The Bride Trilogy - Part 1 - The Chosen Bride

Chapter 3: Ek Ladka, Ek Ladki

As soon as Ratna heard that the Guptas are interested, she started working on Arnav to get his approval. Shashi had told them that Khushi was in the middle of her final exams and they would like to wait until she was done before they introduced her to any prospective grooms, and the Raizadas agreed with this strategy. In that two week period, Ratna begged, pestered, threatened, and finally emotionally blackmailed her son to agree to meet the girl of her choice.

Arnav, who mostly ignored his mother when it came to these things, was slowly losing his firm stand, and Ratna who could detect every single emotion in her son, recognized this fact. In previous cases, he'd shown no reaction to her efforts, so this was a positive win for her. It made her more confident that he'd atleast agree to meet Khushi, and so she continued her efforts. Two days before Khushi's last exam, Ratna finally showed Arnav a few of Khushi's pictures.

Arnav took them with a disinterested face, looked at them for a few seconds, looked at his mother and just shook his head with a sigh! "Whatever you want, Maa!", he said, and walked away.

Ratna was ecstatic! That was the most emotion he'd ever shown to any girl's picture and she was happy that finally she found the girl that could melt his anti-marriage stance. When she conveyed this interaction to the other Raizadas, a faint wellspring of hope took root in all their minds too. Maybe their Chote would finally settle down after all, coming out of his workaholic life.

Three days after Khushi's last exam, the Guptas called the Raizadas and invited them over, ostensibly for tea. Arnav was asked to stay home that Sunday and not work as was his usual routine, and Ratna picked some lovely traditional clothes for him to wear. She insisted that he get a haircut, shave and basically get dolled up, cause she wanted him to make a good impression.

Arnav shook his head at her, quietly listened to all her instructions and just as they were about to leave, with Ratna yelling that they would be late, he walked down the stairs in his standard three-piece suit, albeit with a shaved jaw.

"You promised me, Chote. why are you wearing this? We're not going to a business meeting", Ratna was exasperated with him now. What if the Guptas didn't like his businessman-outfit?

"Mom, if they're going to judge me based on how I look, and only in one meeting, then it'll be their loss. I'm not changing the way I normally look. That would be cheating"

"Its not cheating. Its putting your best foot forward. You're basically telling them it's a special occasion, and you made the effort to dress up in honor of that"

"But its not a special occasion for me, Maa. Besides, I'm not comfortable in kurtas, you know that! I'll just go there and be uncomfortable and then they will think that they made me uncomfortable. You don't want that, do you? Besides I did shave for you"

Ratna got quiet, agreeing with his logic, "Fine. But atleast be on your best behavior. No rudeness or anger, ok?"

"I promise, Maa. For you!"

"You're doing it for yourself. Its for your own good!", Ratna huffed at him, and then dragged him to the car.

"Khushi! Khushiiii!" Buaji was yelling, muttering about stubborn, lazy nieces, as she went looking for one particular stubborn niece.

"I'm in my room, Buaji!", Khushi yelled back. Then muttered, "I've been here all afternoon, I don't know how she keeps forgetting that and yelling every five minutes"

"Why are you not ready yet? The Raizadas will be here at 4:30pm"

"Its only 3 O'Clock, Buaji"

"Yes, but you have to take a bath, then get dressed and put some makeup on. It'll take time, Khushi!"