriating as ever.
As I stood there frozen and time , my pass coming back to haunt me, I couldn't help but feel a mixture of anger and curiosity. I hadn't seen him in years and now he pops up. Randomly , in front of a street food stand ??
The universe has twisted the sense of humour, indeed.
As I stood there, observing him discreetly, My mind was flooded with memories, some good, some bad, I remembered the good time we shared the laughter, excitement and the love but I also remember the pain , the hurt and the betrayal I experienced when he left me to pursue his dreams abroad.
It was a complicated mixture of emotions and my heart was torn wanting to confront him and wanting to just turn and walk away..
But I was not someone who ran away from the problems, my career had proven that... I took a deep breath and walked towards Raghav, my heart thudding in my throat.
As I approached him, he turned and our eyes met for the first time in years.The emotion on his face mirrored mines - Surprise, nostalgia and a hint of something else that I couldn't quite place !!
Aditi , he said , his voice deeper now than I remembered.
"I didn't expect to see you here ". He said ;
I struggled to keep my emotions in check . I had to maintain the upper hand .
" Neither did I , Raghav, " I replied , in my cool tone
"I thought you were still abroad".!!
He chuckled, a sound so familiar, My heart ached
"I was but I moved back to India few months ago!! I have started a new restaurant here in Delhi" he replied
I was surprised evident. "Raghav , who always been more interested in partying and adventure than cooking , was now a restaurateur??
The irony wasn't lost on me "A restaurant?? That's unexpected," I said , curiosity was getting better on me !!
"Did you suddenly develop a passion for cooking? "
He smiled and I was struck by how attractive he still looked even after all these years "Well not exactly", he admitted !! I partnered with a chef and the restaurant was his idea I invest and manage the business sides of things. I may not have a passion for cooking but I have a mind for business".
I was silent for a moment digesting this information he always had been a charismatic and smart but somehow, I never had imagined him as successful entrepreneur
"So I guess business is going well for you?" I asked in my carefully neutral tone!!
He nodded , his eyes never leaving mine " Yeahh !!
The restaurant is doing great, it become quite popular , thanks to my marketing skills of course". There was a hint of arrogance in his voice a familiar trait that simultaneously infuriated and attracted me when we were together!!
I couldn't help but feel a pang of annoyance,. He was always the one who knew how to push my buttons.
"Ahh yes, your marketing skills ," I said sarcastically ,
"I'm sure it's all thanks to your charm and not the quality of the food"
He reached his eyebrow at my comment, a smile playing on his lips. "You know, you could just admit that I'm good at what I do"!! .He said and I can sense a teasing edge at his voice " There's no need to be so prickly all time "
I scowled at his comment," I'm not being prickly."!!
I protested !! I'm just being honest and you know as well as I do that.I'm not going to hand you compliments on platter " I replied !!
He chuckled again clearly enjoying our banter.
"You always were so stubborn," he said.
Taking a step closer to me, he said " It was one of the thing I loved about you, despite how infuriating it was "!!
I tried to ignore the way my heart skipped a beat at his words, but it was futile. The memory of our past and the intensity of the our relationship was still fresh in my mind. "I am not stubborn ". I protested weakly " I am just opinionated"!!
His smile widened into a grin."And there's that fiery spirit, I remember so well." He replied, his eyes sparkling with amusement. I felt a familiar flicker of anger and attraction at his worst " stop it" I snapped !!
"You don't get to just waltz back into my life and act like nothing ever happened between us!!"
His expression turned more serious. "I know" he said quietly. "I know the past wasn't easy on us and I know I hurt you when I left!! I never meant to cause you pain aditi but I am back now and I am hoping you can find a way to forgive me.".... his went quite ...!!
I wanted to argue to tell him that I couldn't just forgive and forget but looking at his eyes , I saw the sincerity and remorse, it was a look I saw many times before and It never failed to melt my heart just a little bit. "It's not that simple ," I said weakly , my voice was betraying with the emotions I was trying to hide!!
He took another step closer, closing the distance between us. "I know it's not simple," he said gently. "But I'm willing to spend however long it takes to earn back your trust and prove that I'm not the same careless, impulsive person I used to be."
I was torn part of me wanted to push him away, to protect myself from the pain and uncertainty he brought into my life. But another part of me, the part that still cared about him, was hopeful. Maybe he really had changed. Maybe he truly was sorry for his past mistakes. "Why should I believe you?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
His expression softened, and he reached out to touch my arm, his fingertips gently grazing the skin. The touch sent a shiver down my spine, and I tried to ignore it. "Because I'm not asking for anything from you other than a chance," he said, his voice earnest. "A chance to show you that I've learned from my mistakes and that I'm worthy of your trust."
I looked into his eyes, searching for any hint of deceit or manipulation. But all I saw was honesty and remorse. It was a look I had yearned to see in his eyes many times in the past. I wanted to believe him, but I was scared. "What if you leave again?" I asked, voicing my biggest fear.
His hand moved from my arm to my chin, gently tilting my face up to look at him. "I won't," he said, his voice firm and resolute. "I know how much it hurt you when I left the first time, and I promise I'll do whatever it takes to make sure it never happens again. I won't let you down, Aditi. I swear it."
My heart ached as I looked into his eyes and saw the earnestness in them. I wanted to believe him, but my heart was still guarded, scarred from the pain of their past. "You better not," I said, in my soft voice ." Because I won't forgive you twice."
He smiled, his thumb gently caressing my jawline. "I wouldn't expect you to," he replied softly. "You've always been unwavering and steadfast, even when it comes to forgiveness. It's one of the things I always admired about you."
My heart skipped a beat at his words, my defenses crumbling a little. I had always prided myself on being strong and uncompromising, but his praise always managed to melt a part of my heart. "Flattery won't get you anywhere," I warned, my voice lacking conviction.
He chuckled, his thumb still tracing gentle circles on my skin. "I'd never dream of trying to flatter you into forgiveness," he said, a teasing edge to his voice. "I know you're too smart and too stubborn for that."
I rolled my eyes but couldn't suppress a small smile. "You're insufferable, you know that?" I said, my voice lacking its usual bite.
He smiled, his hand moving from my chin to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "It's part of my charm," he replied, his eyes filled with warmth. "And I think you secretly don't hate it as much as you pretend to."
"Don't flatter yourself," I retorted, trying to maintain my cool facade. But inwardly, I was struggling against the fluttering of my heart and the memories of our time together. He had always had a way of making my feeling both vulnerable and safe at the same time, and now was no different.
He chuckled, his thumb tracing the curve of my cheek. "You may lie to the world, Aditi," he said, his voice gentle. "But you can never lie to me. I've always been able to see right through you, even when you were trying to hide how you really felt."
My breath hitched at his words, a wave of nostalgia hitting me. It was true— He always seemed to know when I was lying, and he never failed to call me out on it. "So you think you know everything about me now, huh?" I said, my voice is a bit wavery.
His hand moved to cup my face, his eyes meeting mine with an intensity that made my heart flutter. "Not everything," he said softly, his thumb gently stroking my cheek. "But I know enough. I know that you put on a tough exterior to protect your heart, but deep down, you're a hopeless romantic who just wants to be loved and appreciated."
My cheeks flushed, both from the truth in His words and from the way he was touching md. "Stop it," I protested weakly. "You don't have the right to psychoanalyze me like that."
He chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that sent shivers down my spine. "Why not? I know you better than anyone. I was the one who stayed up with you all night, listening to your dreams and your fears. I know what makes you laugh and what makes you cry. You can pretend all you want, but you can never hide your true self from me."
My heart ached at his words. I had always tried to appear strong and unruffled in front of others, but it was true—He had seen me at my most vulnerable moments, the ones that I had shared with no one else. I couldn't deny the truth in his words, no matter how much I wanted to. "You're not playing fair," I mumbled, looking away to hide the emotions on my face.
He chuckled again, his hand tilting my face back towards him. "Who said anything about fair?" he teased, his voice soft. "When it comes to you, I'll use every trick in the book to get back into your good graces."
My defenses were crumbling, my heart warring with my mind. I wanted to push him away, to protect myself from the pain he had caused in the past. But at the same time, a small part of me was hopeful, wanting to believe that he had really changed. "You're being too charming," I scolded weakly.
He smirked, his thumb tracing my jawline lazily. "It's part of my charm," he reminded me. "Besides, you always secretly liked it when I was unapologetically charming."
My heart ached at the truth in his words. He had always been a charmer, and it was a quality I had both loved and resented about him. I had never been immune to his charms, even when I had tried to act like I was. "I don't like admitting that," I muttered, my eyes darting away from his.
His hand moved to my chin again, gently forcing me to look at him. "You don't have to admit anything," he said, his voice quieter now. "I know you better than you give me credit for. I know you're struggling with your emotions right now, torn between your hurt and your hope."
I didn't trust myself to reply. My mind was spinning, my heart torn between my anger and my longing. I had been hurt badly by him ,and my heart was still raw from the pain. But seeing him now, hearing him apologize and trying to win me back, it stirred up feelings I thought I had buried. "I don't know what to think," I said, my voice was a whisper.
His expression turned tender. He could sense my inner turmoil, and for once, he didn't try to hide the guilt and remorse in his eyes. "I don't expect you to," he said quietly. "I know I've caused you a lot of pain, and I'll never forgive myself for that. But I'm here now, and I'm asking for a chance to show you that I've changed. A chance to make things right."
Thankyou Sunshines!!
Hope you all loved the chapter !!
Also what are your views on Chapter 1
What do you think !!
Will Aditi give Raghav a chance??
Will Raghav prove that he is changed??
Love you all
🎀✨️❤️