"Dash of Chaos."

Aagnay

2020

Legacy.

Greatness, perfection, and being the best are the ideals I grew up with. That's what I had been made to believe ever since I was a kid. Pristine and legendary; and how do you achieve that? By following the rules and working harder than everyone else—by giving up things nobody else would, remain focused, and never fall out of the line.

I had always aced it—victory has been my second nature. In other words, rules were the only way I had to live which only made sense why I had to be a part of the community dinner this month. I was allowed to sit with the adults at the table. I sure made my father proud after our last arrangement.

My mother's smile broke free as she peered at my reflection in the mirror and I adjusted my knotted tie deftly. "That's your father's tie," she remarked and my eyes flicked on her reflection. "You look better with that." Breathe. I had to remind myself.

"In light of the upcoming traditions," I murmured and watched her take her seat on the upholstered sofa across my room. "It seemed like the right thing to do." I pivoted to face her and she beamed.

"You never let us down Aagnay," she said placidly while adjusting her chandelier earring. "I want you to do the same tonight."

"Say no more," I demanded and fetched the suit jacket from the bed. "I have it under control."

"Can you say the same about Ella?" Her tone took an icy turn and she glared at me.

I shrugged into the suit jacket fluidly and glanced at her. "Yes."

"Are you sure?" She pushed to her feet and draped her garment around her arm. "Because the way I see it, she still looks like a threat to us."

My teeth clenched. "I said I'm taking care of it," I muttered sternly and she searched my face, and then she sauntered out of the room.

Over the years, I had attuned myself to keep calm and not lose my fucking temper. Butting heads were for losers; my actions were methodical, precise, and accurate. It was only a matter of time I had it back under my thumb. I had a point to make—my father had to pay.

I fetched my smartphone from the nightstand and glanced at the home screen. It was time Ella knew that my life had no room for mistakes and second chances.

*

ELLAKSHI AHUJA WAS THE LOVE OF MY LIFE or that's what people were meant to believe when they looked at us—two young adults who fit together, deeply in love, perfectly happy with each other but they didn't know—they never looked closely enough and I never let them—love was never the part of our arrangement. It was always about convenience.

My gaze wandered past the banister as Ella appeared, dressed in a cocktail gown that revealed her skin in all appropriate parts. Her red lips curved to a smile as she neared me and I held my arm out for her. She hooked hers with mine and we sauntered towards the lawn.

"You look gorgeous," I told her and she rolled her eyes before she greeted Kunal's father. She pried her grip away and I averted my gaze on him. "It's nice to meet you tonight."

Kunal's father was a tall man—albeit shorter than me but six feet nevertheless. His laughing eyes traveled to my face and he beamed. "You too, son," he said and held his hand out. "I was looking for your father." He darted his eyes around the room. "I don't see him."

I shook it firmly once. "That's because he is yet to arrive," I said and he looked at me. "I drove early because I had to be here with Ella." I glanced at her and she forced a smile at me and then, at him.

"Yeah, we have to catch up on a lot of things," she told him and he nodded.

"In that case, I shouldn't hold you up kids," he said and smiled. "Have fun."

"Enjoy the evening." She smiled at him and at the time I told him, "I'll have my father meet you as soon as he arrives." We advanced to the lawn past the glass doors and I lead her to the spot that was bereft of prying ears.

"Is that really why you're here so early?" She crossed her arms—a defensive pose I was attuned to and I deliberately ignored the unease in my stomach.

"I'd rather talk about how beautiful you look tonight." Her lips thinned and she looked away.

"Cut to the chase Bhasin," she demanded and that made me smirk. The only reason I ever agreed to this arrangement was because, in a lot of ways, Ella shared the same fire as I did and that made it bearable. "We both know you don't wish to talk about my beauty." True. I couldn't care any less about that as long as it didn't concern me.

"We need to discuss the recent events."

She stiffened. "Did something happen sweetie?" She shrugged. "Because I don't know what you're talking about." I despised it—her antics were the least of my concerns but she was an incessant woman that picked on every last bit of my nerve.

"Fair enough," I muttered and shoved my hands in the pockets of my dress slacks. "If you can go for so long pretending as nothing happened then so be it."

She squirmed and I watched her—gauged her, I needed her to be straight with her story. "Don't make this ugly."

"I'm being civilized considering what I'm capable of." If she was a threat to my plans, close to edge me out then I had to deal with the danger she was willing to present in my way.

Her gaze grew a shade darker and she looked away. "I wasn't there and I don't know what you're talking about. There are no secrets because nothing happened."

I could buy the whole city for her and she knew that—the mayor knew that as well; explained why he so readily agreed to ship his daughter to me. The possibility that a wrong decision such as trusting her would devastate my plans made me want to tear something apart.

My knuckles popped when my fist clenched. "If you breathe a word about this—"

"I won't." Her eyes bored into mine and she tossed a lock of hair behind her shoulder nonchalantly. "I'm tired of your dire threats Aagnay. Do you ever stop?"

That made my lips twitch and I looked away. "I'm not a very forgiving man Ella," I murmured and terror flashed through her eyes. "I want you to remember that every time to decide to defy me."

Ella

He was such a narcissistic ass.

I couldn't believe my family so gloriously had agreed to his allegiance. The Bhasins were to be feared for their power and authority but I was starting to realize that none of it was true—they were feared because they were ruthless in their methods and dealings. Nothing about him fascinated me. Talk about big love.

I spotted the Anthonys across the lawn and I sauntered to catch up with Maira. I needed a friend after that godawful conversation. Sometimes I wondered how Aagnay could be so one-dimensional but I had learned that there were very few things he truly cared about at all and that had nothing to do with other people's lives.

"Someone's dressed to impress," I asserted and Maira chuckled, side hugging me and I smiled at her parents welcomingly.

"Thanks," she muttered and exhaled sharply. "Mom insisted I should try polyester."

"And?" I urged her to continue. I needed a fucking distraction—anything to escape out of my impending thoughts that were starting to spew out.

"This shit is damn uncomfortable," she said and we both laughed. "I'd rather wear nothing." We advanced to the open bar and she plopped on one of the barstools. I thought she rocked a bodycon but I figured it wasn't her style.

"And dance on one of these tables?" I eyed her mischievously and she arched a brow in surprise. "Make a statement of the year? Daddy's parties are crazy anyway."

Her head fell back and she laughed. "Oh fuck yes!" Ah, that's exactly she had always been my type. I loved the fact that she embraced her boldness so effortlessly. Women around me barely did that. "Wonder what the Dubeys would think."

"Arijit might lose his fucking mind." I snapped my fingers at the bartender and averted my gaze on her. "Fucker is always busy impressing someone around."

"Throw him in a pit with Aagnay and grab some popcorn." We both chuckled and I placed orders for drinks. "Now that'd be the crazy in your Dad's parties."

I smirked. "Actually brownies," I told her and she stared at me. "That's not a very bad idea."

Her lips curled to a lopsided smile and I glanced at Aagnay indulged in some heated discussion. "Fantastic," she said and my gaze traveled back at her. "Dessert just got an upgrade."

*

"I THINK BOTH OF YOU LOOK GOOD TOGETHER. I—" Sakshi Dubey—Kunal's mother continued with her exaggerated compliments that suddenly didn't interest me. Ugh. She talked too much. I got it. Aagnay and I were the perfect couple—I loathed it even more because nobody cared enough to read between the lines. I cast a semblance of a smile through her rants and sipped the champagne from the flute.

The only thing I loved about these community dinners was the glamour and the media. I made it to the headlines with my picture on the front page. That kind of publicity was good for me and I reveled in the spotlight. Everything else...well, it seemed pointless to me.

I watched Aagnay from afar, drinking and laughing with a bunch of old men as though that was exactly where he belonged. I liked him in his element even though it didn't make sense why he was so desperate to fit in. He was the heir to his father's bloody empire so all that jazz was his birthright anyway. Bitch had a real knack for showing off.

I snapped a picture and browsed through the profiles of several men on the dating site. None of them caught my attention.

"Oh, he seems cute." Vaanya tilted her head and examined the picture on the screen of my smartphone before she took her seat beside me.

"Sadly, cute isn't my type," I told her and she giggled. "But you can check him out."

"Nah, I'm good," she said and smoothened the hem of her Prada sheath dress. "Why are you on dating sites when you have Aagnay?"

That subject wasn't open for discussions. It was a part of the deal—nobody could know about the arrangement. Initially, I hadn't had any problems because we faked our relationship in the eyes of the public until shit spiraled and I walked into things I wasn't supposed to.

"It's a sport," I lied and she looked at me sceptically. I rolled my eyes and looked away. "Guys are fun to look at," I told her nonchalantly and she laughed.

"Sure they are." She held her chin up and chuckled. "Anyway, I should go meet your parents." She pushed to her feet and I nodded in agreement before she left.

*

MAIRA TOOK HER SEAT beside me and I glanced at the empty seat across me. "Uh, do you know where Vaanya is?"

"Um." She darted her gaze around the lawn and I did the same but she was not in sight. "I guess she left or something."

I shrugged and drank from the flute. "She's about to miss the best part."

She clicked her tongue before she told me, "Ah, not sure if this is her scene." She turned to face Arijit and smiled at him charmingly.

"I hope you're enjoying the dinner so far," I told him and he looked at me. I lifted my flute for a toast. "Heard about your new venture capital. Congrats."

He grinned smugly and Maira gawked at me. "It was supposed to happen, you know? No big deal...but thanks." He then glanced at Aagnay. "Some of us have an input in our family's legacy."

I pursed my lips to stifle a laugh and drank from the glass. "You're so smooth with this shit," Maira whispered and I winked at her. "And who can do it better than Arijit Dubey?" Maira went along. "Whoever said money can't buy success, didn't know where to invest."

"Couldn't have been put more aptly." Arijit took his seat across me and his drink was served instantly.

"I beg to differ," Aagnay fired and leaned back to his seat, seemingly effortless with his movements. "Money can probably buy you anything," he said lowly and narrowed his assessing eyes on Arijit. "But certainly not class."

Maira spat her drink back into the glass and I smirked. Well done Bhasin; I thought to myself. It was only starting to brew and I was all in for the show.

"Oh girl, that was hard," Maira whispered and I rolled my eyes.

I shrugged nonchalantly and glanced at her. "Who doesn't love a dash of chaos?"

"Says the one who has to fight for a spot on this table," Arijit shot mockingly and snickered. "Didn't someone tell you the table for kids is on the other side?"

Aagnay's jaw hardened as he glowered. "Ah, the infamous Arijit Dubey's inept banter," he smirked and straightened. "I had a couple of people warn me about that earlier, although, I never expected it to happen so soon." He unbuttoned the suit jacket and held his hand up for a refill. "So tell me, how much did your father chip in for this new venture of yours?"

"It was all me," Arijit said defensively, his tone was clipped and he was starting to lose his cool. I smiled to the mouth of my glass and Maira glanced at me sideways. "Some of us aren't juveniles."

"Seconded," Aagnay murmured as his drink arrived and he sipped the scotch from his glass. "You're just an amateur and anything you say isn't worth my while." He looked away and drank from his glass.

Arijit set his glass with a clatter that sliced through the air and the buzz died down. "Who the fuck do you think you are?" he snapped.

Aagnay smirked. "Remarkably better than whatever you are," he told him without meeting his gaze and set his glass. "I must say," he said lowly and Arijit's father cleared his throat to intervene. "I'm not exactly impressed by you."

"What makes you think I care?" Arijit was seething with fury and that showed. His fist was clenched on the table and all eyes were on them.

Maira's gaze was fixated on him and I laid back to dig into my brownie. It wouldn't have been surprising if they threw a freaking brawl match in the middle of my lawn. I was looking forward to just that.

"You don't?" Aagnay's brow deepened to a frown. "Then why do you seem rather ill at ease right now?"

Arijit cursed under his breath and faltered on his feet. "You'll reg—"

"Just stop already," Kunal interjected and I rolled my eyes. "You don't want things to get nasty." He smirked and walked to them. "The good thing is that you nailed it. Game over, bro." He had diffused a perfect plan. I was certain a few backs and forth banters would have made the evening but Kunal had to be the saving grace for his dearest brother.

"Sad your baby brother has more acumen than you do," Aagnay scoffed mockingly and finished his drink. "I have to admire your spirit for always being the second-best in the room. How does it feel to never be good enough?" Aagnay was many things—a pompous ass too but he was also the sharpest in the room. That made him bearable at the least.

"Okay, that's enough man," Kunal told him and Aagnay laughed.

Arijit's features hardened. "Get out of my fucking way," he snapped at Kunal and strode out almost immediately.

Maira gaped at me and then at him as she watched him leave. "That was an iconic bummer," I muttered and met Aagnay's gaze. His returning smile was a totem of evil charm. It was hot but it was wrong, and it put me at unease. "I believe in you sweetie," I smiled at him warmly and he nodded once before he looked away and indulged in speaking with my father.

Maira chuckled. "So much for the crazy." 

~~~~

Hello Darlings! 

I hope you liked reading the first chapter of part two. What did you think of Aagnay? Let me know all about it in the comments? 

I would like to dedicate this chapter to the silliest person in my life. 

To, you know who you are,

I know Rakhi is a painful day when we are in two different cities but I'm hoping next year would be different. As for now, this is my token of Rakhi for you. Thank you for being here, for being with me. Your pressence is invaluable to me. I knew I was blessed when I came across you. You deserve the whole wide world! I love you. Bear hugs! <3

Thank you for reading this chapter! Happy Sunday and I'll catch you guys next time, x. :) <3