Stellary Richards

The entire ride back from Arayna's office I have been quiet. Everything that happened there keeps running on my mind. Bryan holds my palm with one hand the other on the steering; kissing the back of it he smiles at me gently. His smile automatically makes me reciprocate. I look outside the window not realizing where we are. "Where are we going?" I ask Bryan.

He shrugs his shoulders, "Just driving, are you hungry?" I realize we haven't eaten in a while and I nod my head, hoping to get these things past us after a good meal. Food can definitely heal everything. Bryan takes the car from drive through and gets us some sandwiches and shake. We cannot have a proper date at a restaurant except after making reservations or when we're both in a disguise, this is the only thing I hate about him being a celebrity.

Bryan keeps messaging someone on his phone the entire drive back. "You should be careful driving, who are you texting anyway?" I ask trying to grab his phone from him so he will focus on driving.

"Jealous baby." He says mocking me and puts the phone away in his pockets dodging from my hands.

"You wish." I reply mocking.

"It's just my Manager." He says with a smile. His smile is enough to make me forget all my stress.

We have random chats on the rest of the drive. I realize we're just two minutes away from home, "We are going to my place, I thought we will be going to your place?" I ask looking at Bryan.

Bryan replies with a smile, "I have something to show you, you need to close your eyes for that and no cheating."

I smile at him, raising my eyebrows in question but oblige. Bryan loves giving surprises, he says he loves it because he loves seeing the happiness he sees on my face when surprised and that makes everything worth it. He has done so many romantic movies which has made him a hopeless romantic, I keep teasing him about this.

After a while he parks the car and comes to my side opening the door and holds my hand guiding me. I follow his steps. We walk a few steps and come to a halt when he says, "Okay, you can now open your eyes."

I open my eyes to the biggest surprise of my life. I look at what's in front of me with eyes wide and mouth agape and then look at Bryan with tears in my eyes. He is quick to wipe them away and hugs me tight.

"Bri, when did you even...I don't know what to say. I mean, this is ours?." I am speechless as I gawk at the pathway to the door decorated with flower petals, the door is closed with a banner reading. 'Welcome home soon to be Mrs. Johnson'. The right side of the door has a glass nameplate that says 'Stellary Johnson'.

Holding my hand tightly in his, Bryan says, "Shall we?" I nod my head at him, not being able to speak a work, knowing if I do I might burst into happy tears. I take a step forward and then realizing I have my heels on, I step back taking them off. Bryan smiles at me and he too takes his shoes off.

We reach by the door and Bryan gets down on his knees removing a ring box from his pocket, "Bryan you've already proposed, what are you doing get up!" I tell him flushed pulling at his hand.

"This is different, Stellary Richards, I know you have already agreed to be my wife, to be Mrs Johnson and given me the biggest gift of my life. Will you also agree to be my permanent roommate for life giving me the biggest happiness of my life? Will you accept this and make this house our home?" He says opening the box with a key inside it.

I laugh at what he says, touched by his thought. I want to tell him so many things that how silly he is to propose for this as marriage is itself sharing a home, sharing life; but I don't want to ruin this and put my hand forward with a smile reaching my eyes and he puts the ring of the keychain in my index finger. He gets up and I open the door with the key, as soon as we enter there is pop and flower petals shower over us. I am so overwhelmed at his gesture, his thought; it makes me cry with happiness.

"I knew a part of you is bummed that you will be leaving your brother to come live with me after marriage and so was Steven. I felt guilty and decided to build our home near by so you are close to your brother at all times. I wanted to give you this surprise after our wedding but then I thought you need this now as you were upset with Susan thing and all. So I pre-poned it, thought this will cheer you up, lift your mood from all this tension since the past few days. Some minor touches are still left, it's not fully ready yet; especially our bedroom. I want it to have your touch."

His words make me fall in love with him all over again. His consideration, thoughtfulness makes my heart melt. "Thank you so much Bri, I don't know how to express my gratitude. You have always managed to make me tongue-tied. I love this, I really really love this. You make me the luckiest girl alive."

"You deserve it all and more Stella." Bryan says holding my cheeks with both his hands.

I look around to capture every corner of my new home; yes it already feels like home. We are in the living room, three sets of couch surround a large round table; the entire decor is in white and grey. Pretty paintings and wall decor cover the white walls beautifully. Bryan loves paintings, he has an amazing collection bought from all around the world. He has a pretty amazing philosophy for each painting that never ceases to amaze me.

"Come, I want to show you our room." He says like an excited little kid and I can't help but match his enthusiasm.

Hand in hand we head upstairs towards our room. On the first floor there were four rooms. Bryan had also dedicated a room for my ballet dance sessions. At the end of the hallway is our room. He slowly opens the door revealing a large room with long sliding windows overseeing the large swimming pool beneath. There is a large king size bed, on the left side is a huge walk in closet. I am ready to dive in it, knowing Bryan he definitely must have filled the closet with some dresses and accessories; when a painting across from it grabs my attention. It looks like a new one in his collection.

This painting is very different from what Bryan is used to having a collection of. He is more into abstract or expressionism paintings; he says those paintings give you the chance to explore reality, the paintings that I fail to understand and he is always more than happy to fill me up with. This one, however is simple to understand, it is a realistic painting, depicting togetherness.

"Yes, I know what you're thinking and that's absolutely correct." Bryan says with a sheepish smile completely knowing my thoughts. This is how simple it is between us. We know each other like the back of our mind. "Pristy gifted it, saying; more like demanding it to be put in our bedroom. She warned me against putting any of my other paintings here. She said this room should have no room for ambiguity. There should only be positivity and love." His imitation of Pristy makes me laugh hard and I can clearly picture Pristy saying this.

Pristy is Bryan's first cousin. She is an interior designer and I am sure this entire house is her design. She is brilliant. She absolutely doesn't understand Bryan's choice of paintings just like me. "This painting is beautiful." I say looking at it, a smile on my face.

"So, Pristy was right. She quoted, "Not everything has to be complex and complicated. Somethings can just be this simple and still beautiful. As much as it is difficult to admit but I too love this painting."

Holding his hand I lay my head on his shoulders staring at the painting. "I can't wait to show all of this to Steven. He will be so happy, he might hug you till you're out of breath." I say picturing Steven's reaction to this surprise.

"Your brother; hugging me is a delusion." Bryan says with a look of disbelief. "Of course I did this because I love you and I wanted to see this happiness, see your eyes shine and see you fall for me more." He says winking at me and continues, "But a part of me also did this to win your brother's trust. I understand this must be difficult for him. You both have been inseparable since birth. i thought this will be a little easier if we're living closer to him. I want him to be relieved when you're with me."

"Bryan, he does trust you. My brother is stubborn as a stick. He wouldn't have agreed to our marriage if he didn't trust you." I say assuring him. My heart once again fills up with gratitude; Bryan has been so thoughtful as to buy a house near to Steven's house; how did I end up getting this man.

"Why don't you call your brother here now?" Bryan suggests.

Excited to see Steven's reaction I hand my phone to Bryan and ask him to call him and say that I fell and sprained my ankle. Bryan objects to my plan and says, "Why don't you just normally call him?"

"Because, he will take forever to come. He will finish up his work and take his own sweet time." Bryan rolls his eyes and mutters 'kids' shaking his head at me. I punch him lightly in the abdomen and he calls Steven.

I ask Bryan to put it on speaker and ask him to sound a little scared to make it believable and he again rolls his eyes saying, "I think you're forgetting that I am an actor."

Steven picks up the call saying. "Hello. Yes Stell."

"Steven, it's actually me, Bryan. Umm, actually uhh Stella has hurt herself. She fell from the stairs. She has sprained her leg I think. I don't know what to do, she is in a lot of pain. I'll send you the location, can you please come quick?" He says it all in one breath. He sure is a good actor.

"I'll be right there." I hear Steven say.

Myself and Bryan sit outside on the patio waiting for Steven after a complete tour of the house. Within half an hour Steven pulls up in the driveway and shortly behind Mitch's car follows. Obviously in paranoia Steven must have called Mitch. I roll my eyes at their behaviour.

Steven gets out of the car, a confused expression on his face. We both walk hand in hand towards Steven and Mitch and bow down saying, "Welcome to our humble abode."

Steven's expression changes from confusion to surprise as he sees the name plate beside the door. "It's Bryan's surprise and wedding gift." I say to Steven and once again my eyes well up with tears for multiple reasons; for feeling proud of my decision to marry this man, for getting married in a month, for leaving Steven, for starting this new life, everything just feels so overwhelming.

"Pal, this is amazing, and very thoughtful of you." Mitch says, hugging Bryan. Steven is speechless and just keeps staring at the name plate on the door. 

"Stevie, say something." I say curious as to what he is thinking. "Stell, as the days are passing the fear of you going away keeps getting closer. I know Bryan is a good guy, he will keep you happy, I can see how happy you are with him; but I can't help but get angry at the fact that he is the one taking you away from me." 

Steve walks closer to Bryan and hugs him. Bryan is caught off guard as he wasn't expecting this. "With this, you are only making it more difficult for me to stay angry at you. I am glad that Stell found a man like you as her better half." Bryan's face lits up at Steve's words and he hugs him tighter when  Steve mutters in his ears, "Welcome to the family."

We all head inside and order some food. Until the food arrives we decide to take a tour of the house. I can see genuine happiness in Steve's eyes. I can see that he is proud of Bryan and myself, I can now fully feel that he is happy for us without any burden.

We are headed towards our room, when Steve pulls at my hand, holding my cheeks in his hands he says, "I always want to see you this happy." I smile at him and reply, "and I want my brother to get his happiness as I got mine." 

"Wow, Pal this painting is beautiful but its unlike your taste I think." We hear Mitch say and enter the room to see him staring at the painting. He definitely knows about Bryan's taste in paintings. In our initial dating days I would yap all day about 'Bryan this, Bryan that' to Mitch. I obviously couldn't talk about Bryan with Steve, he would get angry even at the sound his name.

I tell Mitch about the painting and about why Pristy gifted it to be put in our room. Steven is again quiet in all our discussion and stares at the painting intently. His expression soon changes to anger. Moving towards him I hold his fisted hand and say, "Steve, what's wrong?" 

"Pal, you okay?" Even Mitch asks concerned. 

"Yes, I'm good. Stell, I will be back." With this he dashes out of the door and within seconds he is buckling up in the car. I don't even get the time to stop him. Confused, I turn towards the painting, trying to understand what made him this angry. 

I walk closer to it and below on the right corner of the painting lies all the answers to my question. "Stell, I'll go behind him. We don't even know where he is off to?" Mitch says and I stop him, "I know exactly where he is off to?"

"What? Where" Bryan asks confused and both of them look at me for an answer. I point at the signature that says, 'AAZO'. the same signature that is on all designs by Arayna Oberoi.

I remember the events of this painting more clearly now. Steven had narrated this evening in Paris so many times. This painting is a replica of that night, painted so beautifully, a starry night in the backdrop, two people lying on the grass, the girl pointing at the moon, the boy looking at her, in a different scene there's a fountain and they are both seated at the edge of it, in a different one there is a club with lots of people and two of them are highlighted dancing and in the last one there is a boy alone with his eyes blindfolded hands spread ahead of him as if looking for the girl. The boy is none other than my brother. 

Steven had described that night so well, I had all pictures and scenes of it at the back of my mind. I wonder why I did not realize this before. Yes, that's right; he can talk about his girl crushes with me all night but I couldn't; unfair, I know!  

"Stell, what's with the painting? We don't even know where he is gone, I swear Stell your brother is having so many mood swings these days. its like he is always on edge, so restless and that girl is to blame for this. God knows, where she is hiding, even Kyle is unable to find her." Mitch says irritated.

He is about to leave to find Steve when I stop him, "Mitch, he has found her and that's where he is off to." I sigh sitting on the bed. 

The first phase is realization, the next processing it all and lastly acceptance and I am yet on the processing phase. It is hard to believe all this. I close my eyes and massage my temples, this day has been hell of lot to take all in, it has been mentally draining. First Susan's truth, then this surprise ad now this shock. I can't believe Arayna is her. Why didn't Steven tell me about this earlier? This is why he behaved strangely at the dinner I had invited Arayna. Arayna looked like she doesn't remember anything but she does and the proof is this painting. 

Well, one thing that can be concluded is this night is special for her too and that's the reason she painted it, right? The question is, why is she pretending to not remember it but most importantly how can it be Arayna, she is nothing like this, the girl in the painting.

"Baby, you okay?" Bryan says worried and confused as to what is going on. I just nod at him. 

"Stell, you need to be more clear, I ain't understanding a thing here. One moment he is all happy for you, then emotional about your wedding which is all understandable but what's with the sudden anger; and what do you mean he has found her?" Its rare to see Mitch lose his calm and get irritated. 

"I have not eaten all day, Steven ditched work to be a part of that revenge plan and I had to run his errands as well and now when its finally time to eat he is again off  without a word. Now will you tell me what is going on with your brother?" Well, that explains Mitch's irritation. Hungry Mitch is Angry Mitch.

"Arayna Oberoi is her" I say pointing at the painting. 

"By her, you mean the girl from Paris?" Mitch says his wide and mouth open in shock or surprise or disbelief. 

If it were another situation I would have laughed at his expressions, but I am still struggling to come out of this shock to react at his.

"How? Why? No, that's not possible!." He says more to himself. 

"Your brother has fallen for Ms. Hot and Scary?" Mitch says in wonder.

Hola!

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