My Perfect Life

CHAPTER 2

Aliaa's POV

As soon as the cab started, I got lost in my future husband’s thoughts. I was remembering the last conversation I had with him two days back.

flashback

“Hello!” I said to Raj on the phone.

“Hey gorgeous, how are you doing?” Raj answered. He always talks with me sweetly, always complimenting me and making me blush.

“I am doing fine. When are you coming back? It’s only a month left for us to get married,” I asked, blushing furiously because of his previous compliment.

“I am leaving tomorrow night and will reach there the next day at 12:30pm. And I know it’s only a month left for us to get married, then you will be mine forever,” Raj replied in his husky and over-possessive tone. Sometimes he behaves very possessive, like I was some kind of object that he owns, but honestly, I found it really hot.

“I thought you would forget about me in the midst of all your work,” I whined, pouting. He laughed.

“Of course not, wifey. I couldn’t forget about you even if I wanted to,” Raj responded. But there was something about his tone that gave me shivers, but I brushed it off thinking it was my imagination.

“That’s good. I will never let you forget about me, ever,” I answered him innocently. Just then, I heard a voice behind him, but it was muffled, so I couldn’t make out the words.

“Sorry baby, I got to go. I will call you when I reach the airport to board the flight. Bye,” Raj said to me hurriedly, then he cut the call without waiting for my reply.

“Bye,” I whispered while looking at my phone screen. It had a wallpaper of Raj and me while on our first meeting.

flashback end

I was remembering that time while looking outside the window. There was this feeling in me that was giving me a wrong vibe. Suddenly, the cab screeched to a halt. I looked outside and realized that I had reached the airport. I brushed the odd feeling off my mind. It was probably the stress of the wedding, that’s it.

I looked at my watch. Oh, thank God. I was on time. I enquired about the timing of the flight from New York to Mumbai at the help desk. The flight was on time. I was 15 minutes early, so I sat in the waiting area and started to call my family or else they would think someone had kidn*pped me. I was going to call Mom but before I could unlock my phone, I got a call from her. She can’t even wait. I quickly answered the phone and, from the other hand, she started rapid-firing questions.

“Did you arrive? How many times do I have to tell you to call me once you arrive? Are you alright? Why are you not answering?”

I hurriedly answered her. “Yes mom, I have arrived. No one kidn*pped me and I was going to call you but you called first,” I informed her.

“Listen. Please behave like a mature woman, not like your usual silly type. And don’t go anywhere far. It doesn’t look good and-” My mom rambled but I cut her mid-speech and said, “Mom, I know. I will behave like a good girl, won’t go anywhere far and I will be late if I don’t cut this call right now. So, bye,” I hurriedly told her and cut the call or else she would keep going on giving me lectures.

15 minutes were over talking to my mom so I looked around. And I saw the flight had landed. I hurriedly went towards the entrance to see people coming out of the airport. I was looking around for Raj when suddenly someone hugged me from the back. And my first reaction was to scream. As I was going to scream, a hand clasped on my mouth to stop me from screaming.

“Baby, it’s me. Raj,” he said with a smile.

I pointed towards his hand which was still clasped on my mouth. He took his hand away from me and I breathed a sigh.

“What the hell was that, Raj? I got scared. I thought someone was going to kidnap me. I didn’t even get married and I didn’t even eat my chocolate today. What will happen to my Mr. Teddy?” I rambled while he was standing there laughing at me like he hadn't done anything wrong.

“Oh God, your face was priceless. Seriously, I should have made a video. I am so going to tease you even after the marriage,” Raj replied to me laughingly.

Then it clicked that the person standing there was my future husband and this was the second time we had met in person. Oh God Ji, now I am giving you my permission; please kill me. I made a joke of myself in front of my future husband. Alia, how can you be so clumsy? I mean, I was always clumsy, but this was a bit too much. But in my defence, I didn’t see him grabbing me from behind, so that will be fine, I guess. I was busy in my thoughts when his hands gripped my shoulders and shook me.

“Hey, where are you lost? Want to just stand here or go to some good place?” Raj asked me.

“Huh? Yeah, of course. I mean, we should go somewhere. A good place, yeah, that will be fine,” I nodded vigorously.

Oh God Ji, do something to help me. Why can’t I be a little confident like those girls who are eye-f*****g my future husband right now? I can’t even look at him in the eye without blushing. Actually, it’s not their fault, Raj is handsome with his 6 feet height, black hair, brown eyes, and his physique like a model. God, I can’t even believe Raj agreed to marry me and not all those girls who throw themselves at him. I am really lucky to have him.

I again got lost in my thoughts when Raj waved his hand in front of my face.

“Hey, are you coming or not?” Raj asked me and I snapped out from my thoughts.

“Yea-yeah, let’s go,” I replied.

We reached his car, which was in the parking lot. He opened the passenger door for me. I sat down thanking him. He went and sat in the driver's seat and asked me where I wanted to go.

“Wherever you like, I am OK with anything,” I replied nervously.

“I asked you. Wherever you want to go, we will go there.”

“Umm, McDonald’s?” I asked him. Because I don’t know many places and McDonald’s serve the best burger. Everyone loves McDonald’s.

“McDonald’s it is then,” Raj stated with a hint of a smile. I guess I made fun of him again. He started the car.

I was playing with my fingers resting on my lap and nervously looking out of the window. Oh God, it’s so awkward to talk in front of him than on phone calls and video chats.

“You want to say something to me?” Raj asked. I quickly looked at him. “Don’t worry you can say anything to me. We are getting married and I want you to say everything to me. Whatever you want, comfortably. There is no need to be nervous. You can talk openly to me,” he said, looking at me and then shifting his gaze to the road in front of him.

See guys, this is the reason I love him so much. He never fails to make me comfortable with him.

“Thank you, you are so sweet,” I told him. “I wanted to ask why you were smiling when I said McDonald’s,” I asked him.

“Nothing. It’s just, you could have named any five-star hotel and I would have taken you there but you asked for McDonald’s, which is very cute and innocent to me. You get happy with small things, you’re different from other girls,” Raj replied, glancing at me with a smile, then again shifting his gaze to the road.

I just kept looking at him when suddenly he stopped the car. And I snapped out of my thoughts. OMG, I was just staring at him all the way till McDonald’s. God what a creep I must be in his eyes.

I did not even realize it when he came out of the car and opened my door.

“Come on, let’s go. I am really hungry,” Raj said to me, holding out his hand for me to take, which I did. We went inside and took a vacant table at the side of a window, where we could see outside on the road.

“So, what will you order?” Raj asked me, handing me a menu. I didn’t even want to look at the menu to select a dish, but because I was behaving like a mature woman like my Mom said, I took the menu and pretended that I was thinking about what to order while tapping a finger at my chin, when I already knew what I wanted by heart.

“I want a cheeseburger with French fries and a Coke,” I told him, still looking at the menu and tapping a finger at my chin. Then I raised my head when I didn’t get any reply. He was looking at me with amusement in his eyes. I quickly looked down, blushing profusely. “So cute,” Raj commented.

Just then, a waiter came and we ordered our chosen food. Then he again looked at me while I was looking anywhere but him.

“So, finally, we are getting married. Are you excited?” Raj asked. I raised my head.

“Yes, I am excited as well as nervous,” I told him while looking at him, then looked down immediately because of my shy nature. Just then, the waiter came with our order.

“Why nervous?” Raj asked me while raising his right eyebrow at me, then looking at the food. Raj ordered a chicken burger with Mac Puffs and a Coke.

“Umm, I don’t know. Just am,” I whispered, shrugging my shoulder a little.

How was I supposed to say to him that I was nervous because of our first night, even though he had told me that he would wait for me to get comfortable physically with him.

“You are nervous because of our first night, right?” Raj guessed suddenly, and correctly. Did I say it loud or does he know mind reading?

“No, you didn’t say it loud and I don’t know mind reading,” Raj voiced again. I quickly looked at his face to see if he was guessing or did he actually know mind reading.

“It’s written on your face,” Raj answered my unasked question. “What did I say about talking with me comfortably about anything?” Raj asked me with a stern voice.

“Sorry,” I replied to him, looking down.

“Don’t be sorry. It’s my fault, I should understand your point of view as well. I am sorry for speaking to you like that,” Raj said with a slight worried and sorry tone.

“No, no!” I protested. “It’s my fault. I should speak comfortably with you. There is nothing you should be sorry about. I know you have done everything to make me comfortable with you and there is nothing for me to worry about, but I can’t help it. It is in my nature to worry about little things.” I told him, feeling bad that I was doubting his actions in the cab. He is indeed sweet and caring and I don’t need to worry about anything.

“It’s ok. You don’t have to say sorry I understand,” Raj said to me with a smile. “The food is getting cold, let’s eat it,” he said to me and I smiled. We both started eating with a little bit of conversation here and there.

We were eating our lunch when Raj’s phone buzzed. He quickly looked at it and said it was important and that he would be back.

After saying this, he left McDonald’s. I smiled and said it’s OK. And went back to devouring my cheeseburger. I was quietly eating, looking here and there, when a girl came to our table. I would have said she was beautiful if she hadn't been giving me a disgusting glare. What have I done to her now?

“Hey, do you need anything?” I asked in my oh-so polite tone. I always give a chance to everyone who hates me. Maybe she must have mistaken me for someone else.

“So you are that b***h who is going to marry my love,” she sneered. If I hadn’t come with Raj, I would have shown her her place.

“Excuse me Miss, I don’t even know you and who you are talking about,” I said, shooting daggers through my eyes at her while standing up from my seat. How dare she talk to me like that, to Alia Mehra. Just then, Raj came and stood in front of me.

“What happened baby?” Raj asked me. He was still standing in front of me and did not see the girl.

“Look at her, I don’t know what she is talking about. I was busy eating my burger when she came to our table and started blabbering,” I told him with anger evident in my voice. After listening to me, Raj looked at that girl and his expression changed for a millisecond. I must have imagined that, I guess.

“Let’s go baby, everyone is looking at us. We don’t want to create a scene,” Raj told me, looking here and there, where everyone was listening to our conversation. What the hell is everyone’s problem? Can’t they mind their own business?

“But this girl, Raj-” He didn’t let me complete my sentence and took my hand and my handbag and started dragging me outside the McDonald’s. We reached the parking lot where I was trying to stop Raj from dragging me but he didn’t listen. That girl also came outside with us and said, “Mark my words, he is mine and I won’t let you have him. Ishika Khanna always gets what she wants,” she said, and left from there.