Sameera's P.O.V.

"Sameera."

"Sameera get up." Someone said and then I felt a hand on my shoulder and then someone shook me.

"Sameera wake up!"

"Let me sleep." I whined.

"Sameera!" Someone screamed in my right ear.

Ayan. Is it Ayan's voice.

What is he doing on my bed? I opened one of my eyes and found him staring at me. I slowly opened my other eye and looked at him.

Then I remembered.

Shit! I slept on his sofa in his office. I got up and looked at him.

"Let's go." He said.

I yawned. I looked at my phone to check the the time. 2:03 a.m. Nice. I yawned again while Aayansh stared at me. But I don't care. I am damn sleepy and he woke me up.

"Get up! We are leaving." He said.

I got up and we walked towards the lift. He opened the lift and before he could enter I entered inside. After that he entered and closed the door. I leaned towards a corner and put my head against the wall and closed my eyes.

"You can't be this sleepy! You just slept like a log." He commented.

"You can't be this not sleepy! It's 2 a.m. Aren't you tired." I said. This man works like a horse.

"I am. Very. After all you are here to irritate me." He said.

I gave him a sarcastic smile.

"Seriously, why do you work so late everyday. Don't you get tired?" I asked since the receptionist said that he always works late.

"I have to. Everybody isn't born with a silver spoon like you."

Okay so we are not past the taunting stage. I get it.

"But now I am also in that phase." I pointed that out.

"No you are not! You still can go back to your father whenever you are broke. Infact you knew earlier as well that he won't let you live on the roads if you didn't have money."

He has a point. Deep down I always knew I can go back to Dad whenever I need him. Atleast financially. But it's about my self respect which is more important than financial stability.

"But still. You can atleast take a break. You are working too much Ayan. Don't be so hard on yourself. It's okay to take a break." I said.

"I don't want you to tell me what to do." He said rudely.

"Sorry!" I apologised. He is right. I shouldn't interfere. It's his life. He knows what is better for himself.

We reached the ground floor and he directed me towards his car. I am not feeling so sleepy anymore. Aayansh's words were enough to wake me up.

Aayansh sat on the driver's seat and I sat on the front passenger seat. And then he started driving.

There was a peaceful silence among us.

After some time Aayansh asked me, "Tell me one thing. What would you have done if I wouldn't have had given you this job?" He asked out of the blue.

I have never asked myself this question before. I never even thought about it.

"I don't know. I would have had tried somewhere else." I said.

"Do you think you would get the job?" He asked me.

And the answer is a big fat no. But I am not going to say that.

"I would get atleast any type of work somewhere. Atleast before."

"What do you mean by before?" He asked confused.

"Before Nikhil got to know that I am working for you. After you fired me, I tried at multiple places for a job but I didn't get a role because apparently Nikhil has bribed them into not giving me a job. So, if you wouldn't have had given me my job back I really don't know what I would have had done."

"Hmm..." He hummed in response.

"Tell me one thing, why is your main office so beautiful and expensive looking and the fashion house where we work is just so simple and small." I asked. This is the first thing I noticed when I entered.

"Fashion house was the place where we started. So, obviously I didn't had so much money to spend then."

"But you can reno..." I started saying but he interrupted me.

"Renovating will waste a lot of time and then the work will be hampered."

"Why haven't you shi..."

"The area where we are currently is the best, location wise for a fashion house. So no, shifting is also not an option."

How the hell does he know what I am going to ask him?!

"How do you know..."

"Because everyone asks the same question." He said.

"Oh!"

After that there was again a small silence among us. Soft music was playing which made the atmosphere even more peaceful.

"Sameera." After sometime Aayansh called.

"Hmm?"

"Umm..you know your father called me."

Why would Dad call him? What does he want now?

When I didn't respond, he continued, "he was thanking me."

"Ohh nice!"

"And he said you are not talking to him."

Why is Dad and Aayansh such good friends? Oh wait Dad had good relations with everyone. For example, Nikhil Ahuja. They were so great friends that my legal Dad had blind faith on my legal husband.

"Why?" Ayan asked me when I didn't respond to him.

"When I told Dad that Nikhil is cheating on me, he thought that I am lying because Nikhil said something else to him before me. He trusted him but didn't even listen to me. He told me that.. he told me that... that..."

I couldn't finish the sentence. I can't. I have never told anybody about him not being my biological father apart from Kriti. And I can't tell anything now. I can't tell Ayan the real reason why it is hurting me so much. Even more than the fact that he didn't trust me, the fact that he said I am not his daughter is hurting me more.

When I didn't say anything, Aayansh said, "What else would you expect after your history? This one time you were not at fault but the fact is it's always you who cause all the trouble! I wonder how you could even expect people to believe you!" He mocked.

I sighed.

"Stop the car!"

He looked at me but then ignored me.

"I said stop the car."

"Did I hit a nerve?" He mocked me again.

"I. Said. Stop. The. Car."

"Listen you should just accept the fact that..."

"Please stop the car!" I cried. I don't know when I started crying but the tears started flowing down my cheeks.

Aayansh looked at me and stopped the car and I instantly got down the car. I took a deep breath to calm myself down. I was a crying mess now and taking deep breaths wasn't helping at all.

"Sameera." He called me getting down the car.

I looked at him. He was holding a bottle of water. He had a guilty expression on his face. First time I am seeing any emotion on his face other that indifference or anger. But his guilt is now pointless since my limit to tolerate his insults is over now.

"What? Why are you offering me water? So, I can stop crying and then you can happily mock me again? You act as if you know everything about me but let me tell you, you don't even know one percent about me. You judge me as if you are a saint but the truth is you are not. You know what Aayansh, I am just done with you and your insults and mockeries. Please leave me alone!" I yelled at him and started walking away from him. But, he held my hand and made me turn around to look at him.

"Sameera, sit in the car. It's very late. Stop creating a scene and get inside." He ordered me. Is he serious? After all that I had said, he just have to say this.

"What makes you think I will do all that you say. And if you don't want any scene then please leave me alone!"

"Sit in the car!" He ordered again.

"Never! Trust me, I am never going to sit inside your car again!" I told him honestly.

Instead of saying anything, he picked me up bridal style and literally dumped me in his car. Before I could compose myself and open the door to get out, he was already inside and he locked the car!

"Listen this is not done. You are manhandling me!" I warned him.

"I told you I'll drop you to your house means I will drop you to your house. I am not leaving you stranded here." He said and started the car.

I was quite the entire time. I just wish to get done with this ride and go back home and then I will squeeze myself inside my blankets and cry my heart out.

The ride was awfully quite. When we reached my place, I got down the car without saying a goodbye. But he called my name.

I looked at him and gave him a questioning look.

"You should talk to your father. Nicely. Just once." He said softly.

I sighed. When will this man understand that I don't want him interfering in my life.

"How many times will I..."

"I am not saying this because I think you are being unreasonable. I just want to tell you that you are lucky you have a father. Many don't. You won't understand the value of families. You won't understand how it feels like not having a father."

I didn't reply. What could I even tell him? I know why he said that. He lost his father when he was young. He took care of his family on his own. But how can I tell him that I understand. One thing that I definitely can connect to him is this.

I understand what he is feeling because I have also craved for a father's love. A mother's love.

Though he has his mother and siblings who love him so much that his sister hates me. But nobody can take anyone else's place.

After saying what he had to he sat on his car and drove away.

I went inside my room. But, I kept thinking about what he said.

I wish I could tell him that I am not as lucky as he thinks me to be. I don't have a father as he thinks. He is just a man who hates my real parents but nevertheless has adopted me out of humanity.

How could I tell him I have nobody who I can can call my own! I don't have a family.

I looked at the picture of my parents that I kept at the nightstand. I framed the pictures as soon as Mom gave me.

I miss you Mumma, Papa. I wish you were here with me.

I feel so lonely!

I don't know what made me do it. But I took my mobile and dialled Dad's number.

I don't have a real father but the least I can do is maintain a good relationship with the people who have taken care of me and given me everything that they could.