Amaan Hashmi

Amaan Hashmi was tall and handsome with a dimpled smile. Considered to be a Greek God with 6 ft heights, intense emerald eyes, a sharp nose, and a chiseled jawline, not many knew he was the owner of a golden heart. His broad shoulders and perfect body made him once the most eligible bachelor, full of life and dreams to conquer the world. He was not only admired by his peers but also looked up to by many entrepreneurs for his business acumen and engaging personality.

A self-made millionaire at the age of 23 and the youngest son of Salar Hashmi, he was prophesied to be the future heir to Hashmi Industries by many contemporaries, including his elder brother. With his strong family background and equally profound surname, people assumed him to be arrogant and self-centric, whereas the reality was far from it. 

Unlike other heirs, he was never the work to brag about his daddy’s money. Instead, without seeking financial help from his father or surviving on his father’s reputation, he built his own company from scratch. He attained great success in a short period with his intelligence and his hard work. 

He was never the one to take anything for granted and, although born with the silver spoon, was the humblest person who never revealed his family background. He didn't desire to attain anything in life because of his background. He wanted to prove himself based on his natural endowment and not his background. Whether it was his schooling or university studies, he was always a topper and never held a high air about himself.

Money, fame, family background, intelligence, and a great personality, he had it all, yet he never stepped back for any challenge or hardship. A prosperous business and cheerful persona made him the envy as well as admirable for many.

A strange rumor took shape that good looks were hereditary in their household; whether it is his father or his elder brothers, everybody seems blessed with great looks and a dashing personality. While he was easily approachable, it couldn’t be said the same for his father and brother. Salar Hashmi, a Magnus in the business world, was ruthless to the core when it came to his competitors. Wherever they went, they seemed to pass around an invisible aura of nobility around themselves. 

Although they have a resemblance, what differentiates Amaan from his father are the dimples and emerald eyes he inherited from his mother, which twinkled and grew deeper whenever he laughed. 

These were the first few things that attracted 'her' to him, even though she was oblivious to his background. After knowing Amaan was a scholarship student, her initial thought was that he might have come from a struggling class when they met in their university days.

She was his batchmate and was known as the most feared female in the university. She was an extrovert who could never stand injustice, no matter how strong or influential the opponent was. An outspoken who never sugarcoats her opinion or minces with words to attain favoritism. An average student but with extraordinary guts. 

Unlike her fellow females, she never invested in fan- girling jocks or was interested in being a social butterfly. Instead, she was found spending most of her time with her boy gang, who adorned her even though she was the only female in their group. 

A tall girl with her signature light brown hair and similar color set of eyes, envied by many for her beauty and a personality that can bring down anyone—beauty with brain guts.

The first time Amaan met her could be described as horrendous. Amaan was a business student while she was from the arts. Mistaking his identity with a boy accused of hitting one of her gang members, she strides towards him in the library before grabbing his collar. 

Amaan, busy preparing plans for his startup, frowned at the stranger’s audacity. However, when he raised his eyes, what met him were brown orbs glaring at him. Later his gaze got arrested by her baby hair brushing against her skin and soft hair flitting around her like a halo. His eyes trailed towards her moving lips, and he couldn’t help getting mesmerized. She was talking to him, tightening her grip over his collar, but that was the least of his concern. A commotion formed around them, yet his attention was on her features.

He memorized the way her eyes shone in anger, only to change into mortification, realizing she was threatening the wrong guy. He chuckled, expecting her expression to soften, but instead, she brushed it off as nothing. 

People have love at first sight, but for him, it was love at first fight. Since then, he followed her like a love-lost puppy until she didn't have any other option than to give in. Amaan reminded her every time of their first meeting just to instigate her and see her face going red.

"Ouch!”

“Nothing has changed since our first meeting. You were ready to hit me then, and you are ready to hit me now,” Amaan said, feigning getting hurt only to earn another punch on his chest from Raina. 

“Humans tend to make mistakes. You dont have to rub it on my face,” she fumed.

"Well, humans tend to first ask and then react. But in your case, you first react and then ask,” he said to irk her more. 

He didn't like when Raina was engrossed in her work and ignored his presence. He wanted her attention and was up for any antic just to get her riled up.

“Do you expect an apology?” when she asked, crossing her arms over her chest, Amaan’s eyes twinkled with mischief, “Technically, I never received an apology from you for threatening me in front of people.”

“Dream on!” she scoffs.

“Oh, I dream about many things, baby,” he said, walking towards her and leaning over her chair.

“And nothing about them is innocent. My every dream includes you screaming my name and,” he deliberately trailed, sliding his gaze over her body before locking it with her dazed eyes, “ enjoying being on top.”

Raina blushed deep red and avoided meeting his intense stare, knowing where their conversation would lead. Before she could retort, Amaan smashed his lips over hers in a fierce kiss.

"RAINA!" 

Amaan screamed, waking up from his dream or the memory of her that he kept dreaming. The shirt he wore during his wedding clung to him like skin with his perspiration. No matter how much he tried, her memories haunted him day and night. As a last resort, he indulged in alcohol, which his family vehemently opposed. To ward off any confrontation, he started living alone in his penthouse, which he gifted to Raina on their anniversary.

Since the unfateful day, Amaan Hashmi was no longer the same charismatic man. In his place, a cold-blooded man void of any emotions resided. Working like a maniac, he was either found working to death or dazed in his wine. There were days his laugh would lighten the atmosphere, but now it looked like he forgot to smile.

Another reason for leaving his family mansion was the pity stare he got from his family and even from the staff. He didnt needs their pity or concern. If they really want to help him, they could get his Raina back. Wherever he went, all he could think of was Raina. Whether it's his home, room, office, or friend's company. Every place was associated with Raina’s memory, reminding him how much of the world she meant to him. Her absence drives his sanity to the edge.

People who used to enjoy his company started avoiding him, afraid of his uncontrollable outburst. His employees began fearing, and once, a female employee had a panic attack seeing his explosion. He could not focus on his work and instead started losing his project one after the other. Unable to understand what was happening, he started venting his anger on anybody anywhere.

For this reason, his father asked him to stay out of work and work on his anger management. This, instead, made him wilder and kept him apart from the world as he decided to live alone. His days were spent sleeping, and nights were spent drinking alcohol. It's been a long since he visited his family, and even if they try to contact him, he would simply turn off his phone. God knows when was the last he ate something except for the drinks. He reckoned if he didn't care about himself, Raina, like always, would come out of her hiding and take care of him. "Watching me like this, she will definitely come back," he thought.

"Where are you, Raina? You promised you would never hurt me? Why are you hurting me like this? Please come back, " he mumbled while leaning backward on the couch. Since that day, he never cried as if holding on to his emotions till the day she would be back, and he would let out his feelings. She was his dependency, without whom he doesn`t know how to live; she was his Moksha, without which he can`t be at peace.

He was still dwelling in her isolation when one day his parent decided to get him married again, and to his utter shock to none other than ASMAIRA. Listening to her name raised so much wrath in him to forget about marrying. Had he not promised, he would have killed her n number of times.