An Arranged Date

Chapter - 09

"HE. IS. NOT. MY. TYPE." 

"His family seemed pretty decent and good if you ask me. But why bother, my opinion never matters to you anyways. I don't understand you sometimes, how is he not 'your type'?"

"Our energies did not match." I was fed up. Ma has asked me a dozen of questions since they left. It was this emotional blackmail again, I know she plays a crucial role in my life, but my opinion and judgments matter because, in the end, I will be spending the rest of my life with him. Instead of regretting later why not take precautions earlier? 

On top of that, he is a pure flirt. Yes him, the guy who was a few seconds away from being swayed away by my chappals. Why in the universe would anyone begin emphasizing their beauty in the middle of the road?

I bet he wanted my number. But such people are out of my list.

"You know I rejected your dad after our first meeting because I thought our energies did not match."

Lord no,

History repeats but not in this way!

It could be a coincidence. 

"Story Time! I beg you to continue your grace." Dad was the best. Ma and pa always seemed perfect, in love, and cute. They were the best couple in our family. Their story was purely a rom-com that craved to be my nighttime memory. But Ma rejecting Pa, this was pretty much all I wanted to hear right now. Some sweet memories. 

I could see Ma smiling, lost, maybe in the world where she and pa belong together. I pinged her to continue.

"We met at a lake view dhaba. It was not very big, but it felt like home. Rather the lake was my home. Nature is the calm, calm before the storm."

"Seems opposite to me" I spoke to provide my expertise compliments.

"You will know it, but after a storm there sure is a rainbow. It did appear for me too, after years that I can imagine."

"Ma can we skip the monologue?"

I was impatient. I wanted to know. Know so bad.

"No."

Yes your grace, is very straightforward.

"Lemme guess you received a news that there was a rishta for you?"

"Well no."

"My friends were going on a date. It was a triple date. I was not interested but as you see I was forced to. On a summer morning all I wanted to do was enjoy the breeze and the view but my friends told that I was stupid to miss this all golden diamond worthy opportunity. I was also a little curious. Only a little."

"But at the end you were not forced. You went by your own choice?"

I saw that coming.

This seems to be fun though. Ma going on a date woah.

"I got all dressed up in a simple attire, it was a long lavender long dress."

"You even remember the dress?"

"I even have it, mind you, it is really special to me."

I can sure see that.

"I wanted to meet somewhere simple, so we decided the lake view dhaba. There were tables and chair out, it was simply beautiful."

"Nana Nani?"

"They were pretty cool with that idea, even their marriage was love marriage."

"You never told me that!"

"I'm telling you know"

"Haha very funny"

Nanu Nani love marriage? This family sure has a thing for love. A bond that never breaks. But why me then? Am I supposed to break this ritual?

"We met. Your dad was not that handsome, he was normal."

"Ma he was popular among the girls and a jock too!"

"Well, I wasn't interested in popular dudes. They were pure flirts. Okay so we met, but those 10 minutes of my life were pure hell. It was so awkward. We just sat there, looking at the view and eating puchka."

This is hilarious. I so wish of traveling in the past and rummaging their trio date, by screaming at top of my lungs that they married in the future and have two very grown up kids.

That would have left me choking.

"I know this is funny now that I think. He was never daring, that time maybe I just went with the flow."

"But you did marry him." I told Ma, she just smiled again. Those curves on her face brought too much happiness even to me. 

"The rest 10 minutes we talked how beautiful the view was, and then it was done. He walked out and even I, but before going he told me something that changed my mind maybe."

"What did he say? So you did not reject him?"

"Well I was about to! We kept meeting. Fell in Love. Married and our still very much in love for eternity."

The emotional gloom had occupied my mind. They had been always so beautiful, always so in love. Why had god done this, sometimes I thought. Why only us?

"Yes, I miss him" I told aloud. 

"Me too. It was initially hard but loving someone is greater than loosing someone. When I lost him, I was a left out broken shell, but you guys were still with me. Mended me, we were in together. He is here with us. He will always be there."

"I still miss him, why us Ma?"

"Life...This is what life is about Roo. Pace yourself, I too-"

"No. Ma you know what doctor said. Stop saying that."

"You never know. " She said it with a wink. Well this a matter of life and death.

It hurt me that she took this as some sort of joke.

"So give him a chance. I just know you will mix in well."

"But-"

"Once. Only Once. For me."

I thought to myself. For Ma?

Only Once?

Was it because of Ma or this uneasy feeling but there was a tiny piece of me wanted to see him.

"Okay"

"But is he ready?"

"Yes!"

I could feel the excitement in her. Maybe she was right.
This was right.