The Traps of Black Swan

Aarvi had asked her team to look and search for any clue who she was hanging out in a cafe nearby her school about eight to nine years ago.

Since they didn't have much to do after the morning, they had searched and called her immediately. Since she didn't answer the call, they sent her the pictures.

Those pictures weren't only going to leave her sleepless but that left them restless. They hoped everything would be alright after she sees it.

Aarvi read the text received to her mobile, [Boss, pictures I got from your school days near the cafe.]

She clicked on the two pictures and felt her heart freeze, her eyes sting. Her hands trembled itching to break the mobile. She didn't want the mobile to be destroyed but pictures.

In the picture, she was a young teenager of age thirteen wearing a school uniform and was sweetly smiling at a young man holding a cupcake in her hand. His half face was captured in the picture.

Even though the picture wasn't of a high definition, unfortunately, Aarvi knew who he was. And she hated to her bones that she had innocently smiled at Leon Harmon, much less accepting that he was the man who she was meeting.

Wasn't the teenager who was coming into my dream? How could it be a man in his early twenties?

Was Leon behind me for so long?

When did I forget all these?

If Leon was the reason behind her cupcake craze, 'how could Aaron bake the same?'

Is that the reason Aaron hid it from me?

If Leon was the reason behind her cupcake, she didn't want to eat them anymore.

If Leon was the person from her past, she never wants to remember anything about her childhood.

Her eyes were red, she bit her lips. Her fingers trembled when she was swiping on the screen to see the next picture.

She slumped on the bed when she saw the next picture. In that picture, she was taking a red velvet cupcake from Leon's hand who had kneeled in front of her and his other hand was rubbing her head.

What's worse, little Sean and his grandfather were in the background.

The dreams which she wanted to treasure felt like another set of nightmares left by Leon.

She quickly dialed her team member's number and they reported in confusion, "Boss, the cafe had no camera. These are the pictures I was able to fetch from the road traffic. I tried to check for more but nothing is clear and many parts of the video are deleted. We are looking..."

Aarvi cut in with her chilly voice and clenched teeth, "Don't. I don't want to know anything about my past."

She regretted asking her team to look into it. She really hoped she was going to get pictures of her with Aaron or something linking with Aaron.

The other end went mute realizing Aarvi wasn't in a good mood. It had been a long time since they faced Aarvi unapproachable so they didn't know what else to say.

"I- I will erase all the traces of these pictures and videos." The man's voice calmed down knowing they didn't have to be afraid of Aarvi.

Aarvi hummed in acknowledgment and hung up the call before throwing her mobile aside.

She thought it could be a coincidence but she knew why that thought arose. Because she didn't want that young man from her dreams to be Leon.

She didn't want to cry for the past. Leon might have treated her good but she didn't care. She was glad she forgot him and she will make sure to pay him back thousands of fold torture.

After trying to compose herself, she rushed out to see Aaron but paused at her Laze room feeling his presence.

She pushed open the door which was slightly ajar and got the attention of Aaron who was holding Laze which softly mewed at her.

She smiled looking at them together but her eyes filled up remembering the pictures she had received.

Aaron had expected her to be embarrassed after whatever happened in the bathroom but his face turned aloof realizing her flushed face wasn't because of awkwardness but controlling her urge to cry.

He left Laze on the wooden swing next to him, "Aarvi?" and she ran into his arms, buried herself in his embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist as tight as she could.

Aaron provided the comfort she needed by enveloping her in his arms as he caressed her head trying to calm her down.

Laze, which jumped down from the swing to the blocks and floor, circled their legs before rubbing its body against her ankle silently.

Aaron asked after some time, "Aarvi, what happened? Tell me..."

Aarvi pursed her lips hearing him. She didn't want to tell him and make him feel bad. After giving a little thought, she lifted her head to face him and seriously said.

"Let's get married."

Aaron: "..."

He would love to get married to her but he wasn't getting the right vibe. If there is a problem, he wanted to help her solve it instead of making the marriage a solution to it.

Looking at her determined eyes, he buried her face back on his chest to let her think right.

Aarvi sulked with a big fat pout earning silence as a response.

Aaron kissed her head before his soothing deep voice sounded, "We will get married but not as a solution to a problem, not as a consolation to the disturbing feelings."

He tightened his arms around her and again planted a soft kiss on her forehead. Aarvi understood what he meant but still sulked.

"You are sleeping with Laze today." She declared, for not saying yes to her.

Aaron knew she was purposefully diverting the topic. He didn't want to force anything on her and hoped it wasn't anything serious.

He blatantly responded, "And Laze wants to sleep with you."

Aarvi: "..."

She couldn't believe she always becomes dumb in front of this man.

Instead of speaking about what was bugging her, she whined for a few minutes until she calmed down in his arms.

Aaron just said, 'Speak to me if anything serious or needs my help. Alright?' so he didn't force her repeatedly and silently accompanied her with Laze in another arm as she wanted to cuddle both.

----

In the Highland club,

The good-looking stranger and Shea thought they were going to end up as one-night stands of each other but they ended up getting along really well to the level they shared their names, interests, professions.

When the music was nearing the end, both didn't want to ruin the new type of connection created between them.

So instead of taking her to a hotel or any private place, he asked her out, "So Shea, would you like to..."

"...Go out with you on a date?" Shea easily completed his lines the whole time they were together.

The known stranger nodded to the words she completed for him. He pointed at each other slowly moving to music, "This spark!"

He smiled in amusement before continuing, "I never got with anybody else. You are special, you know that, right?" He didn't flirt but said what he felt after spending time with her.

Shea chuckled again as she nodded. She too, for the first time, met a man who understood her just like that. She felt him like he was made to read her laughter too.

After a thought, she became serious and asked, "I have a plan for us. Would you dare to try?"

The known stranger knew it was going to be fun to try, "I'm in.." He accepted without a second thought.