Engaged - My love story

Chapter 3

Smita POV

Six years later....

I sat on the bed, bored, scrolling through my phone, deciding to call someone.

A had passed with Ankit, my present boyfriend.

I soon came to D.

That's when I saw his name.

Six years. We kept in touch for an year, but then lost each other, although we never technically broke up, it's still over.

A/N - Hey. Don't blame me. Who knew I'd end up with him again?

I scrolled further.

I dialled up on Naina.

"Hey, girl." Came her voice from the other end.

"Hey. What's up?" 

"Zyada kuch nahi. Tu kya kar rahi hai? Ankit hai kya? (Nothing much. What're you up to? Is Ankit around?) She asked.

"Nah, bored." I answered.

"Hmmm. Lekin, bye. Ma bula rahi hai. Thodi der main phone karti hu." (Hmm. But, bye. Mom's calling me. I'll call you back soon.) She said.

There was a knock on my door.

"Enter." I said.

"Di, kya kar rahi ho tum?" (Di, what're you doing?) Arnav came in.

"Kuch nahi, boredom se mar rah - " (Nothing, due to boredom, I'm literally dyin - ) I started.

Arnav blocked my mouth.

"Di, please. Kitni baar kaha hai yeh sab mat kaha karo." (Di, how many times do I tell you not to say such things?) Arnav asked.

"Chhote, main aise hi - " (Chhote, I'm just - )

"Nahi, Di. Ab tum yeh sab nahi bologi." (No, Di. You'll never say that again.) He said.

"Thikhe. Sorry, Chhote." (Okay, Sorry, Chhote.) I hugged him.

"Ho gaya tum dono ka?" (Are you two done?) Samita Di was standing at the door, smiling.

"Hmmm." Arnav said.

"Samita Di - Actually - " I started.

"Ha pata hai. Chhote ki posessiveness." (Yeah, I know. Chhote's posessiveness.) We laughed with an high- five.

"Chalo, niche chalte hai. Bua aane wali hai." (Okay, but let's go down. Bua {Father's Sister} is coming) Arnav said, getting up.

"Acha. Chhote ko Bua ke upar itna pyar - kamal ho gaya!" (Oh. Chhote loves his Bua so much today, what a miracle!) I said, laughing with Di.

You see, Chhote didn't like Bua much, because she always pulled only his cheeks hard when she came home when we were younger. 

"Shut up." Arnav said, running out of the room.

Di started to leave, but I pulled her on my bed, hugging her.

"I'll miss you, Di. Only a month left and you'll - " I said.

"Crash at our place whenever you want. Jaipur is not that far from Delhi. And the your Ramada boss is very sweet. I'm sure she'll give you a break. We've already set up a room for you." She said.

We laughed, hugged and went downstairs.

Samita Di was getting married next month to my to - be jiju, Kunal. She'd dated him for years.

We went down and greeted our Bua. We all sat down.

"Toh, Smita. Samita ka toh fix hai, tera kya plan hai?" (So, Smita. Samita's all fixed, but what's your plan?) Bua asked.

"Meri shaadi ki baat ho rahi hai toh main kahungi abhi nahi." (If this is about my marriage, then I'll say not now.) I laughed, and everyone else did too.

Bua had not visited in six years, so she didn't know.

"Kyu? Vo, kya naam tha uska - Ha, Dhruv. Uska kya hua?" (Why? Uh - what was his name - Oh, Dhruv. What happened to him?) She asked.

I teared up and ran away. Arnav ran after me. Arnav came into my room and shut the door as I cried onto my bed.

"Di, Di. Relax. He's only a past." He said.

"Chhote, woh past nahi hai. Mera present aur future uske hath main hi hai. Par mujhe pata hai hum kabhi ek nahi ho payenge. Bahut der hogayi hai." (Chhote, he's not a past. My future and present rest in his hand. But I know we can never become one. It's too late.) I said.

"Di, agar tumhe lagta hai ki Dhruv abhi bhi tumhare zindagi ka hissa hai, to tum aisa kyu soch rahi ho ki  aisa nahi ho payga?" (Di, if you still feel that Dhruv is a part of your life, then why are you thinking it's not possible?) He asked.

"Chhote, jaise ab main kisi aur ki girlfriend hu, waisa, he must've moved on too." (Chhote, if I'm already dating someone else, he must've moved on too.) 

"Di, tum aisa hi soch rahi thi jab usne tumko propose nahi kiya tha. Aur tum aaj bhi usi ka ring pehenti ho, Ankit se jhut bolkar ki yeh Ma - Papa ki di huyi ring hai. Matlab tum abhi bhi usse utna hi pyaar karti ho." (Di, you're thinking just like you were when he hadn't proposed to you. And you wear his ring to this date, lying to Ankit that Mom - Dad had given it to you. It proves you still love him that much.) Arnav said.

A/N - Yeah. In fact, I'll be married to Dhruv now, but I still wear his first ring, along with the engagement ring and his mangalsutra (after the seven nuptial rounds)

For my Non - Indian readers, mangalsutra is a very special necklace which ties your husband with you forever. It's not compulsory to wear it, but I do, thinking that by wearing it forever, we'll never get separated that way again.

"Chhote, main karti hu, lekin zaroori nahi hai ki woh bhi aisa hi feel karte hoga. Ab chodo is baat ko, niche chalte hai. It was rude enough to leave Bua like that and run off." (Chhote, I do. But it's not necessary that he feels the same way yet. Whatever, let's leave this topic and go downstairs.  It was rude enough to leave Bua like that and run off.) I admitted.

We both went down. Bua looked at us.

"Sorry, Smita. Mujhe pata hi nahi tha ki yeh sab - " (Sorry, Smita. I never knew all this - ) Bua started.