By Destiny

Unexpected Desires

Rakhi aunty had a bright smile on her face as she gathered the whole Luthra family together in the living room. "I have found some good girls for Shaurya to meet and decide whom he wants to marry," she said cheerfully.

Shaurya sighed inwardly. He had been dreading this moment ever since his mother had started pressuring him to get married. He had never been interested in marriage, preferring to focus on his work and his responsibilities towards his family.

But he couldn't deny his mother. She had done so much for him and his family over the years, and the least he could do was listen to her.

Rakhi smiled as she flipped through her list of potential partners for Shaurya. "What about this girl, Shaurya? She's very pretty and comes from a wealthy family."

"I'm not interested, mom," Shaurya replied, his voice tinged with sadness. He didn't want to hurt his mother's feelings, but he couldn't help feeling like he was betraying his true feelings.

"Come on, Shaurya beta," Mr. Luthra chimed in. "Your mom has put a lot of effort into this list. At least give these girls a chance."

Veer, ever the troublemaker, spoke up. "I think we should add some boys to the list too. Give Shaurya bhaiya some more options."

Kritika nodded in agreement. "Yeah, why should Shaurya bhaiya limit himself to just girls?"

Rakhi chuckled. "Okay, okay. We'll add some boys to the list as well. But Shaurya, please promise me you'll at least meet with a few of them."

Shaurya forced a smile, but inside he felt like he was drowning. He wanted to tell his family about his feelings for Rohan, but he was too scared. "Alright, mom. I will meet with them," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

+

Days turned into weeks as Shaurya went on a series of dates, each one leaving him feeling more and more disheartened. None of the girls or boys he met seemed to have that special spark that he was looking for, and he couldn't help but compare them all to Rohan.

"Shaurya beta, how was the date yesterday?" asked Rakhi aunty, eagerly waiting for her son's response.

"It was fine, nothing special," replied Shaurya, his mind still preoccupied with thoughts of Rohan.

"Maybe you should try meeting some of the other girls or boys on the list," suggested Veer mischievously, "who knows, you might find someone who catches your eye."

Shaurya rolled his eyes at his brother's comment, knowing full well that he had no interest in anyone but Rohan.

Meanwhile, his family continued to promote him, urging him to settle down and start a family.

"Shaurya, you're not getting any younger," joked Mr. Luthra, "you need to find a suitable partner soon, before all the good ones are taken."

"I know, Papa," sighed Shaurya, "but I just haven't found the right person yet."

Rohan, on the other hand, was busy taking care of Granny and keeping himself occupied with work. He had no idea that Shaurya was going on dates or that his family was pressuring him to get married.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, but Shaurya remained unsuccessful in finding his perfect match. The pressure from his family continued to mount, and he started to feel more and more frustrated with the whole process.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the image of Rohan from his mind. He knew that he had to confess his feelings to Rohan, but the thought of risking their friendship was too daunting.