Page 1 of Always With You

PROLOGUE

Alisha

London

‘You have reached the voicemail of Siddh. Please leave a message after the beep…’

Damn!I throw my mobile on the passenger seat before hitting the steering wheel of my car. It’s the fifteenth call I’m making in the last two hours, but to my irritation, am getting to hear the same Goddamn voice message over and over again. I sigh, hopingSiddh would turn on his mobile at some point. To make things worse, my car just won’t start. As if I was not already in a soup, the car, too, chose to give up on me.

Some time back, I was bubbling with happiness that I would get to see Siddh after ten long days. But my happiness didn’t last long, and here I’m, stranded on a deserted road in the middle of the freaking night. What’s more, I haven’t seen a garage or house for miles.

My phone beeps, alerting me of an incoming message. Wishfully thinking it might be Siddh, I promptly pick up my phone from the passenger seat. My hopeful eyes lose their sparkle, and my optimistic smile is replaced with a frown of disappointment when I see it’s a random sales promotion message.Really, at this hour of the night!Grumbling under my breath, I delete the message. My home screen lights up with Siddh and my image, having our arms around each other. Merely looking at his picture manages to uplift my mood. While grinning ear to ear, I brush my fingers across his handsome face.

Siddh Gupta and I go back a long way—we’ve been friends since kindergarten. All my memories, whether good or bad, have been with him by my side, holding my hand. He has always been my best friend. It’s only that I didn’t realise exactly when his presence became important in my life. All I knew was, my heart couldn’t think of anyone but him. And to be honest, when our friendship metamorphosed into love, it was one of the best things that ever happened to me.

During our last year of graduation, Siddh’s parents moved to London, but he decided to stay back with me and complete his degree. Though I was a bit shaken at the thought of staying away from him, his assurance that he would always be by my side relieved me a bit. But the day after our convocation, his parents called up and asked him to join their family business. It was an excellent opportunity for his career, which was sure to give him the wings. He, too, wanted to give it a try but was wary about my reaction. My heart was thumping at a tremendous speed, trying to assess the situation, but the hope in his eyes made me sway. I didn’t want to stand in the way of his success, but somewhere down, my heart couldn’t help but fret about the long distance. Before I could broach the matter with him, he suggested I fly with him and have a live-in relationship. Initially, I was hesitant. Even though some might say mid-twenties is old enough to make bold decisions, I have always been too rational to jump into something like that. And though refusing the offer was the logical and right call in my rubric of life, I couldn’t get myself to refuse. However, he was confident that my parents were pragmatic and broad-minded, and wouldn’t object to it. When I voiced my hesitation, he personally came to talk to my parents. To my surprise, they too showed us a green flag, for which I can’t thank them enough. It’s because of their support that I could take such a huge step in my life. I guess being the only daughter does have some perks, as parents are not able to use the word ‘no’.

The day we came to London, everything kept falling into place. It was as if destiny had planned a fulfilled life for me with zero complaints. Soon, I started my online apparel business. It was going at a snail’s pace in the beginning, but with time, it progressed. The popularity grew and gave me more confidence. I didn’t realise when I grew from a small store to a bigger one and then a full-fledged brand. Today, my online store is considered to be among the most popular designer couture in London. When I look back at my journey, I feel incredulous and grateful, as at the age of twenty-four, I never dreamt that I could own a small business that would be so loved by several people in and around the community.

On the other hand, things with Siddh are great. In fact, being in love with him has always been easy. It’s been ten years since we have been dating each other, and I love him the most. Like, forever love. Not to mention that he is tall, with sleek dark hair, and a handsome face, which makes my heart sing every time I look at him. Apart from his looks, he is caring and doesn’t miss a chance to tell me how much he loves and adores me. Just the kind of guy every girl would wish for. What’s more, a month ago, he proposed to me for marriage in the most perfect way I could imagine, something you would read in fairy tales.

The sound of the breeze rustling through the trees brings me back to my current dire situation. Siddh always hates it when I drive out of the city on my own. In fact, when I left London for this fashion event in Paris, he suggested I take a flight instead of the car. But I paid a deaf ear to his piece of advice. For me, it’s important that he understands that I’m an independent woman who is capable of taking care of herself and not some damsel in distress who always needs a Prince Charming to come to her rescue.

Nonetheless, at this moment, I cringe at the thought. It strikes me that given my situation, I would want nothing more than a knight in shining armour to rescue me from this deserted place. My stomach turns, like there are a million frogs in my belly, and I can’t stop wringing my hands. I’m so due for a long lecture from him about my safety and blah blah. God, I hope he doesn’t get too mad at me. At the most, he will yell at me or maybe even give me a silent treatment for a couple of hours. I can live with that.Oh God, I’m a blabbering mess at the moment.

Letting out a long sigh, I try to calm myself down. As per the plan, I was supposed to come tomorrow, but the event wrapped up sooner than I anticipated. I hope at least my surprise softens his heart and his anger transmutes into joy. But for that, I need to get the hell out of here.

I try to kick-start the engine again, but I get nothing, not even a whirr.Dead. It’s dead.“Just my luck,” I groan, fighting the urge to scream at the top of my lungs.

Damn! I should have informed Siddh about my change of plans. Then again, me being me, I’m always doing stupid stuff. Like planning thissurprise for my boyfriend, which has backfired and hasturned out to be a total nightmare for me.

Looking through the windshield, I wonder what are the chances of getting a car ride. Looking around, I can’t see a soul in sight and grimace as I grumble to myself, “Probably nil.”

Deciding to wait in the car, I silently pray for someone to drive by. However, after sitting in the dark for what seems like forever, with nothing but my overactive imagination to keep me company, wild thoughts start running rampant in my mind. I can’t help but ask myself, “What if I am attacked by some serial killer? What if a gang of thieves catch me stranded, and…”

‘Wait!You seriously need to get a hold of yourself,’I keep repeating the words, as fear starts to make me feel jittery. Not only am I outside my normal stomping ground, I don’t have any Uber service showing up as well. I realise that I have two choices — either get out of the car and look for help, or get murdered; obviously I choose the prior option.

Taking my mobile and purse in one hand, I swing my car door open and set my feet on the pavement. The chilly breeze sweeps over my face, making me shiver. Lucky for me, I am dressed in my jeans and a sweatshirt. With a deep breath, I walk down the dark path, all the way praying to God to send some help my way.

After walking for a while, I look over my shoulder. My eyes widen in horror as I realise that I can barely see my car.That’s when it clicks. Pulling out my phone from my pocket, I decide to call up Kiara. Maybe she can help. Kiara is the first friend I made when I moved to London. I feel so blessed to have found such a lovely and dependable person. She is sweet, funny, and what’s important, she always has my back even when I screw up. She is a model by profession which explains how blessed she is in the beauty department — tall slim figure, blue eyes, and long blonde hair. At times, she even photoshoots for my clothes, for which I am grateful. Crossing my fingers that she is up at this hour, I dial her number.

‘Hey, this is Kiara. Please leave a message after the beep.’

Sigh!Why the hell is even her mobile turned off? Is it some sort of World Environment Day, where everyone is saving up on resources, that they all decided to turn off their phones? I am about to throw away my mobile in frustration, when out of nowhere, a white car approaches and stops right next to me. Once I explain my situation to the young lady in the car, she offers to give me a lift. I thank her profusely, believing her to be God-sent. Making a mental note to contact the tow car service to bring my car back upon reaching home, I slip into the car.Looks like prayers do get answered.

It was a two-hour drive back home. During the drive, I learn that the young lady’s name is Elsa. We make small talk, discussing our work and other stuff. I am so tired that I don’t know when my eyes shut and I nod off for some time. After a while, we arrive at my place. I thank her profusely and then step out of the car. Waving goodbye to her, I see her car disappear in the night. I let out a breath and turn to my house. At last, I am home.

The sight of the cosy white structure in front of me makes me pause for a few moments and admire it. This was the first house that the broker showed us, and we liked it instantly. Though it is not big, it is comfortable for the two of us. It is a one-level home that has two rooms with an attached balcony in each room, a well-equipped kitchen, and a huge living room. But what sold the house to me was the small garden at the backside. Though Siddh wanted to pay in full for the house, I didn’t allow him to, insisting that we would split the amount equally. Initially, he was not happy with the idea, but I didn’t budge from it. For me, the most important thing is not compromising my self-esteem, and this is one of them. Having no choice, he gave in.

While walking to the front porch, I pull my keys from my bag. Siddh must be asleep by now, and I can’t help but grin from ear to ear, as I am so going to enjoy waking him up. God! I can’t wait to see the shocked expression on his face.I quickly open the door, step in, and shut it quietly behind me. Dropping the keys on the hall table, I make my way towards his room. Though I am walking at a fast pace, I take care not to make a sound. As soon as I reach his room, I am about to open the door, but my hand freezes on the knob, and my brows draw together in a frown. Did I hear a noise coming from the other side of the door? I put my ear to the door to be sure. Just then, I do hear a muffled sound again.Siddh is not alone? He has company this late?

“God, that was sexy as hell!” Siddh’s gruff voice reaches my ear from the other end.

“It’s definitely fun, my love. But until when can we keep hiding? What about Alisha? As long as she is in the picture, we can’t be together.” I hear a familiar female voice reply.Siddh is with another woman? Is this some kind of a nightmare?Suddenly, a bubble of sadness fills my lungs, and I find it hard to breathe.

“Alisha means nothing to me. We have been dating for years, still, that ice princess hasn’t let me touch her. A man has his needs!”‘Is that what he thinks about me?’My face is ashen as I hear him say that.

“Aww, my baby!” I hear the female voice.

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