Just Friends

CHAPTER 14

"Love is a two-way street constantly under construction." 

- CARROL BRYANT 

^^^

Dhruv was staring at Aditi with disbelief as she wrapped the black coat around her shoulder. Dhruv's eyes averting towards the lehenga, neatly placed on her bed. He closed his eyes, trying to control the building anger inside him. He wasn't that great at expressing emotions. His furious state, too was kept hidden from the world.

"Today is your engagement, Aditi." Avni reasoned, standing at the entrance of the room.

"I know... but we can postpone it, right?" Aditi glanced at Dhruv for a response, but Dhruv was staring at her with an unreadable expression.

"You are aware that our parents are waiting for us outside. You know how happy they are about this arrangement?" Dhruv muttered, sounding annoyed. He could feel that he would soon lose his calm.

"Yeah, but we can have it done, tomorrow? Only family members are invited so it's not that big deal." Aditi was acting cool as she was searching files on her table.

"You can leave this matter. They will wait, the engagement will require an hour or so..." Avni attempted to convince her.

"I can't!" Aditi groaned, "Mr Oberoi has trust in me, he is an old client. I can't leave him when he is in need. His son is arrested and I need to free him."

"Aditi, that person isn't innocent. He had destroyed a girl's life and you are going to prove..."

"Dhruv, we aren't going to start over it again. He is my client and as a lawyer, it's my duty to provide him with justice."

"What justice are you talking about? He had sexually harassed a person. What kind of justice are you going to provide him with?" Dhruv rubbed his forehead in frustration. He was definitely losing his calm over her. They were similar in their choice of favourites but their values differ a lot. They could never match each other in the values they hold.

"Dhruv, we will have a conversation on it later." Muttered Aditi, grabbing the files. "I need to go..." And without providing a chance for anyone to interrupt her, she rushed out of the room.

"Is she going to walk away from her wedding day as well?" Dhruv mocked, his eyes again glancing at the lehenga on the bed. "I don't understand her even after so many years of friendship. She was always excited about the wedding, she had shopped for hours for this lehenga." He whispered pulling it into his arms. "Wasn't she going desperate to plan our pre-wedding ceremony? She had shown me the cold shoulder for not agreeing to engagement early on." Dhruv shook his head, "and now when the event is before her, she walked off as if the event doesn't matter to her. Why are you girls so complicated?"

"Hey, don't bring girls in between because I too can't understand Aditi." Avni muttered, "sometimes her desires for material goods scare me."

Those words made Dhruv glance at Aditi with a suspicious gaze. "What do you mean?"

"Maybe she is all excited for the wedding, the fairy tale wedding she dreamed of. She values the materialistic stuff, the event that can happen on any day. But she has cut off from the emotion it holds." Avni paused for a minute, "I just realized a few days back that though Aditi had often talked about the wedding she never once voiced about her life partner."

"Where else, rest of you never had enough of your imaginary life partner."

"Exactly!" Avni exclaimed, "she is afraid to lose you but she isn't sure if she loves you. I don't understand why you both are adamant to destroy a beautiful relationship for the sake of this wedding?" Avni shook her head, getting furious.