The Traps of Black Swan

Even though Aarvi and Aaron weren't afraid of the limelight and had no stage fear, they didn't like to be the center of attention either. They loved their own space. If it was somebody else other than the family, they would have frowned. Since it was Shawn and Shea, there was curiosity.

Aaron had the hunch as Shea had mentioned there was a surprise for Aarvi that she had prepared with Shawn, Mehak, and Nikun. 

Aarvi turned to Aaron, "What's up?" She remembered the male leads in the movie proposing to his love in front of all so a mischievous smile appeared on her face, "Are you going to claim me in front of all?" She propped her brows.

Aaron could read what was going on in her mind. He lowered and whispered near her ear, "If that's your wish… Why not!"

Aarvi was aware that if there are anything that she wants, likes, and wishes for, he would wholeheartedly fulfill them unless it wasn't dangerous for her. 

Anyway, she didn't have such wishes. So she poked him to stand straight as there were many eyes on them. Meantime, Shawn's lively voice sounded, "I know there are many questions and lots of curiosity about what's coming next."

Shawn moved the microphone to Shea when she tugged his jacket. She had a bright smile adding, "I am also sure many of you are worshipping the couple, just like us." 'Us' meant she and Shawn.

Aarvi chuckled without understanding why Shea and Shawn idolize them so much. Many chuckled while Aaron prepared himself to be filled with all fancy words. 

Shea turned on the screen that started playing the video of the red petals showering on the couple at an aerial view. The guests gasped at the grandeur while Shawn spoke.

"I am sure you all have different assumptions. Aarvi Evans is my friend and got to know my brother… Or they might have gotten together for their business advantages… Or because they are stunning…"

Aarvi was confused why Shawn was saying all that. She never cared about trivial matters like what people were going to think about them. Their families and friends are aware of them and that's all that matters to her.

"Well, then you are wrong," Shawn concluded all their wrong assumptions as false.

"Have you ever thought, it's a love marriage?" Shea asked as she clicked a button on the remote controller. 

At Shea's action, the guests turned to the screen and gasped in surprise, prompting Aarvi and Aaron to turn left to the screen.

The screen was displaying the picture taken on Aarvi's fourteenth birthday with Aaron. She had a very innocent smile, next to her, Aaron had a warm smile looking at the camera.

They had seen Aaron's teenage pictures in the video prepared for Jordan. They glanced at stunned Aarvi and then the picture. The little girl looked like a mini version of Aarvi and very young, at the age to be in early teenage.

The guests spoke to each other, hard to believe, Naomi Fisher who they had considered to be childhood sweetheart of Aaron wasn't his love, and Aaron and Aarvi were together from a very young age.

The pictures didn't stop there. It slowly changed displaying other pictures, some were cropped to only them removing Nikun and Mehak.

Aaron knew the more happiness she gets from the past pictures, it will scratch up her wound raw. He was right too, Aarvi was initially excited to know those picture copies were still present. 

Followed by it, a lump created in her throat when she remembered what happened in the Kelly villa that day which she had forgotten with Aaron.

----

On her fourteenth birthday,

Aaron had dropped her five minutes before her curfew time but a maid had seen her getting out of the expensive car and reported it to Maisie. The latter had watched the car waiting for little Ava to enter the villa.

Maisie was incensed; she never got to step in such an expensive car, she couldn't digest Ava was lucky enough to get a ride. She was also well aware it wasn't Hayden's car. Hence she went downstairs to vent her ire on Ava.

Maisie's face darkened when  Ava happily entered inside in a new dress. Maisie often went out shopping so she was quick to identify the dress Ava was wearing as an expensive, one-of-a-kind, designer dress. It felt like a slap on her face.

Without being aware of anything, Ava lowered her head and silently took steps to go upstairs. However, Maisie held Ava's hair and pushed her on the ground ordering a maid to get her scissors to tear the dress.

Despite the pain of being thrown on the floor, Ava was mortified by hearing the scissor. She wanted to run away but Maisie held her and started tearing her dress in front of all the maids.

Ava was scared, she was damn fourteen, not a little kid. So in fluster, she pushed Maisie away, clutching the dress to cover herself, she ran upstairs. Even though her mother thrashed her later, Ava was in her room and fainted due to pain and tears. 

That was her mother's birthday gift.

Hayden had admitted Ava to the hospital when he had visited the villa to wish her a birthday.

Ava had searched the villa after her return and got to know the pictures and dress were burnt. Hence the pieces of memory that could have avoided her forgetting Aaron disappeared.

----

Seeing Aarvi zoned out, Aaron wrapped his hand around her shoulder. He pulled her close, gently rubbed her arm. "Don't recall what is not needed. Learn to forget and ignore." 

His soothing deep voice calmed her as she breathed. She should indeed learn to forget. "Why are they showing our pictures on grandfather's birthday?"

Aaron hadn't thought of it before, so he tried to think if there was anything special. He was about to shake his head but a surprise flashed on his face. 

Aarvi was amused watching Aaron, ignoring the sad memories. It was really rare she gets to see Aaron's astonishment on his face, much less in front of so many people.

"It's grandfather's birthday!" He exclaimed.

Aarvi: "..."

She knows it's Jordan's birthday, hence she wants to know the reason behind their pictures on Jordan's birthday.

Shawn announced at the same time catching her attention, "It's a love story celebrating a decade anniversary."

A decade anniversary!!

Aarvi was stupefied the most while the Rivas family and Aaron weren't.

To answer her shock, "It's the day I told everyone I got my little bride." The day she had cried in his arms, the day he became her guardian at school, the day she started following him. 

Aarvi was still in shock when there was loud clapping and cheering in the hall. She could guess what exactly happened ten years back, on that day. But the ten years were too overwhelming. Whereas she felt like they met, got together just a few days back. 

Aarvi gingerly voiced her thoughts, "If I knew we could have got married today." Then she giggled while Aaron pulled her into his embrace.

In those ten years, they suffered and longed the most rather than being happy. If they have to say they were together then it was just a year when they were kids and a few months after he confessed. 

"I love you, my dear husband, for never giving up," She whispered, with a blissful smile blooming on her face.

Ecstatic, Aaron pulled her back from his embrace. Her fingers grazed over her cheek looking her in the eye, "Happy anniversary, my love." He captured her lips under the thunderous applause.