Chapter two

Arjun Smith (P.O.V)

"Dude, are you ready to go?" Charles asked as I gave my hair a final touch.

I and Charles can live without food and water on Fridays but can't live without club nights. So today we were decided to go somewhere aside from our regular New York club, for a change. The place wasn't as I expected it to be but open and breezy near to the beach. Serial lights were glowing on the trees which felt like a December Christmas which still had time. I kind of liked this place.

Once we took our seats at the counter I ordered a Manhattan cocktail as Charles ordered whiskey for him and gave me a "Dude" nod. I didn't smile back which didn't stop him from smiling. He was the coolest guy too.

I took a deep breath as the sea breeze washed through my skin. The air was soft, salty, and sticky but felt good.

A few minutes later bartender placed our orders in front of us, with a nod he was gone to clean the same glass with the same cloth for, god knows how many times?

"So, what happened?" he asked, casually as he took a sip from his whisky.

"What?" I asked didn't know what he was talking about.

"I knew that unhappy face you don't put on every occasion." He raised his one brow to accept the fact. But I was no less than him. I'd dare him as well.

"So. What the status between you and Anna?" I dared him to go first.

He gave me that, "no, bro" look annoyed.

"You won. I just proposed to her yesterday." He said.

"What did she say? Did she accept that?" I asked.

"Yes! We are engaged now."

"Congrats, man." I pattered his shoulder to show that I was happy for him.

"Thanks, man." He said as he smiled. "Now it's your turn. What is bothering you? You can't say no because it was already written with ink on your forehead that says, 'something was bothering me'" he mimicked the last couple of words which annoyed me.

"Nothing," I said, averting my gaze like thieves who get caught while robbing the bank by the cop.

"Then, if there was only nothing. I'm going to call Mrs. Smith to know what'd just happened and what was bothering you? Isn't that fair?" he said.

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I will." He dared. His hand went to his pocket to pick the phone and when he got that out he started searching for my mom's dialler id.

"Fine!" I shouted and that makes me get some people's attention in the club which I didn't pay any attention back to them. With that shout, he tucked his phone back into his pocket and took a sip like these things never happened.

Once I told him the whole story of me being the CEO of the Smith industries which he knew I don't like even in hell. He gave me that tut-tut look. I didn't like to share those types of topics with him because I don't want his pity or anyone.

"You don't want to become the CEO? Do you?" he mused, his voice low and soft.

I nodded.

"Not in my father's company." I corrected him.

He thought about that for a minute.

"You must be kidding me, right," he said, angrily.

I shook my head a little angry though.

"Dude, do you even know what you are talking about?" he asked.

Actually, for god's sake, I was the one who didn't know what he was talking about. How can I take that position which my dad worked to get? He was always my inspiration and I also wanted to start from the beginning I don't want the palace which was already there. I've to create my Empire with my power and knowledge. Not my father's.

Even, while waiting for my refill to come Charles didn't seem to pause. He was going on with his motivational speech until I turned my head in fury. He paused and swallowed the lump in his throat like he was just scared. He was such an Oscar-winning actor.

"Don't be so dramatic." I scolded him.

"I didn't." He gave that smirk which he uses very often when he wants to make a girl fell into his arms.

One week later...

After I became the CEO of my father's company which they compelled me to take that responsibility on my shoulder which I did, as I'd already guessed, that chair was a stress chair.

Last week the news about me taking over my dad's company fill the First page of all the newspapers in New York and all over America. Every five minutes once they put this video which shows I was entering my office with my black tuxedo with grey coat and coolers, the flash news says, "Breaking news". And the middle-aged woman who is hair was blonde says, "The most handsome man and the former CEO of the Smith Industries, the one, and only Steve Smith, he retired and his son Arjun Smith took over his company. Today he signed his first contract. Let's welcome the new, young and handsome, "THE NEW CEO OF THE SMITH INDUSTRIES, 'ARJUN SMITH"

While I was sitting on that chair for hours and hours, the calls from landlines, the always knocking staffs at my door, even the old women stare at me all the time through the glass wall, the sound of typing and sometimes even had to attend meetings. That was the stressed chair. And I was already started to hating it.

Once I got ready I went dining to the room and sat on my usual seat. Alice served me my breakfast, eggs, and bacon. I took the knife and fork, when I was about to eat, the sound from the doorway made me frozen in place as the distance between the spoon to mouth was just an inch away. As placing the knife and fork on the table I turned my head towards the sound where it was coming from. The voice sounds familiar.

"Arjun, we need to talk." Mom said as she shoved the rolled newspaper on the table in front of me. I didn't realize her presence until then. I didn't mind taking a look at the paper. And I'd never seen her that angry before.

What's the matter?

"Listening or what?" she asked, now the politeness from her voice were gone only angriness.

"What do we need to talk about?" I said.

She crossed her arms and held it against her chest as she took a deep breath and said, "Take a cool look at the first page of this newspaper. You'll love it." She said still her voice was calm and friendly which was even more dangerous than normal. The last time she used this tone to find me where I was hiding after when I broke my elder brother, Rahul's nose.

I sighed.

I took the newspaper as I stared at mom, fury in my eyes. Opening that roll and making it comfortable to get a better letter as thinking that news would be like, "NOW THE YOUNG WOMEN IN NY WERE AFTER THIS NEW HANDSOME MAN, 'ARJUN SMITH", expecting this is what that would be like. But when I saw the first page and read it, my eyes go wide and I automatically gritted my teeth, clenched my fists. My mind says that it wasn't my fault but my heart says that it was my fault.

"Like what you see?" she smiled as she took a seat beside me as placing her legs on her leg. Her smile had thousands of questions and was filled with angriness and bitterness about what I did and when I did.

She didn't say a word.

"How did they find it?" I muttered, still starring at the picture and the title above that.

Only silence.

"Just say something." I groaned.

Finally, she said something but quite not what I'd expected it.

"We are going to India." She said.

"Why are we going to India that makes no sense?"

"Let me complete first." She said clear sharp edge on her tone.

I didn't say anything in return just starring at the same newspaper reading the heading over and over.

"We are going to India and... gonna meet this girl named Anushiya." She said.

"Why?" I interrupted.

"To get you two married."

"What?" I shouted, averting my gaze from the newspaper to her. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me."

"No way," I said turning my head back to the picture. "That wasn't me, the photo, that wasn't me mom. Believe me." I told her.

"I do but media won't." She lied. I can see her doubt in her eyes cause she didn't hold her gaze at me while she said that. "I was done with these media writing shit about you and you're giving them to write your shit. I can't handle or face these anymore." She shouted better enough to our chef in the other room to hear.

I didn't say anything. I know I was wrong and I didn't have to pretend I wasn't wrong. I was the one who did the mistake even though I didn't know from my knowledge. So, I've to take on the responsibilities.

When she sees me silent she didn't go any further with that topic. I didn't get scolded by my mom since my childhood. So getting scolded by her was new to me. This was the very first time that I was scolded.

"Why these things were only happening to me? Firstly the post which I'd never wanted, to be honest, I'd never interested in. You guys compelled me to take over it and which I did. Now you guys were doing the same, compelling to marry some stranger." I told her.

"You didn't want to be a CEO of your dad's company?" she asked, surprised.

"That's... that's why?" I said as her eye goes wide. "That wasn't my mom. That was dad's not mine."

"I'm so sorry." She apologized. "But we didn't have any other options, it was too late."

"What? No."

"Yes. If you said this before a week or two you were just a normal celebrity's son. But today you are not. You are the CEO of the Smith industries. Now people see you as a CEO, not some celebrity's son. You've to take the responsibilities." She said.

I gritted my teeth in response as if that I was showing my angriness.

"Here," she said as she handed over her phone.

I didn't know why.

"Take a look at her. She's pretty cute." She said.

When I hesitated she gave me that fury look in her eyes.

So one photo doesn't hurt, I told myself as I took that phone from her hand and started scanning it with my eyes. Just looked at this girl's photo for a second or two just for formality and then handed it over back to mom.

"So, do you like her?" she asked scrutinizing my face.

"No... no, god, no." I shouted. Just because I saw her photo for a minute or two that doesn't mean I like or even love her.

I was just twenty-seven years old I still want to enjoy my bachelor's life. If I'm being honest with myself she wasn't even my type at all. She's a little bit of a chubby girl for my type.

"Fine. I don't care if you like her or not but for god's sake you've to marry only her that's what your fate is written on your forehead." She pursued her lips for a minute to take a break or maybe thinking for the next sentence. "And be ready tomorrow by 10. We are flying to your mother's birthplace. Love you." She'd always, like always thought she can be a cool mom. But she can which was just true as I can sing, I can't.

What was she even talking about? This was just a little mistake, just a damn photo. Okay, not just a damn photo but it wasn't any big issue either.

Everyone in this world do mistakes it wasn't their fault, but the world.

It was my mistake.

No, it's not mine it's all because of that damn photo and that shitty photographer. Whoever has done this, I'm going to make their life a living hell.

This is what'll happen if you have an Indian mom. Believe me.

Once I unlocked my expensive car which my dad presented me to took his position in his company. I buckled up and started the engine as the car roared and vibrated in response. When I drove through our main gate there were dozens of media people holding their cameras and mics, even some of the normal people were also standing with their phones to get likes, comments, and fifteen-second celebrity on social platforms. They were shouting and yelling and some of them were even dying to know about what happened that day.

I was in a big headache I can't handle any more for one day. I was done with that day already. I didn't have any time to chit-chat with them so I put my coolers on and gave my accelerator full force and flew away from there.

The ride between my house and my dad's company was very fast but what I didn't expect was this. When I reached my office there were also reporters standing with their cameras, waiting to greet me with their thousands of questions and their doubts. Their eyes were eagerly waiting for me to give them some detail about what they'd just read about me in that damn newspaper as I drove through my office's main gate. They were shouting and yelling as I drive past them as my securities shielding my car from those reporter's hands.

There was a time I welcomed Mondays and go with a big smile on my face when I was working with Charles which wasn't my dad's company.

I'd been having this new habit, whenever I enter my cabin for the first time for the day I stop myself from entering my cabin, stood in front of the door where my name-plated in gold that says, "Arjun Smith" in the upper row and below that says, "CEO" 'of my dad's company' I muttered. I took a long look before entering in.

Once, when I sat on my leather seated chair, first it feels comfortable but as time passes it became uncomfortable sitting in the same place which was burning my ass. So I stood from that dump-ass chair and walked towards the other end of the cabin where I can get a perfect view of this New York City which was always running to get something, unstoppable, through this glass wall in between us. Watching the same streets, yellow-painted taxes, and peoples who were always wearing earphones to get themselves distracted and phones on their hands which shows that they don't want to see this world through their eyes because they were scared of this without filtered world and it was good to see this same world with filters like they were doing now. I took a deep breath in feeling the smell of roses from the bouquet on my table and the sound of the clock on the wall tik-tik-ed as the seconds passed by.

I forgot the whole thing which happed in the morning. About that girl, about that marriage, about that damn newspaper, the picture of me in an Indian wedding dress and beside me the bride wearing the saree. No way in hell!