Broken but beloved

Hello! We meet again!

Rishab's POV:

I was deep in a peaceful slumber when a sudden, relentless banging on my door rudely yanked me from my dreams. Annoyed, I tried to block out the noise, pulling the covers over my head, hoping whoever it was would give up and go away. But the banging only grew louder and more insistent, shattering any hope of returning to my restful state. With a heavy sigh, I groggily climbed out of my king-sized bed, my body protesting every movement as I trudged towards the door, silently cursing whoever was behind it.

The moment I cracked the door open, I was engulfed in a bone-crushing hug that nearly knocked the breath out of me. My older brother, Shaan, had caught me in one of his infamous bear hugs. At 22, Shaan is the epitome of the perfect older brother. He’s responsible, runs one of our father’s businesses with an iron hand, and is always there when I need him. Our bond goes beyond the typical sibling relationship; we’re best friends who share everything with each other. He’s never one to impose his will on me, always giving me the freedom to make my own choices. But he’s also my protector, often shielding me from our parents’ wrath when I’ve gone too far. And now, here he was, squeezing the life out of me in what I could only describe as a blend of relief and frustration.

His arms, muscled and unyielding, wrapped around me like a vice, and I gasped out, “Ah! It hurts! Let me go!” My plea fell on deaf ears as he tightened his grip even further, apparently intent on making sure I felt the full weight of his concern. My irritation spiked. Not only had he ruined my peaceful morning, but now he was physically assaulting me with his overbearing affection. I wriggled and squirmed until he finally let me go, his expression quickly shifting from relief to stern admonishment.

“Rishab! How could you be so reckless, driving like that? If anything had happened to you, I don’t know what I would have done! The moment I heard about your accident, I dropped everything, left one of the most important meetings of my career in London and flew back to India. You have no idea how worried I was. How can you be so childish?”

Shaan’s voice was laced with genuine concern, but I was still too groggy and annoyed to fully appreciate it. Instead, I rolled my eyes and responded with a dismissive, “Duhhhhhhh,” hoping to downplay the situation. My nonchalant attitude earned me a swift smack on the head, and I yelped dramatically, clutching the spot and exclaiming, “Ouch! You just hit me where I got hurt in the accident!”

Panic flashed across Shaan’s face, and he immediately began apologizing, but I couldn’t hold back a smirk at his reaction. Realizing I was just messing with him, he sighed and smacked me twice more, though with much less force this time, his lips twitching in a grin.

Without giving me a chance to protest further, Shaan grabbed my arm and dragged me back into my room. “Get ready,” he ordered, his tone brooking no argument. I wasn’t in the mood to go anywhere and tried to refuse, but Shaan wasn’t having it. He practically shoved me into the bathroom, knowing all too well that his bossy nature left me with little choice but to comply.

After a quick, reluctant shower, I went to my closet and picked out a V-neck black T-shirt, paired with jeans that were stylishly ripped at the knees, and black Nike shoes. The casual outfit was my way of showing I wasn’t exactly thrilled about whatever Shaan had planned. When I walked out of the closet, Shaan was waiting, his smile wide and annoyingly cheerful. My irritation only deepened.

“Where are we going?” I asked, my voice laced with irritation.

His smile grew even broader as he replied, “Ananya’s in town! She’s helping her grandma at the café, so we’re going to meet her. And we haven’t seen Grandma in ages, I’ve been craving her coffee.”

It all made sense now. Ananya, 22 years old is my brother’s fiancée and Puja's sister, had just returned from Paris, where she was studying fashion design. She was spending her vacation helping her grandmother at the café. Shaan, having just returned from his business trip to London, was clearly eager to see her.

Shaan grabbed my hand, practically yanking me out of the room, and led me down to the parking area. He unceremoniously stuffed me into his black G-Wagon and started driving at what I considered a painfully slow speed. It was typical of Shaan, he was a stickler for road safety, something that often clashed with my need for speed.

After what felt like an eternity, we finally pulled up to the café. As always, Grandma was sitting at the cash counter, her big round reading glasses perched on her nose as she scanned some paperwork. The moment she spotted us, her face lit up with joy, and she hurried over, her arms outstretched. She enveloped us both in a warm, comforting hug that immediately took the edge off my irritation. Her embrace was a reminder of the love and warmth that had always been a cornerstone of our visits to the café.

After releasing us, Grandma’s expression turned stern as she tugged at my ear, scolding me for not visiting her in the past four months. “Rishab! Why haven’t you come to see me? I’m so angry with you! Do you not value me anymore because I’m old and not as beautiful as I once was?”

I couldn’t help but smile at her dramatics, genuinely missing her presence. Seeing my smile, she continued her playful rant. “Why are you smiling? Do you really think I’m not important in your life?”

“Grandma, you can stop with the drama,” I said, my smile widening. “You know exactly how much you mean to me. I’ve just been busy with a project, that’s all. I’m sorry, okay? But please, let go of my ear,it really hurts!”

After our playful exchange, we settled on the couch, catching up on everything that had happened in our lives since we last saw each other. Suddenly, Grandma remembered something. “Oh, Rishab! I almost forgot,we have a new staff member here. Her name is Puja, too. But she’s different, Rishab. She’s shy, timid, and she’s been through a lot. She ran away from home and had nowhere to go, so I hired her. Please, promise me you won’t cause her any trouble.”

I couldn’t resist teasing her. “Let me see her first and evaluate for myself.”

Grandma shot me a stern look. “Don’t even think about it, Rishab. She’s not like your one-night stands. She’s special. Now, let me call her and ask her to bring some coffee for us.”

Grandma picked up the landline at the end of the lounge and spoke into it. “Puja, dear, can you please bring a latte and a lemon tea to the lounge?”

A few minutes later, Puja appeared, carrying a tray with our drinks and some snacks. The moment she walked in, time seemed to slow down. My eyes were immediately drawn to her amber eyes, which were filled with a mix of nervousness and quiet determination. She moved with a delicate grace, her slender frame almost fragile under the weight of the tray. But it wasn’t just her physical appearance that caught my attention,it was the sense of familiarity that washed over me. Those eyes…I’d seen them before. It hit me like a bolt of lightning. She was the same girl who had unknowingly caused my accident a few days ago.

Grandma introduced us with her usual warmth. “Puja, this is Rishab. Rishab, this is Puja.”

With a cheeky grin, I couldn’t resist saying, “Hello! We meet again.”

Puja looked up, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. Her confusion was evident as she stammered, “Hello, nice to meet you, but I’m sorry, I don’t think I’ve met you before.”

There was a slight tremor in her voice, and she quickly looked away, clearly uncomfortable under my gaze. She hurriedly placed the drinks and snacks on the table, her hands trembling slightly as she did so. I could sense her anxiety, but there was also an air of quiet resilience about her. She had been through something, something that had left its mark on her.

As she turned to leave, I couldn’t help but watch her, intrigued by the contrast between her delicate appearance and the sense of strength that seemed to lie just beneath the surface. There was an undeniable pull, something that made me want to know more about her.