Aryan looked at Aanya.
Radha said, "Aanya, what have you done?"
Aanya was still lost in her thoughts, staring at Aryan.
Radha called again, "Aanya!"
Aanya suddenly looked at her mother.
"What are you thinking?" Radha asked.
"Nothing, Mom."
"Really?"
"Actually… I'm sorry. It slipped from my hand," she said and started eating, still thinking deeply.
After a while, Radha said,
"Aanya, Kunal and his family will be here soon. His mother called me an hour ago."
Aanya looked at her in confusion.
"Now? But… why?"
"They're coming to discuss something about the wedding."
Aanya said sarcastically,
"What? Do they want to cancel the wedding or something?"
Aryan looked at her.
Radha scolded,
"Aanya, whenever you speak, you only talk nonsense."
Aanya realized Aryan was there and quickly corrected herself.
"No, Mom, I was just joking. You know I want to marry, right?"
She glanced at Aryan, but he looked away and continued eating.
Radha turned to Aryan.
"Aryan beta, you're not eating anything."
"No, aunty. I'm already full."
"By the way, how is the business?" Radha asked.
"It's going really well, aunty," Aryan replied.
Radha smiled.
"You really worked hard to build everything again… after what happened."
Aryan simply nodded, his expression turning serious as memories of the past flooded his mind.
Before Radha could continue—
Aanya, who clearly didn't like seeing her mother talking to Aryan, quickly interrupted,
"Mom, why aren't you going to work today?"
Radha looked at her and said,
"Today is Sunday, stupid."
Aryan let out a small laugh, trying to hold it back.
Aanya noticed and glared at him.
Radha continued,
"And I've also taken leave for your wedding."
"Oh, today is Sunday, right? I forgot," Aanya replied.
Then she glanced at Aryan again who was holding his laugh, trying hard to control her anger.
Then she glanced at Aryan, who was trying to hold back his laughter. Seeing this, Aanya struggled to control her anger.
Later, in the room, Aryan received a call.
"Sir, you said you would come here before 8…"
Aryan replied,
"Well, I suddenly got other plans, so… anyway, I'll call you when I reach."
"Okay, sir."
The call ended.
Just then, he heard a voice.
"What are you still doing here?"
He turned and saw Aanya.
She walked toward him.
"Why haven't you left yet?"
Aryan stayed silent.
"Answer me."
"Well, I don't have any work right now. And aunty asked me to stay."
"Oh, so my mom told you to stay, and you stayed?" she said sarcastically.
Aryan nodded.
"Don't fool me. I'm not stupid. I know you don't listen to anyone. Didn't I tell you yesterday that I don't want to see your face."
Aryan remained silent.
"Then why didn't you leave?"
"I will leave. No need to worry."
"When?" she pressed. "Now? Afternoon? Evening?"
Aryan suddenly asked,
"Why do you want me to leave so badly?"
Aanya went silent.
Aryan smirked slightly.
"Oh, wait… if I'm here, you can't concentrate on other things, right?"
Aanya frowned in confusion.
"I mean, when I'm in front of you, you get distracted. I saw that at the dining table."
"No," Aanya replied firmly. "I wasn't distracted. My concentration is not on you. I just don't like you being around me… because I feel like you're negative energy."
Aryan raised an eyebrow.
"Negative energy? What do you mean? I'm not some ghost."
Aanya replied coldly,
"No, you're not a ghost… you're worse than that."
Aryan looked at her seriously.
"Look, Mr. Aryan Mehra," she continued, "leave my house. Otherwise, I will—"
Suddenly, they heard Radha's voice from downstairs.
"Aanya! Kunal is here!"
Both of them heard it.
Aryan said calmly,
"You should go downstairs."
Aanya gave him a sharp look and turned to leave.
"Aanya."
She stopped and turned back.
"If you really have a problem seeing me, then tie a cloth over your eyes… because I'm not leaving now."
Aanya let out a sarcastic laugh.
"Haha… very funny," she said coldly, then turned and walked away.
A faint smile appeared on Aryan's face.
After a moment, he too headed downstairs.
Aanya went downstairs.
Kunal's mother, Kavya, smiled and said,
"Aanya, come and sit beside me, beta."
Aanya nodded and went to sit next to her.
Just then, Aryan also came downstairs.
Kunal and his family noticed him.
Kavya asked,
"Radha ji, this is…?"
Radha smiled and said,
"Kavya ji, this is Aryan Mehra, the owner of Mehra Group of Constructions."
Kunal immediately stood up, extended his hand, and said,
"Oh, Aryan Mehra! Nice meeting you."
Aryan shook his hand.
"Nice meeting you too."
Aanya quietly observed everything.
Kunal asked, slightly surprised,
"Mr. Mehra you're here?"
Before Aryan could respond, Radha said,
"Actually, he has some work here, so that's why he came."
After they sat down, Kunal said,
"I've heard a lot about you, Mr. Mehra—from others and also from Aunty."
Aryan simply nodded.
"Oh."
Radha smiled proudly.
Naveen then said,
"Well, Suresh ji, is everything alright?
Suresh replied,
"Well… Kunal wants to say something."
Everyone turned toward Kunal.
Kunal began,
"Aunty, Uncle… we only have nine days left for the wedding. It's quite difficult to arrange everything in such a short time. So, I was thinking… we could have a destination wedding."
Radha and Naveen looked at each other in surprise.
Aryan frowned slightly.
"Destination wedding?" Naveen asked.
"Yes, Uncle," Kunal replied. "It would be easier. Within 3–4 days, we can complete everything—Sangeet, Mehendi, Haldi, and the wedding—all at a resort."
After a pause, he looked at Aanya.
"Aanya, what do you think?"
Everyone's eyes turned to her.
Aanya hesitated. She unconsciously glanced at Aryan, then turned back to Kunal.
"A destination wedding sounds cool."
Kunal smiled.
Before anything else, Aryan interrupted,
"But we need to book a resort for that. It's wedding season—it will be difficult to find a good one, and the prices will be high."
Aanya looked at him.
Kunal nodded.
"You're right, Mr. Mehra. It's difficult and expensive. But I have a friend who owns a resort in Mumbai."
Aryan listened carefully.
"He told me we can host the wedding there."
Aanya was shocked hearing "Mumbai."
Radha added,
"Aryan babu lives in Mumbai too."
Kunal smiled,
"Yes, Aunty, I remember you mentioning that."
He continued,
"So we don't have to worry about the venue or arrangements. My friend will take care of everything."
Everyone fell silent for a moment.
Kavya then said,
"Radha ji, Naveen ji… we should consider our children's choice. Let them decide."
Kunal added,
"Mom, this is the best option we have."
He then moved and sat beside Aanya.
Aryan noticed this and looked at them seriously.
Kunal gently asked,
"Aanya, what do you think? Is it okay for you?"
Aanya took a moment… then nodded.
"Okay."
Kunal smiled happily and placed his hand over hers.
"Thank you, Aanya."
Aryan saw this, jealousy flashing in his eyes, but he controlled himself.
He suddenly spoke,
"Well, Kunal, now that the venue is decided… what about the invitation cards?"
Radha nodded.
"Yes, we need to finalize a design soon."
Kunal smiled confidently.
"No need to worry about that either, Aunty. I have a friend who designs wedding cards."
Aryan looked at him expressionlessly.
Kunal continued,
"I've already spoken to him. He'll send some designs by evening. We can choose one, and he'll deliver them within two days."
"Just two days?" Naveen asked, surprised.
"Yes, Uncle. He said he'll prioritize our order."
Naveen smiled.
Aryan smirked slightly.
"Impressive… looks like you have a lot of friends."
Aanya looked at Aryan in surprise.
Kunal laughed.
"Yes, Mr. Mehra, I do. In fact, I have even more friends in the US."
Aryan replied calmly,
"Oh really?"
Kunal nodded.
Aanya noticed the tension building.
Aryan then asked,
"So, Mr. Kunal Malhotra, what do you do?"
"I'm a data analyst at Google," Kunal replied.
"Oh. Which state do you live in?"
"Texas."
Aryan was about to ask more—
But Aanya quickly interrupted, sensing the situation.
"Kunal, when will you bring the card designs?"
Aryan stopped.
Kunal answered,
"I'll bring them around 4 or 5 PM."
"Okay, we'll select them then," Aanya said.
Kunal smiled.
Aryan looked away.
Kavya then said,
"Radha ji, we should leave now. We still have a lot of work."
Radha insisted,
"No, please stay for lunch."
Naveen added,
"Yes, please."
Suresh smiled,
"I would love to stay, Naveen ji, but Kavya already has plans. She's going shopping with her friends."
"Kunal's mother glared lightly at him.
"Suresh…"
Everyone laughed—except Aryan.
As they got up to leave, Kunal turned to Aanya.
"Bye, Aanya."
"Bye," she replied softly.
Aryan watched this silently… then turned and walked to his room.
Aanya noticed him leaving.
She immediately followed him upstairs to his room.
Inside, Aryan was seriously packing his things into a bag.
Aanya stepped in and said,
"What is this?"
Aryan turned and saw her.
"What did you do downstairs?" she asked.
Aryan turned his face away.
Aanya continued,
"What did you think? Just because others didn't notice, I wouldn't either?"
Aryan frowned slightly.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the way you spoke to Kunal."
Aryan went silent.
"I mean, have you forgotten my parents were there? What must Kunal's family have thought about you?"
Aryan replied calmly,
"Did I ask anything wrong?"
Aanya looked at him, confused.
"I just asked what he does and where he lives. What's wrong with that?"
"Asking questions isn't wrong," Aanya said, "but the way you asked him was."
Aryan frowned.
"What do you mean by that?"
Aanya let out a small, disbelief-filled laugh.
"Really?"
She looked straight into his eyes.
"You were staring at him seriously and firing questions without even a pause. It felt like you were interrogating him."
Aryan stayed silent.
"And by the way," Aanya continued, "why are you even asking him all this? It's not like we're close anymore."
Aryan looked at her.
"I mean, you've always been careless like this—"
"Because I care about you."
Aanya froze.
There was a brief silence.
Then she asked slowly,
"When did that happen? Why the hell do you care about me? Didn't you say you don't love me?"
Aryan replied,
"You don't need to love someone to care about them."
Aanya gave a sarcastic smile.
"Oh wow… nice line."
Aryan ignored the tone and said,
"All I felt is… that guy is different."
Aanya frowned.
"What?"
"I mean," Aryan continued, "I feel like Kunal isn't as nice as he seems. He's… doing too much."
Aanya looked at him, confused.
"You both barely know each other, but he's acting like you're already very close and—"
Aanya cut him off sharply,
"Wait a minute. You just met him, and you've already decided he's not a good person?"
Aryan stopped talking.
Aanya continued, her voice rising,
"Didn't you tell me yesterday that Kunal is a nice guy… that I should marry him—even though you hadn't even met him?"
She stepped closer, her eyes filled with frustration.
"And now what happened? You changed your decision within one day?"
---
End Of Chapter 71.