Silent Love

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Shehnaaz

"Manipulating?" He scoffed, "that's a bit of the stretch"

I was reluctant to respond to him from there onwards. I was not even remotely interested in picking a fight with him when I could predict my inevitable defeat.

I didn't like being a passive aggressive but I wasn't given a choice. Thankfully, Sidharth understood that I needed some time and he respectfully gave me some space.

Deathly silence possessed us until we placed our orders, and I was naturally greatful for his consideration.

The decent gentleman inside of him hadn't changed through the years, and I was relieved for that.

Since he was a old friend before, I didn't have enough information to judge his character. Apart from the fact that he wanted to marry me, there was nothing I could find to hold against him. His flawless personality was what had had attracted me to him years ago and that was something I was preventing from happening this time around.

I peeled my eyes away from him but he was much too swift. Locking his eyes with he frowned, "is everything alright?" He asked,

"No it's perfect, I shrugged "My dream first date"

With the blank look, he heaved a sigh. I was noticing that my sarcasm was beginning to frustrate him, but I enjoyed seeing him struggle.

For all I care, he completely deserved it. "Do you disapprove of the place?" He asked.

"I disapprove of you pursuing me"

"You sure about the decision even after seeing me?" He asked. Although he was joking, he wasn't wrong tho. But his arrogance put me off it was so out of his character.

"Seen better."

This earned me a chuckle from him as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table "well why are you here if you are not interested? It would've saved both of us time and trouble" he said.

"If it were that simple, I wouldn't be here trust me"

He looked taken aback for a second. As if on cue, the waitress approached with our orders. He continued to analyse me as the wine glasses filled up, and muttered a small Thankyou before she left us alone again. My annoyance was ticking.

"I know" he said after the waitress was a good distance away from us.

I looked up in confusion, a frown edging between my brows.

"I know that you don't want to get married" he repeated for me, "well neither do I when it comes to it. But I'm not getting any younger and neither are you"

I fought the urge to roll my eyes at him, "I'm 26"

He shrugged, "and you think you are too young?"

An incredulous scoff slipped of me at his audacity, "you don't marry somebody because you are getting old, that's no reason to get married" I said, "you marry when you love someone and you don't even know me! The last time I saw you was about three years ago. So much has changed since then."

"Isn't that why we are here?" He asked, "so that we could get to know each other"

I sighed in annoyance, "I can't refuse to marry you" I was almost pleading him, "you cannot make use of my weakness here, Sidharth you know I don't have a say in this matter. You do!"

"I never said I did" he leaned back slightly to defend himself. "I'm as helpless as you are"

"So you are saying your dad's forcing you into this too?"

"Maybe"

"That's a lie" I said, "your dad loves you. He will never force you to get married"

"Well he loved me enough to give me the liberty of choosing the bride"

"I have a boyfriend" I lied in a desperate attempt to change his mind.

He frowned, "you have a what?"

"A boyfriend." He didn't looked convinced.

"Well break up with him, can't have a husband and a boyfriend right?" He said, "I don't stand infidelity"

"Pagal toh nahi hogaye tum? I have a boyfriend and I love him"

"Really?" He asked me in mockery, "well then what's his name?"

"It's karan, why do you need his name anyway?"

"Because I think you are using his name as an excuse to get out of this marriage, shehnaaz. And I'm inclined to believe that you are making it up"

Utterly dejected my shoulders fell. Not bothering to mask a whimper, I asked "why me?"

He stilled, "what?"

"Why are you doing this to me" I asked, "I don't want to get married just yet, I want to pursue my dreams. There's still so much that I want to do. You know it"

I felt as though I had detected a small sign of guilt on his face, but that could as well be my wishful thinking. My prior affections of him were clouding my judgement.

"This marriage won't stop you from doing anything. You will still be leading your life on your terms, for what it's worth I'm not going to be a block in your path. I'll support you no matter what"

Unconvinced my gaze lingered on him until I looked away in the sense of defeat. I was immensely upset with him, and more so with my father. I couldn't believe I was being forced into something like this by my own family, and I was being subjected to this humiliation at the price of my dignity.

"I hate my dad," I mumbled to myself.

"At least you don't hate me, that's good to know"

I rolled my eyes before looking back at him, "well, I thought it goes without saying"

He smiled at my response, "is he still khadoos with you?"

"You think?" I muttered, "I think you already know it. The only reason my father wants me to marry you is that he wants the chair in the board meeting. He made a deal with me a few years ago. He will let me follow my dreams in exchange of taking the liberty of choosing my husband and I agreed"

His face was brimmed with unforeseen antonishment, I let out a dry laugh at the sight.

"What are you going to tell your parents when you go home?" I asked.

"Shehnaaz" his tone grew softer, "you know I want this."

I looked up in desperate attempt to hide my agony, "so you are not going to budge at all?"

He remained silent, and that was a clear answer.

"So, we are going to get married then. Great."

"Trust me if I had a choice I would have really done something about this." He replied, "getting married was not in my goals, and with you it wasn't at all"

I scoffed, "That didn't help me a bit"

"Nothing I will say will. But I'm still going to try. I assure you shehnaaz, I will treat you well. Sometimes situations tend to ask the worst of you, sometimes it's easier to give in than to fight against them."

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