Bella, 1

"She loved Gabriel like a beautiful mistake. But Adrian... he was always here in her mind and heart she couldn't name the feeling for him"

"She loved Gabriel like a beautiful mistake — loud, real, full of stolen laughter. But Adrian… Adrian lived in her like silence she never dared to break."

But can you truly choose between the one you love… and the one who loves you?

Bella thought her life was messy — tangled between a chaotic household, a struggling career, and unspoken dreams. But nothing prepared her for the storm named Gabriel — mysterious, familiar, and painfully unfinished. Just when she begins to understand the cracks in her soul, enters Adrian — the quiet architect who sees her, not for what she hides, but for who she truly is.

Torn between a love that feels like fate and a bond that heals like home, Bella must make a choice — not between two men, but between two versions of herself.

Because sometimes, love isn’t about who stays. It’s about who you become when everything breaks.

One leads to what her heart remembers. The other — to what her soul might need.

Author is here...

authorkimrumi_

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"Wake up Bella, how long will you keep sleeping?"

Minha's shouting voice came from the kitchen while she was frying fritters for breakfast.

Neither the alarm, her sister’s voice, nor the five-year-old Reha running around the room could wake her up.

"Hey get up you useless girl, or I’ll pour water on you," Nanu shouted from the lounge.

"Nanu, even water doesn’t work on her, try the same trick you use every day," Minha suggested.

"Oh dear… now where should I drag this wheelchair, get up already, you make our throats dry first thing in the morning."

Minha, standing in the kitchen, turned and looked at Nanu with pity, then resumed her work.

Reluctantly, Nanu pushed her wheelchair into the room, which looked worse than a battlefield, with Reha having thrown things around everywhere.

Nanu smacked her forehead.

"Oh God, doll, what have you done to her room?"

"Nanu, Nanu, it was already like this, I didn’t do anything," Reha said innocently as she climbed onto the bed and started kissing Bella on the cheek.

"Wake her up, she has to go to work, she’s getting late, her phone’s been ringing for ages," Nanu entered the room further.

"No, Nanu, don’t wake up Khala Mom," Reha protested.

"Why shouldn’t I? Move aside, just one stick hit will set her straight." Nanu showed the stick she always kept to scare or threaten Bella and Reha.

“Nano is so cruel she doesn't love me.”

Reha pouted and complained.

"Move aside you English girl, let me see her," Nanu moved forward.

"I’ll have to see for myself." Minha entered and stood beside Bella’s ear and loudly said:

"You got the job and the salary is one lakh per month."

As soon as Bella heard this, she opened her eyes instantly. Minha ran out laughing — the fritters were still on the stove.

If she had waited for Nanu to wake her up, it would have been evening.

Bella startled awake, looked at Reha who was on top of her, held her, turned over and went back to sleep.

That was it for Nanu, she hit her with the stick from behind, and Bella shot up rubbing her back.

"What’s wrong with you, Nanu? Why are you becoming so savage?"

"Savage Nanu," Reha echoed. Nanu ignored her and scolded Bella.

"You look like a drug-addicted girl who just woke up, God forgive… Get up or else the second hit will come. Calls after calls are coming."

Bella rubbed her eyes, it was hard to sleep now. She kissed Reha lying next to her and got off the bed.

"What’s the time?" she asked while yawning and tying up her light brown hair.

"It’s 8:23 already."

And Bella, who was sleepily going to get clothes, suddenly became fully awake. She turned and rushed to the side table to look at the clock. Her mouth remained open in shock.

So much time had passed — today was her interview, she had set the alarm before sleeping, but...

She smacked her forehead and ran to the washroom.

"Hey, at least take clothes with you!"

"Nanu, please get me the white kurti and blue jeans, quick!" she shouted from the washroom.

Nanu moved her wheelchair forward, and Reha had already opened the wardrobe. All the clothes fell on Nanu's face. Reha clapped like it was something funny. Nanu picked up the stick and Reha fell silent.

"Both of them are useless. Doll, find the clothes your favorite Khala asked for from these."

Reha quickly began sorting the clothes.

"Quickly now," Bella shouted.

"Yeah, you should have thought about that before, always sleeping like a junkie and then ordering everyone around. I’m telling you, if you don’t get the job this time, I’ll stop feeding you."

Nanu threatened while searching for the suggested clothes.

Reha clapped again. She always clapped at the drama between Nanu and Bella.

"Nanu, threaten me later. First give me the clothes, I’m getting late."

"Yeah yeah, here they are. Throw them up to her!"

Nanu told Reha. Reha failed to throw them properly, so Nanu moved ahead and tossed them herself.

"Catch them! If I don’t see you out of the house in five minutes—"

With that, Nanu left. Reha rolled the clothes and started stuffing them inside when Bella came out.

She quickly began drying her hair and getting ready. Finally, while applying eyeliner, her blue eyes became prominent.

"Reha, give me my purse," she said while hurriedly wearing her golden bangles. Reha was also doing makeup.

"Promise me you’ll take me out."

"Just pray I get the job today, then I’ll take you wherever you want," she said while applying lip gloss and leaving her slightly curled hair open. The white kurti was ankle-length, and she looked nice in the blue jeans. A light blue dupatta was wrapped around her neck like a scarf.

"Will you introduce me to AD?"

Bella, who was wearing sneakers, paused and glared at her.

"Reha, how many times have I told you not to mention him, he’s bad."

"No, he’s very nice," Reha shared her opinion.

Bella picked up her purse and kissed Reha, who stepped back. Her eyes were downcast, fixed on the floor, her arms wrapped around her chest.

Bella picked up the files and rushed out. Reha watched her leave with teary eyes.

“Khala is so cruel she doesn't love me.”

Bella was running outside when Minha called out.

"Wait, at least eat something before leaving."

Bella ran toward her sister, kissed her, and shouted while running:

"I’ll come back and eat, bye!"

"If you don’t get the job, I won’t let you eat!"

Nanu threatened. Minha smiled.

"I’ll eat at a restaurant," Bella shouted loudly as she left.

"That restaurant isn’t your property!"

Nanu kept talking even after she was gone.

"Don’t say that to her, not getting a job isn’t her fault. It’s fate, Nanu."

Minha placed fritters in front of Nanu.

"You talk like my taunts affect her."

"But they affect me," Minha said while setting the rest of the food. She wasn’t looking at Nanu.

"Your pampering spoiled her. See? Neither did she study properly nor is she getting a job. She’s been rejected by 10 places. Now even hope is gone."

"Nanu, why do you worry? God will make things better. Nanu, where is Reha?" Minha changed the topic.

"Probably in Bella’s room. Doll, come here child."

"I’ll go check."

Bella rushed out. Finding a taxi wasn’t easy. She kept running on the road. Soon, she saw a taxi.

"Brother, please hurry!" she said after giving the address and sitting inside.

"Ma’am, we’re already going at full speed," the driver replied, looking at her in the rearview mirror.

She nervously looked at her watch. Oh God.

A few minutes later, when she arrived—

"Ma’am, at least take your files!"

She had just gotten out after paying when the driver called out. She turned back quickly, smacked her head, grabbed the files from her wrist and rushed inside.

"Thanks, driver brother!" she said and ran inside.

As soon as she entered, the receptionist girl looked at her.

Bella gave herself a final look in the glass wall and stepped forward:

“Hey, I'm Bella, I saw the application for a job interview for a secretary so…”

The receptionist looked at her, then at the clock on her wrist.

"I’m sorry, you’re late. The interviews have already started."

Bella checked the time — Oh God, only five minutes late… what will I tell the family… I didn’t even get the job yet… no...

But the interviews are still going on, so I can wait…

"I'm willing to wait; I don’t have an issue."

Please don’t reject me, God...

"No ma’am, sir is punctual. Everyone arrived on time. Now you can’t go in, sorry," the receptionist excused.

"Yes, I understand, but please understand me too. This job is very important for me. Just let me sit in the waiting room. I’ll wait the whole day. Who will even know I was late?"

Bella suggested. The receptionist didn’t like that at all.

"Look ma’am, this isn’t my father’s company that I can run things as I please. The boss is punctual, sorry, I can’t do anything."

She flatly refused and went back to her work like she was silently asking Bella to leave.

Bella took a deep breath.

What do I do now? She thought helplessly. Then she gave the grand building one last look, and just as she was about to leave...

“What… Oh my God, I’m coming!” the receptionist’s worried voice made her turn. She saw the girl rushing inside. Bella watched for a moment, then looked around — no one was there — and smiled like her brain had given her a new opportunity.

Bella slowly stepped forward. No one was around, so she quickly ran inside. There was an elevator ahead.

As she stood near it, she realized she didn’t even know which floor. She thought she’d figure it out upstairs. Her heartbeat increased. What if she got caught? She just hoped she wouldn’t run into the receptionist.

Just then the door opened, and she got out. Now, how to find the waiting room? She twisted her fingers and looked around.

Bella, take a deep breath and walk like you own this place… hmm...

She encouraged herself.

Bella stepped out with a deep breath and was surprised by the scene. Everything was shining. Workers were busy. One or two looked up, then back down. Bella couldn’t even smile.

They all looked like robots.

She looked around for the waiting room. The building was huge. Who knows on which floor the interviews were happening?

She reached into her purse for distraction and started chewing gum. She was about to throw the wrapper but realized and put it back in.

“Excuse me, can you tell me about the waiting room for interviewers?”

She asked a nearby girl politely, who was engrossed in work. The girl looked up at Bella and said:

"Didn’t the receptionist tell you?"

"Ahh yeah, she did but I think I forgot."

Bella smiled weakly.

"Go straight from here, then left. It will say The AR Dominion on the door—"

Bella saw the receptionist passing by and covered her face with the file, quickly walked ahead.

She hid behind a wall and peeked. Then she felt foolish — everything was glass. The receptionist didn’t seem to notice.

She looked more like a spy than a candidate.

She turned and noticed the door— no…

On it was written:

The AR Dominion

Yes, this must be what the girl was talking about...

She took a deep breath and stepped forward, checked cautiously. The receptionist was nowhere in sight. Thank God. Bella placed her hand on the door — then remembered she was outside the office — she should knock. Yes. She knocked, then realized she was supposed to be in the waiting room.

Oh shoot.

She clenched her fists and turned to search for the waiting room when—

“Come in.”

A cold, emotionless voice. Her heart rose to her throat, and she couldn’t even swallow.

What will happen now? Her first thought in such situations. Always.

She took a deep breath and placed her hand on the door.

She entered, the door closed behind her. She looked up. He was right there.

The AR Dominion

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