Better Together | ✓

1 | lost

 Chapter 1 : Lost

Aadarsh Sehgal played many roles in his life. A businessman running the Sehgal & Sons construction company. The son who fulfilled all his responsibilities of being the eldest, taking care of his father who was slowly losing out on his memories of him. The elder brother to four siblings. Of all roles, the one of being an elder brother took the crown. Being the elder one he had always been responsible for his younger siblings. But losing his mother at seventeen had transformed him into a young responsible man all too soon.

He looked at himself in the mirror as he wore his watch and then applied some perfume. His mornings were usually quiet and perhaps the only time in the day when he was with himself. Sometimes worrying about the day, in rare days thinking over the years he had lived without his mother. Today was the latter.

His mother would have been proud of him, seeing him in this way. He could vividly imagine his mother's warm smile, the corners of her lips curving upward to her prominent cheekbones, and her eyes squinting with affection.

A knock on the room's door interrupted his chain of thoughts.

"It's open," he called out loud. It always was.

The door clicked open, and his brother stepped inside. He was clad in denim jeans and a blue checkered shirt.

"To what do I owe, the pleasure of the gracious visit of Mister Abhimanyu Sehgal, at, " he glanced at his watch he had just worn, "Seven forty eight in the morning!"

"Good morning to you too bro!" Abhi, as folks at home and friends fondly called him replied. He walked over and pulled out the ottoman from underneath the dressing table, one that was rarely used in Aadarsh's room, and sat on it.

"We need to talk!"

"I am all ears," Aadarsh replied fixing the collar of his plain white shirt.

"You seriously need a fashion update." Abhi muttered giving his brother a once over.

Aadarsh casted his gaze down on his brother's face. "Came all the way to tell me that, is it?"

"Nope!" Abhi replied instantly. "I heard, from Badi Bua, that you said yes to marriage." When he got nothing from his brother, he continued. "And you didn't tell me! Where is the bro code?"

"Abhi, relax. I said yes... I am open to considering a marriage. I didn't say I am getting married today."

"You're meeting her today, aren't you."

"Meeting whom?" Aadarsh asked raising an eyebrow looking down at his brother again.

"The girl. I heard from Bua that she was somewhere at the end of her list of choices. She was frantic last evening. She is worried about your taste in women. Apparently the girl... actually woman, already has a daughter and is a widow."

"So? Yes, the woman you're referring to has a daughter. Her husband was in the army who lost his life in the line of duty."

"Exactly. Why are you considering to marry a widow and single mother? From what I heard, she isn't even that good looking and has a decent to moderate education. From how much I know you, you wouldn't want your partner to be like that."

"And what exactly would I want my partner to be?" Aadarsh questioned walking over to the desk at the side of the room to pack his bag for the day.

"Someone who is intelligent, street smart and pretty, someone like Siddhi."

Aadarsh's hands stilled listening to the forgotten yet familiar name of his once upon a time girlfriend. He quickly recovered from the brief pang of memory. "People grow up with time, Abhi. I have grown up to and with growing up comes wisdom. Your choices change and so do your preferences."