Vrishali was popularly known as the life of the party. She had a natural ability to make friends with anyone she met. Everyone adored her, and she had yet to find her perfect match amidst all the chaos of her college parties. However, she was not in...
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Vrishali fixed her gaze on the floor, her lower lip tucked nervously between her teeth. She felt the weight of the uncomfortable silence pressing down on her, and she resisted the urge to glance at Harika or Vijay, both of whom seemed equally lost in their thoughts. The air around them felt heavy and thick, amplifying her desire to escape to a place where the tension didn't loom so large.
"So. . . Vrishali, how is India treating you?" Vijay broke the silence. Vrishali finally looked up, making eye contact with Vijay. "India is good. I like it over here, but I miss New York."
"It will take some time to get habituated. Are you happy with this move?" Vrishali sighed. "I wasn't expecting this, but yeah, I'm happy with how things turned out. It's a long way."
"I heard from Padmanabh that you were doing your bachelor's. What's your major?"
"Fashion designing in my final year," Vrishali answered politely. Vijay nodded his head; her thick New York accent can't be ignored. He kept his questions vague as he didn't want to make her awkward.
"That's amazing." Harika quietly observed Vrishali under her calculative eyes. "What about your previous university? Did you stop taking the classes over there?" Vijay continued.
"No, I'm taking online classes. It's mostly assignments and projects. So I don't have to worry about attending offline. I can work on my assignments here and submit them through FedEx."
"Wow, that's great." Vijay and Vrishali engaged in conversations about her assignments, projects, and Vijay's work.
Padmanabh strolled back to the table after excusing himself to take a business call. He noticed Vrishali and Vijay laughing about something. He joined their conversation while Harika sat quietly.
"When are they going to serve the lunch?"
"In ten minutes."
"If you don't mind me asking, how did you say yes to this man? He is boring and doesn't involve much," Vijay asked. Vrishali wasn't expecting the question. Padmanbh was interested in hearing her answer.
"I don't know, I— just did."
Harika raised her brow, "you don't know? How is that possible? Come on, there must be a reason for saying yes to him."
Vrishali glanced at Harika before turning her head to look at Padmanabh. He was gazing at her. She took her time to observe his facial features. She felt fortunate to have him as her husband, but she wouldn't share that with anyone.
"It is an arranged marriage, and I believed in my grandparent's choice and decision."
Harika crossed her arms in disbelief, her brow arching with scepticism. "You're telling me that you're from New York, and you actually agreed to an arranged marriage orchestrated by your grandparents?" She leaned in slightly, her expression a mix of curiosity and jealousy. "There has to be more to this story. I find it hard to believe you would just go along with their choice to marry Padmanabh without any reservations."
