Dheere Se Kho Gaye!

[2]

It was a long, relaxing weekend. Shrinkhal, who usually cooked only on weekends, had prepared a delicious meal. Ishi, on the other hand, wanted to do nothing but laze around all day. After lunch, the two decided to watch 3 Idiots. They often picked movies randomly, only to end up roasting them (and judging the characters).

During one particular scene where R. Madhavan's character says, "Abba nahi manenge," Sri glanced at Ishi, who was completely engrossed in the film. Feeling mischievous, he decided to tease her.

"Do you know what?" Sri said, breaking the silence.

"What?" Ishi replied, her eyes still glued to the screen.

"If you want to marry me, na? You'll have to make my dadi happy," Sri said with a deadpan expression, though he was struggling to hold back his laughter.

Ishi paused the movie and turned to look at him. "Why do you think I'd marry you? Mujhe toh nahi pasand tum."

Over the years, Ishi had learned how to handle Sri's teasing. In the early days of their relationship, his comments would often leave her flustered and unsure. She used to worry that he was only with her for fun and that their relationship would never progress to something more serious. But somehow, things had worked out in their favor—a rare and beautiful outcome.

Sri didn't respond for the next ten minutes and simply resumed watching the movie. Ishi sighed and stretched out on the couch, carelessly resting her legs on Sri's lap. From the corner of her eye, she noticed his serious expression and almost burst out laughing but managed to keep it in.

"Tumhe sach mein shaadi nahi karni mujhse?" Sri suddenly blurted out in a sharp tone.

Ishi smirked. "Ask dadi to find some 'gaon ki chori' for you, no?"

"Haan. Chup chap film dekh lo. I'll find my bahu-rani on my own," Sri retorted.

"Why? Won't you marry someone your dadi chooses for you?" Ishi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I won't. I still don't get the concept of arranged marriage. Why would I marry someone I don't even know? So, no arranged marriage for me," Sri declared firmly.

Ishi listened quietly, her mind wandering. She began to reflect on their relationship. Would they end up together? Was it worth it? For the past two years, they had been in an on-and-off long-distance relationship. They knew each other well, but only to a certain extent. Maybe, with time, they'd figure out if they were truly meant to be.

"Does dadi know about me?" Ishi asked cautiously.

"No. She'd kill me if she found out we're in a live-in relationship," Sri admitted.

"Hmm. What if she finds out?"

Sri puffed out his chest confidently. "Guru sambhal lega."

Though Guru was Sri's younger brother, he often acted more maturely. Sri, on the other hand, tended to get flustered under pressure. Ishi stayed quiet, waiting for her instincts to guide her next move. She wasn't one to back down, and right now, she was feeling a twinge of jealousy.

"Aur yeh jo tum chai pi rahe ho... hai na, naseeb nahi hogi dekhna... pata nahi uss ladki se banai jayegi chai ya nahi, aisi jaisi tumhe pasand hai," Ishi said, her tone laced with playful sarcasm.

"Toh koi baat nahi, main usse sikha doonga..." Sri teased, clearly enjoying himself.

"Abhi ja, do the dishes. Do din se main hi dho raha hoon. Khud kuch karti nahi ho,"he shot back.

"I swear, tu bohot kamina hai. Roz roz khana banata hai, hai na? Koi baat nahi, bachu Guru ko aane de, dekh teri shikayat lagaungi usko bhayankar ki," Ishi retorted, trying to suppress a laugh.