Once Upon A Mr. Goody Two Shoes

Chapter 32

I whistled as I bought the groceries Abeer had listed down for lunch. He was going to cook for me today. It was a wonderful day. My parents had decided they weren't exhausted from yesterday's excursions, and wanted to watch a movie, roam the malls, and have a perfectly young day. My father had, yet again tried to wheedle out of this particular request of my mother's, but was forced to give up his ideal Sunday and loiter about Delhi. I, for one, was extremely happy with this arrangement.

They would be gone for a better half of the day, giving me plenty of time to spend with Abeer. I could finally have him back in my apartment. Sure, we could always meet up at his shared place with Ajay, but it somehow reeked of bachelorhood to me. Something I wasn't particularly thrilled about.

I was quite practiced at sneaking around, but that didn't mean I was a fan of it. I didn't particularly cherish playing hide and seek almost every other day. I would love us to simply go back to how we were, lounging peacefully on my couch, discussing nothing in particular. I checked my watch, it was almost half past ten in the morning. The movie started at eleven. I was positive they must have left by now.

Yesterday had been a wake up call for me, that I had to untangle the mess I had unknowingly created. I had to face my fears. Only then I would be in complete peace. Because even if I got around to rejecting Dhruv, my parents weren't going to stop at that. They would bring more Dhruvs in my life, trying to set me up with at least one of them.

This wouldn't stop until they knew about Abeer. I was half wishing they would stumble upon us in the house, together, if they decided to show up at an unknown hour. It would make things much, much easier. I shook my head and headed down to the billing line. I had promised myself that I would solve things today. I would talk to Abeer today. I would talk to my parents tonight. And then, I would apologize to Dhruv. Profusely. He and his family were unnecessarily dragged into my shit. That wouldn't do.

I paid the bill and strutted out of the local grocery store to my house. I was looking forward for today. It was a happy day, and the last day of my secrets. Tomorrow, everything will be fine.

I checked my watch again as I rummaged for the house key in my bag. It was almost eleven, I noted happily. I had called him at eleven thirty. He would be here in no time. Positively beaming, I unlocked the door to be met with the most bizarre sight of my life. There they were, my parents, all dressed to leave, sitting and happily chatting with all the Jains. I felt dizzy at the sight before me. I looked at the tea table in front of the couch to see it decorated with myriad snacks and drinks. I didn't even know we had all that food in the house.

I looked up again, to find five pairs of eyes staring at me with glimmering eyes. I instantly sensed something very wrong was going on in there.

My throat felt awfully dry. I gulped but coughed violently, the saliva catching in my throat. Dhruv's mother walked up to me with a worried look on her face and a glass of water in her hands. I walked back inside the house, finding a chair to sit down.

"Thank you," I said hoarsely, to which she flashed me a affectionate smile.

"Are you okay, beta?" My mother asked, worriedly. I nodded slowly. "You had gone to the grocery store, beta? We had so much food at home already!" She said and smiled benignly. I did not reply to her, simply stared at the scene before me.

"What is happening here?" I chuckled nervously, running a speculative eye around the living room. Dhruv smiled at me in the weirdest way possible. The pit in my stomach grew.

I finally looked at my parents to find my father staring at me with a paternal emotion I couldn't place my finger on, and my mother...

Oh, my mother was glowing with happiness. Her lips stretched in the widest smile I had ever seen gracing her face, she quickly got up from her seat and stuffed a ladoo in my mouth. When I looked at her with questioning eyes, she finally burst out with the news. "Beta congratulations, Dhruv has also agreed for the marriage! We were so eagerly waiting for you to come home and start the discussion about the wedding," she gave me a quick hug and hurried back to her place, loudly discussing the details of my supposed wedding with Mrs. Jain.