Love Me Like You Do

CHAPTER 5

Ranvijay was true to his words when he said he would help me find a place that I could call home. I told him the type of house we wanted, and that money is not a problem and that’s it. The problem that wasn’t being solved in the past month and more got solved in a matter of a week.

I was still figuring out how powerful Ranvijay is that he could find me the perfect house in a matter of weeks when the best brokers in the city couldn’t do that for me even in months. It’s a month since our official meeting and three weeks after our catch-up session the first time and since then, I could happily say that a lot has changed.

I’m friends with Ranvijay and we are reaching the stage we used to be like in college. Bickering around with each other all the time, fighting with each other, being each other’s biggest critic, and also each other’s top support when in need. We have reached the level of best friends and in the city, I expected to be all alone, I found my home away from home or maybe this is actually where I belong.

In the past few days, we have been close, close than I could ever have imagined. He didn’t only help me find the house but also a lot in setting up that house and making it a home for me and Arnav. He just didn’t help me in setting it up but also gave it a touch that made me feel like I’m home away from home. His innocent flirting, his tantrums, his puppy face to get something he wants and I refuse him, he's helping me and roaming around me in the entire house, cooking for me when I got tired of all the moving and handling all my dramas happily Ranvijay felt like home to me in the place where I thought I would be all alone.

Flashback:

I am blank looking at all the boxes and the mess that is in my new house and to be honest I also had no idea where to begin with or end with. Today marks the start of my new life in this city, today is the first day of shifting into the new house that I love with all my heart and would protect with everything that I have. I won’t let any evil eye or someone’s bad deeds or my past haunt this place and the people in my life anymore and also, I won’t be letting the bad memories affect me anymore.

I was still confused about what was I supposed to do with all those boxes when suddenly out of nowhere the bell of my house rang. I was in a daze, as I was expecting no one and especially at this time of the day. It’s mid-afternoon and I didn’t call anyone to come help me with the shifting and the only person who knew about this is Ranvijay, who is in a meeting right now. Yes Ranvijay, we had been spending the past weeks together like the old times while searching for the house and I would be lying to myself if I didn’t feel the chemistry we have or the sparks that flow between us whenever we are close. But that’s just friendship that we have among ourselves and nothing more.

I stumbled on one of the boxes but saved myself from falling straight to the face on the ground, I could say I was lucky enough to dodge that fall. I knew I’m looking completely disoriented with all the work since this morning and no food at all. I didn’t have the time to order food for myself and also the fact that I don’t like eating alone without any entertainment around me and in this house right now I couldn’t find the charger for my phone how the hell would I find the entertainment.

I went to open the door and there I saw the guy I was hoping least to see right now. Ranvijay was standing by the door with packets in his one hand and his phone on the other, while he was calling someone. When he saw me, I saw him blowing a breath and sighing hard as he was worried for me. His eyes examined me from head to foot before walking past me in the house irritated.

He walked in like he owns the place and I’m on the other hand flabbergasted by his audacity for the same. I agree we have come close, really close but the authority he is entering in my place shows that he thinks himself of my close friend. Which, of course, I’ll agree to as he is the only friend that I truly consider be it here or even in Germany. Rights that I think Ranvijay has been more than what even my friends over there ever had. They could never walk into my home like this leaving me on the door and without me allowing them to come inside. The friendships I had over there were more on the formal side, rather than the open and free side.

I closed the door and followed him inside the house, he was looking at the mess the house was in and then started to look around for something. I was confused and didn’t actually know what was the exact thing that he was looking for and that too here in this completely messed up place. He frowned and turned towards me, “Where is your phone?” one simple question and I know he had been trying to reach me for quite some time that forced him to come all the way here from his office.

“Ohh, that. I have the phone somewhere in this mess but I lost the charger so didn’t bother finding the phone also.” I told him pouting because I seriously want my phone and charger so that I can check on the progress of the project and all the other things.

“But, did you come from your office just to check up on me?” I was hoping internally for him not to say yes, but also at the same time to tell me that yes he came here for me, that at least I’m that much important to someone ever that they would take so much effort for her wellbeing.

“What does it seem like? Obviously yes, baby. I was trying to call you since this morning but you were not even responding to my calls or texts. Even after so many hours, you didn’t call me back so I had to come here personally to check whether you were alive or dead.” He joked in the end and then waved the packet of my favorite restaurant in front of me and I jumped on him in happiness.

Ranvijay chuckled seeing my reaction, as he caught me just in time to avoid both of us falling on the boxes. He pulled me close to him as he hugs me tighter, we have been lost in each other, forgetting that I’m just his friend and nothing more than that. We stepped back from each other, I was feeling a hell of awkward and he knew it, I could see something change in his demeanor but he covered it instantly and went to the kitchen to get the food for both of us.

I also tried my best to normalize the mood between both of us, he is my friend and didn’t think of me as something more than that and for the things I’m feeling for him I couldn’t jeopardize my friendship for that, not now not ever. I was standing there in a daze, still confused about everything that is happening to me and when I would be able to control my growing feelings for him and not confess to him. Also, that would ever we will be able to have what was there in our college days.

Ranvijay came out of the kitchen holding two plates in his hand and gestured for me to come and eat. That is good, but the main question lies in where to sit to eat that food because I couldn’t see a single space in this place right now.

Ranvijay shook his head and handed me the plates he was holding while handling the cardboard box and bringing it down and settling it in between and clearing space near it. He looked at me and I was still confused about what he was doing. A person like Ranvijay who loves luxuries couldn’t sit on the ground and eat like this that’s why I wasn’t thinking when he came and took the plates from my hand after looking that I’m dumbfounded and not moving at all.

He settled on the ground with his and my plate on the box and started eating without waiting for me. He knew I was looking at him completely shocked but he didn’t mind me and continued eating his food. Only to stop after a good minute and tell me to stop glaring at him and also eat my food as he knows that I’m also starving for it that he spoke, “Are you going to stand there and only gawk at me eating or mind joining me too?”

I didn’t reply to him and went to sit opposite him on the floor picking up the food I’m dying to eat. It looks extremely delicious and having the right company with me makes it even more heavenly. I know I was gawking at him, he looked like a Greek God sitting over there with a plate full of different dishes and eating carelessly like he doesn’t give a damn about the world.

At some point, he might have noticed my stares at him, he questioned me “Are you sure you don’t want to eat me for your breakfast?” he smirked at me.

That might be his innocent flirting like he always does, but to me right now since I was seriously ogling him, I couldn’t control my flushed face and started coughing hard. Looking at me, Ranvijay only laughed hard. He is completely unaware of the situation and the depths of water we were sailing through.

But today there is something different in Ranvijay’s eyes. He looks contemplated, worried, and tensed over something that I’m sure he wouldn’t tell me. In the last month, I have got the idea that if something concerns him and could make me tense also he wouldn’t tell me that till he himself solves the problem. He would tell me the issue but only after it is resolved.

“Are you going to come to the investor's meeting tomorrow?” Ranvijay asked and I could see in his eyes that he wasn’t sure if he would like me to join the meeting or not.

And then, it hit me, more like a ton of bricks had fallen over me. Tomorrow is the day of the investor's meeting and I’m gonna see Ranvijay as the CEO of my company. He would meet me not as an employee of the company but as the owner and that would now definitely bring the rift between our friendship. I sure as hell, didn’t want to lose the friendship we have, and the revelations tomorrow weren’t going to help I’m sure of it.

I might have zoned out for so long, that Ranvijay had to nudge me to bring me back to reality. When both of our eyes met there was an unknown fear, we both were struggling from. For, I know the reasons for the fear in my eyes but why Ranvijay seemed so tensed right now I’m not aware.

But soon enough Ranvijay masked his expressions and continued eating and talking like he always use to do. But, after everything while he was helping me in shifting the stuff and setting up the house, he told me something that took me completely off guard. It was something that I might have wanted to tell him but he was telling me that without any reason in particular. We were standing on the main door and he was ready to bid me farewell for the night.

“Tina, I always want you to remember that I do cherish my friendship with you a lot. Once, I lost a very good friend in you but now I rea’t want to lose it. So, trust me when I say this ‘everything happens for a reason, whatever happens tomorrow in the meeting talk to me first. Trust me, you are one of my best friends and I would never hurt you in any way intentionally.”

He hugged me and left me there standing on the door thinking what he meant by that sentence, what probably could be wrong by his side in the meeting. He is a high-level and highly paid employee in ‘RR’ which is something I’m already aware of but his tone showed something else, that tomorrow might be a day of big revelations and also a day that our friendship must be tested.

The remainder of the night went by me thinking about what could happen the next day in the meeting. I didn’t want to lose my so good friendship because initially, I wanted to test whether he is still the same friend for me or not.

Flashback ends

I woke up at eight in the morning for the meeting, saying I’m nervous would be an understatement. I can’t know how the hell I’m going to face Ranvijay and explain to him why I did what I did and didn’t tell him in the start who I am. But more than anything else the thing that I’m the most concerned about is his secret and the reason that he asked me to trust him no matter what.

I got ready and went to my office, the entire team was present over there and my P.A. personally asked me my plans and told me that the CEO of RR would also be there and this time around I needed to come up with my real identity about the position that I hold in the company.