A Loveless Arranged Marriage

Chapter 18. A Visit To Native

Previously, we saw that Deepa had passed her Mains exam, and after two months, she boarded the train to Delhi with her tutor and classmates, Vasundhara and Saad, for the UPSC interview. During that period, Rishi began to miss her. After the interview, all four of them boarded a train to Mumbai. While she was going to inform Rishi about their arrival, Vasundhara suggested that Deepa play a prank on Rishi by saying they had missed the train. After the call, Rishi became depressed, but the next day, Deepa surprised him.

The moment Rishi saw Deepa, he froze for a moment. He felt butterflies in his stomach. In a soft tone, he asked, "De... Deepa, you told me you missed the train." Deepa, with an innocent smile, replied, "Hmm, see, that was a prank." Rishi gave her an angry look, but then he smiled and said, "Okay, come inside the house." They both went inside, and Deepa started sharing her experiences during the interview and her tour of Delhi. Rishi watched her like an innocent child, not replying to anything. Afterward, she went to the bathroom to freshen up, and Rishi thought of cooking something special for her. He pondered for a while and decided to make Hyderabadi chicken biryani. He went out to buy the necessary ingredients and then began cooking.

While he was preparing the biryani, Deepa entered the kitchen. She asked, "What are you cooking, Rishi? I can smell something delicious." Gently pushing her out of the kitchen, Rishi replied, "It's a surprise. I'll reveal it later. Until then, your access to the kitchen is denied." Deepa, curious, said, "Okay, at least tell me what you're cooking." Rishi insisted, "I told you, it's a surprise." With a resigned sigh, Deepa said, "Okay, fine," and left for the living room.

As she waited, her curiosity grew, but she resisted the temptation to sneak into the kitchen. Finally, they both sat in the dining room, and Deepa eagerly awaited Rishi's revelation. He opened the lid of the aluminum vessel and said, "I made Hyderabadi biryani for you. It's a small treat for your UPSC interview." Overjoyed, Deepa replied, "Thank you, Rishi, but you could have told me earlier. I was so anxious!" Rishi smiled and said, "This treat was worth the anxiety. Try it." He served her the biryani, and after tasting it, Deepa said, "It's really good! Why aren't you eating?" Rishi replied, "I'll have some later." Deepa then said, "Whoever marries you will be the luckiest girl."

Rishi felt a wave of happiness after hearing that. Deepa then asked, "Rishi, don't you have any dreams like mine?" Rishi, confused, replied, "Like what?" Deepa explained, "I have a dream of becoming an IAS officer. What's your dream?" Rishi replied, "My dream was to become a software developer, and I achieved that." Deepa continued, "What about dreams outside of your career?" Rishi said, "My only dream was to build a house for my mom and take care of her until her last breath, but that didn't happen. After that, my goal has been to support you in your IAS journey." Deepa nodded and asked, "What are your plans now, Deepa?" She replied, "I gave my best in the interview. The rest is up to the selectors. If I pass, I'll continue my IAS journey. If not, then..." Rishi interrupted, "Then what?"

Deepa sighed, "Then I'll give up my IAS journey and start looking for another job." Shocked, Rishi exclaimed, "Why quit? You can always try again!" Deepa replied, "Rishi, this was my fifth attempt, and it was my best one. I don't think I can give it another shot like this. I'm getting tired of the UPSC process. I could keep taking the exam until my last attempt, but time won't wait for me. Every dream has to end eventually."

Rishi then asked her, "Don't you feel upset about it?" Deepa replied, "Yes, I'm kind of upset, but still, we have to move on; that's life." Rishi then started having his dinner. After that, both finished their meal and were watching a movie together in the living room. However, Rishi wasn't really paying attention to the movie. He was watching Deepa, and at one point, she said, "Rishi, this movie is reminding me of home. I wish I could go back to my native place." Rishi simply smiled and didn't respond. After they finished watching the movie, they both went to their respective rooms to sleep.