CHAPTER - 1

BRINDHAVAN MANSION

NIRA'S POINT OF VIEW (POV)

I turned off my alarm which always wakes me up exactly at 6 am every day. It is going to be a hectic day as usual. My life has changed so much in the past six years. I got divorced six years back and went to France. I stayed with my cousin there. I thought I can forget all the memories that made me smile, laugh, cry and left me broken too. But my heart still remembers everything as fresh as new. I turned to the side table and took my marriage photo and saw the handsome face of my husband, sorry ex-husband, PAAVAK AGARKAR. I smiled seeing that photo, but unknowingly a tear dropped out of my eyes.

And then suddenly the door of my room got opened. I looked at the figure that opened the door. Shreya, my cousin is standing near the door. She is the daughter of my maternal uncle Gautham Pandey. He is the elder brother of my mother, also my father's business partner.

Shreya hates Paavak. She thinks he is the reason for all my sorrows. Yes, Paavak broke my heart, but there is another person in my life. He is the one who broke my soul. She was in France when I got divorced. After my divorce, she was my moral support. She made me smile again. Little did she know that all my smiles were fake. She never speaks to my uncle and her brother Dheeraj properly. I have asked her many times to say the reason behind it but all she said was it's nothing Niru. She never trusts any men. To be honest, no guy dares to speak to her during our college days too. We both are of the same age. 

Here she comes, in front of me holding both her hands in hips and started giving her lecture like every morning.

"Offo Niru, again seeing that dirty pig's photo. Believe me, he is good for nothing. He just left without believing you. Even the court said that his parents committed suicide. It is high time that you should move on. You will get thousands of men who will fall for your pure heart and beauty.", Shreya said it in one go and took the picture from my hand and kept in the side table again.

She is right. I may get thousands of men, but I won't be able to love them. As my heart belongs to someone else.

"Come on, go get ready, we have a meeting to attend with the Chairman of Meridian Hotels for our new project.", Shreya jumped in joy.

I came out of my thoughts and went to the washroom. Got freshen up and changed into a sky blue palazzo set. I went downstairs to meet the most important people in my life.

I went inside the room and saw two photos hanging on the wall – my parents who gave birth to me. My mother passed away when I was five. My father passed away 3 months back. I was shattered to know that he also left me. He is the one who raised me. I never felt that I don't have a mother, because my father's love was sufficient for me. He did everything for me. He is the one who saved me from going to jail. He faked that Paavak's parents committed suicide just because he never wanted me to see in a prison.

I don't know when I started crying. Someone kept a hand on my shoulder. I turned and saw that it is my sweet sister Dhara. I call her Choti. She is the hope of my life. She was also with me in France for the past three years. She did her masters there. After my father's death, I took over the company. I am the CEO of Joshi constructions now. My choti is the COO. Shreya is working as my PA. I asked her to take a better position, but she refused, saying that she wants to be with me 24*7 so that I won't think about Paavak.

"Sis, no worries, I am there for you always. Everything will be alright.", Dhara said to me.

We both left the room and went to have breakfast.

Our dining table was already filled with people - my maternal uncle and his family. After my father's death, they started living with us. My uncle was always concerned about us from our childhood. He is like my second father. Though he wanted me to marry his son Dheeraj, he supported my love after knowing that I was in love with Paavak.

My aunt Kavitha, served us breakfast. She is the one who is taking care of us now. She is like a motherly figure. We all started to eat our breakfast. Suddenly, my uncle asked me "Is everything ready for the meeting with Meridian group of Hotels Chairman?"

"Yes, uncle, we are all prepared", Choti said before I can answer.

"Niru is capable of doing everything perfectly, unlike people who just sit and eat all  day", Shreya gave a sarcastic reply looking at her brother Dheeraj. Dheeraj frowned.

"Uncle, I will handle it. Trust me", I said.

"I know dear, but still, I am just concerned about you. All the best. This project is very important for us you know right?", Gautham uncle asked me.

"We will get the project uncle, for sure", I gave him a firm reply and left for the meeting with Shreya and Dhara.

Uncle is right. Our company is at stake. We need this project at any cost. I came to know it when I returned to India. I never knew that our company was going in loss. My dad never mentioned it to me during our conversations. Also my father's death is still a mystery. Doctors said that he got a sudden heart attack and died in the middle of the night. But somewhere my heart is not accepting that...

Anyways, today I must get this project for sure...