Falling In Love With You

Chapter -3

    Pallavan crossed the room to get to  Vasudha , so that he could make her see his point . To convince her to marry him , that this is the only solution that would salvage her reputation and prevent her brother - his best friend to enter bankruptcy. He spies her at the far corner of the room with her friends surrounding her and comforting her . But what makes him stop mid stance is the way she was looking at him ...with all the calmness of the world , contemplating his thoughts and assessing him from across the room which was unnerving and astonishing at the same, time even for a guy like Pallavan.
      At that instant all he could think was how delectable she was in her pink wedding saree with all those adornments complementing her beauty . As he came close to her , he could smell her mild orange blossom perfume that lingered around her which was refreshing and intoxicating at the same time and now when he stood close to her , he accidentally saw her lips which was plump and luscious and oh so inviting. At that moment he was struck with a sudden urge to wrap his arms around her and kiss those lips until both of them were panting for a breath of air. Pallavan shook his head to prevent his wandering mind to enter into dangerous territory .
      "Could you guys give us a moment?" Pallavan asked Vasudha's friends to leave the room, to which they agree. He waited for them to leave the room  as it would give him enough time to regain his composure. Seeing that her friends have left the room ,Pallavan cleared his throat so as to approach the topic in a way that would not let her reject him this time .
        As he opened his mouth to say what was on his mind Vasudha preceded him  " Just tell me what is it Sir ...no need to beat around the bush. Why are you insisting on marrying me? And why is my brother is going on about making sure everything is ready for the ceremony when it is clear that the guy who was supposed to marry me is already gone! And don't you tell me that you are my groom and my brother has consented to your ridiculous proposal!"
    " Actually it is pretty much what I wanted to tell you. Truth is, this is the best option for your future... not only yours but also for your brother . Think it over for a minute , for how long should he go on looking after you? . After this mishap it would be one hell of a task to find a groom and it will also be difficult for your brother to settle down with a good girl from a respectable family..."
     "What is my name?" Vasudha asked Pallavan so suddenly that he stopped mid sentence to remember what she has asked . " What kind of a question is that ?" Pallavan asked her with a confused look on his face . " It's a simple question Sir . What_ is_ my_ name_?"
       "Hmm...Varsha? " To his reply all Vasudha could do was snicker at him.
" Seriously Sir , you don't even know my name, yet you're proposing me to marry you. How anymore insane can you become?.... This is absurd . Right now I'm gonna go out and stop everything !"
           Just as Vasudha took a step forward, Pallavan grabbed her wrist to stop her from going away from him. His hand on her wrist sent her a mix of delicious sensation which she felt pass through her whole body even to the tip of her toes. " Listen to me... I know you know everything I'm saying is true . You even know that this is the only best option left for you. Just give it a thought, would you ? See my reason , you would come to the same conclusion as that of your brother."
       To this all she could do was look at their joined hands . These sensations coursing through her because of his touch were making her loose her mind , preventing her from thinking rationally . With his fingers wrapped around her wrist all she could think was wrapping her arms around him and forgetting the world around her in his embrace.  But as he let her hand she realised the depth of the situation . She realised how important it was for her to make the right decision .
          Vasudha was not someone who would take rash decisions even at the most critical moments of her life . She started to weigh the consequence of her decision - what would happen if she agreed to marry her brother's best friend and what would happen if she did not. Upon thinking she realised that everything he said was making sense.
           But what she didn't understand was ..." Everything is fine and I agree with you... But what it is  in it for you by marrying me? Won't your parents get upset with you marrying a girl from a different caste much less... not from their choosing?"
          " How is it that both you and your brother think the same way? It's kinda creepy you know." To this all Pallavan got was a killer stare . So he surrendered with his hands in the air ." Right... I'm sorry. To answer your question I've known your brother for almost a decade. He has done so much for me, for which this is the least I can do. Don't think I'm doing a favor or pitying you. This is my way of paying my debt to your brother. As for caste or the differences you mentioned I'll give the same answer I gave your brother... I don't give a damn about them. And speaking of my parents ...it's true that they would get upset but they would come around. They will accept you."
      " Hmm...I'll accept your offer Sir . But we should be clear about one thing, that this is a marriage of convenience. When you find your true love ... when you find the one woman with whom you want to spend the rest of your life with ,just tell me so that we can end this agreement and  go on about our lives. That way everything would fall in to place. Would you do that?"
        Pallavan was spellbound by her words , apart from knowing her as his brother's sister he realised that she was smart , sharp and was straight as an arrow.
" Deal ! And by the way quit calling me Sir ....it would do good for you to call me Pallavan as s we're gonna become husband and  wife in a few minutes." He winks at her and turns around to walk away.  " Well, that would go for you as well...and by the way it's Vasudha for you. Try to remember it. See you at the mandap ."