“Because you can pick any woman you want, including the twins.” She yelled back.
“Twins? What twins?” For a minute, he looked thoroughly confused. “Oh, you mean those girls who I met by chance? Come on, for god's sake, they were women I once knew. Are you saying you’re just annoyed because I stopped to acknowledge them the other day? Grow up!” He spat out.
“They were the same ones five years back, isn’t it?” she whispered.
“Who?” He was confused.
Suddenly, she lost all her steam and she dropped down on the couch. “Five years back, I finally worked up the nerve to ask you out after months of thinking and rethinking.” Her eyes seemed far off. That was the only reason she didn’t notice the shock that entered his face.
“You...wanted to ask me...out?” He choked out.
Oblivious to his reaction, she got it all out. She was tired of fighting this attraction, of the insecurity and the highs that surrounded her when it came to Armaan. He was her Achilles heel, and she was at a wit’s end on how to deal with this weakness. “I always wanted you all those years back, but I was very young. Just twenty-one! You were my employer; I didn't know how to approach someone like you who had it all. You were the Prince Charming for literally every woman under sixty, and I was this plain, plump housekeeper who didn’t even have the means to complete her education.” She broke off with a bitter laugh, before continuing. “I knew we were worlds apart, but I still worked up the nerve to ask you out. I waited that day, after cooking and organizing a special candlelight dinner for you.”
He vaguely remembered the setup, now feeling sick at what it had implied. “I...I didn’t know. I swear!”
“Oh, I know you didn’t.” Her smile was full of self-loathing. “I waited until very late and went home. When I got back the next morning for breakfast, I saw the twins come out of your room in various states of undress. That was the last straw.” She swallowed against the tears and continued despite her misery. “I couldn’t compete against two beautiful, perfect women who looked like goddesses. I couldn’t even grasp the possibility of more than one woman at a time.” She stopped speaking, her anxiety threatening to engulf her.Breathe, one breath at a time, she instructed herself. “When I saw them again now…” She paused to take a shaky breath.
“Fuck! I’m sorry, sweetheart. I swear, I didn’t know you were interested. If I’d known…”
She snapped her eyes at him. “If you knew, then what, Armaan? Huh? You’d have had an affair with me until the next woman came along.” Her tears ran unchecked on her face.
“No! No. You were my only sunshine. Don’t you see it? You are still my only ray of hope in life. Don’t put yourself down. Just...don’t! You only saw the man from outside, Mia. You don’t know the darkness inside; the darkness that seems to fade only when I’m with you.” His tortured whisper made her eyes widen.
“What? I am not a supermodel or a beauty queen or some wealthy socialite. I don’t even know how to capture or prolong your interest sexually.” She looked genuinely confused.
“You’re still seeing the external things, Mia. I don’t know how to make you understand. All that glitters is certainly not gold. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned in life, it’s that.” He got up from the couch and walked to the windows in her living room, gazing at the quiet road that led to her cafe.
Chapter 7
“My parents did not marry for love. It was an accident. They were strong individuals who chose to marry for their selfish reasons - my father to get an heir, and my mother to fuel her lavish lifestyle. Unfortunately, they didn’t realize a baby would require more than money or materials to thrive.”
Mia heard his bald statement with a blank face. This wasn’t what she expected him to say.
He turned around and looked at her with so much cynicism, she was taken aback. “Why are you looking so shocked, Sugar? Did you think I had everything just because I’m rich?”
“But...but you do have everything, Armaan. Don’t you think you’re repeating the same old, poor little rich me story? You have the means to lead a comfortable life, educate yourself wherever you want to, travel all over the world, do what you want, I mean...” she scoffed. “As if these weren’t enough, you’re also so confident, sexy, with enough good looks to be an A-star model. Women just throw themselves at you.” She had an expression that almost said ‘this isn’t fair’.
“I am grateful for the doors that my legacy and wealth have opened. Unfortunately, that isn’t enough, sweetheart. I was brought up by a series of nannies. Most of them were there for the money, and anything would go by if I knew how to shut the right people up. I didn’t have rules of any sort. I lost my virginity when I was barely thirteen to my then nanny, caretaker, whatever you want to call her.”
Mia winced. “Seriously? Oh, my God!”
Armaan simply shrugged. “Yeah. She wanted to play, and she used me as a toy.”
“But...but that’s abuse.” She looked shocked.
“Not really! I might not have known much back then, but I did enjoy it.”
“Just because you found pleasure, it doesn’t make it right. You were just a child.” Her face paled at the implication of his words, even as she replied in a horrified whisper.
“Yeah, a child with no childhood. For anything, I practically had to make my own decisions. Amongst the three of us, my dad was and still is the child. My mum…” He sighed. “My mum decided she’d had enough of us and walked out with her lover when I was about fifteen.”
Mia gaped at him.How could a parent be that selfish?Although her mother had been a single parent and they’d barely managed to scrape through, her life had been filled with love and warmth. It was her mother who’d taught Mia to cook and relish food. She stared at him as he continued.
“All my life, I’ve had women who’ve either loved my body or my money and most times both. I’m not trying to justify my sex life because I don’t need to. I haven’t forced or coerced anyone. I only took what was on offer.” He shrugged once again. “In fact, when I went with my dad for a drink recently, I had one woman who wanted to sleep with both of us.” His words were light, but his face couldn’t hide his disgust.
Mia looked at him in shock, this time, completely speechless.
“Don’t look so shocked. The appeal of power and money is endless.” He gave a cynical smile. “My point is, I’ve had a life of little to no meaning, surrounded by a lot of materialistic and hedonistic pursuits. I know to work and play. Other than that, there’s very little I look forward to in life. My friends were my solace to an extent. And then you came into my life; it was like a whole new world. Coming home to someone who cared for me, about what I did. You were my best friend. But then you left…” He broke off, glancing away, almost afraid he’d already said too much.
