Shaadi Mubarak!✔️

Chapter 8

Shaurya rings the bell to the house, standing in front of the door impatiently, trying to peek through the opaque door. It’s stupid but he can’t help it. 

He knows if anyone will open the door it will be Rati’s mother, but does he care? No. 

For a moment a thought had passed through his head of going through her window, but he had ditched it immediately. After all they had not met in the dark. There was no secrecy in the way they had gone out today. His mother knew while Rati had walked out of the front door waving at her mother. The latter would have definitely seen that it was him, right? 

Again, he didn’t care much about that right now. He would readily get reprimanded if that’s what her mother’s decided but right now, he only needs to see Rati, apologise, and make everything good between them again. 

The thought has him yet again seething at that bastard who said all those things about her. He should have punched him, maybe then he would know how to not interfere in other’s life. 

The door opens. 

Rati’s mother has her arms crossed against her chest, stance defensive. 

Shaurya feels intimidated. 

“M-Mummy ji… can I see –”

“Sorry, beta, you can’t see her.” She says and he instantly knows that she knows. She’s not allowing him to see her because of one of those disbeliefs but because she knows. She knows that Rati had went out with him and had got back home with tears on her face. 

“Please. I really want to apologise. I didn’t – I didn’t want it to end like this –”

“I don’t care, beta.” The usually affectionate address is pricking him today. “What I care about is that she went out with you and got inside the house crying. You guys haven’t even been engaged yet. Who knows what will happen when she marries –”

Shaurya’s face pales. 

He shakes his head. “Please don’t say it like that. I – I love her. Please believe me. Believe me when I say, since the day I have seen her, I have always wished to keep that smile on her face. Please don’t – don’t call off the wedd –” he can’t even say it properly, too scared of losing the girl. 

“I’ll make it up to her, please give me a chance.” He says them, straightening up, his brows furrowed but gaze steeled. “I’ll make her happy again.” 

The woman just stays there with that stoic expression on her face not ready to budge. And just when Shaurya starts believing that he might actually nit have a chance with Rati anymore, the girl’s mother lets out a sigh. 

“Come inside.” 

He obeys the instruction before the woman changes her mind, practically jumping inside. 

The woman rolls her eyes, the slightest of amusement visible on her face. 

“Come, sit.” She says inviting him to the living room. Shaurya’s gaze flits to the said room and the room upstairs. 

Rati’s mother raises her brow at that. He sits obediently. 

“I know you want to go to her. I won’t ask how you know about her room because Rati has told me everything.” 

It is not a surprising fact. Shaurya is in fact very glad that she knew and still let them both meet despite her sister’s objection. 

“I know you guys have been talking to each other and meeting each other. And I am also not against it. I in fact always wanted you two to get to know each other before reaching the stage of marriage but my sister’s thinking differs. And so does your parent’s.”

“O-Only my father’s.” He dares to interject. 

“Very well. Anyways, my point is that apart from my wish of you two getting to know each other I continued being silent because of the happiness on my daughter’s face.” The mother reveals and Shaurya’s heart instantly soars imagining her smile. 

“Rati had come to me the other day.”

“Ma, I want to talk to you.” 

The mother smiles and pats her bed. “Come, let’s talk.” 

“M-Ma… I actually want to c-confess something.” The girl isn’t quite able to meet her mother’s eyes as she says that, staring adamantly at her hands on her lap. 

The mother smiles and runs an affectionate hand on her head. “Come on, that’s not fair. We’ve always confided in each other without secrets, haven’t we?” the mother winks trying to ease the girl, while the girl nods quickly, getting almost nostalgic at the words. 

“It’s about Shaurya, isn’t it?” her mother says then, a teasing smile on her face while Rati yet again lowers her gaze busying her fingers with a sole thread sticking out of her pyjama bottoms. 

It’s almost midnight now. Rati had all day to build up her courage, but it is only now that that she has been able to build up some. But the admission still feels difficult. 

“He’s a nice boy. Isn’t he?” her mother asks, and she nods. 

She can do this. 

“Very respectful. Very sweet. His family is also nice, yes?” she nods. 

“If only they would allow you two to meet outside…” he mother sighs and she does too, nodding. 

It is only then that she gets the trick. The realisation has her gasping and cheeks flushing. 

“M-Ma!”

Her mother laughs. “What? Your prince charming isn’t as subtle when he climbs to your room. Ah… but that’s so romantic. You’re living your dream, huh?” her mother teases and Rati can’t help the way her cheeks burn, her lips unable to tone down the smile. 

“It’s only happened twice.” She admits, voice low. 

Her mother hums. “That’s tragic. Soon you two will get engaged and then married. And I hate to break it to you but married life, my dear daughter isn’t as interesting. I would advise you to do all the adventures you can before marriage.” Rati’s mother says and laughs seeing her daughter’s jaw dropped. 

The former then sobers up from the laughter while the latter schooling her expression. 

The elder of the two comes and sits beside the girl taking her hand in hers. 

“Don’t worry about, maasi, ok? What has happened to me … it’s not mandatory that it will happen to you. I don’t think Shaurya is that kind of a guy. He makes you happy, doesn’t he?” 

Rati smiles, and nods. “Yeah, he makes me the happiest.” 

“You make her the happiest. She had said to me.” The mother reveals and Shaurya just sits there listening to all the words, his heart thudding in his chest. He doesn’t know if it’s from hurt or joy.

“When it is only two people in a family, the two have each other’s back at all costs, wants the other happy at all costs. My daughter is my only family. I can do anything for her happiness. Even if that means letting you two secretly meet, or not letting you meet her at all.” 

The statement has Shaurya looking up at her with wide eyes. “Please –”

“I know. I know it must have been some misunderstanding today, something that might have gone wrong, and I know you might solve it with her within seconds, but Shaurya, as a mother, a single mother who has only ever wanted her daughter to be happy, this is my first and last advice to you, or a warning, whatever you may take it as. Never hurt her. I know our feelings are fragile and they keep getting hurt every now and then even if the other party doesn’t want to, but don’t ever hurt her intentionally. I haven’t always had the best resources, didn’t send her to the greatest of schools neither did I pack her yummiest of lunches, nor did was I ever able to buy her any luxury items. The only thing I was able to give her in abundance was my love… I wish that you would do the same.”