Kartik Goenka, a hotelier never got into a relationship. And now at the age of twenty-eight, he is looking for a life partner.
His friends suggest him a dating app. He signs up and gets matched to Naira Singhania, a baker, who also happens to be his...
I wake up with a headache. I look around. My and Myra's room is a mess. I recall whatever happened last night. Oh, shoot. What did I do, I snapped at Bhai and Mumma when they were saying all that for my betterment.
I have to make it up to them. I shower quickly and get ready. First and foremost I take a painkiller. I sit on the kitchen table's chair and ponder over what to do. A special breakfast for everyone? I stride to the kitchen, take out the dabba filled with maida, salt, and baking powder from the cabinet and get some butter, eggs, and milk from the fridge. I mix the ingredients and start spreading the batter over the pan to make pancakes.
One by one, the plate stacked with pancakes and the bowl full of batter evaporates away. I turn off the stove and put the pan aside to let it cool off.
I set up the plates on the kitchen table with the condiments. I put the dirty dishes into the sink and start scrubbing them.
"Naira. Good Morning, betu. Ab theek hai?"
I turn to my left and nod at my mother, "I'm sorry." I wash my hands and dry them with a towel. I right away hug my mumma.
She reciprocates my hug and pats my head. "I'm sorry, I don't know what has gotten into me. But Mumma, it made me realize I might have gotten over him but the hurt is still there."
"Time will heal everything beta." She tells me and goes out. I wash up the rest of the dishes and head to the dining room.
Everyone is seated and starts having the pancakes. I wait for them to take the first bite. In anticipation, it feels like hours until Papa says, "They're delicious."
☁︎
I take the cookie dough I stored last night, make balls out of them, and stack them in the baking tray. I stack them up on the baking rack and pop them in the oven for them to bake; they sell out pretty quickly. Jhanvi is preparing the icing for the pastries and cupcakes, while I take them out from the stored containers.
Soon, customers start coming in and ordering their delicacies. Regular customers warm my heart as I see them buying our bakes regularly. I continue rotating the tray of cookies until the stock is completely over and icing the cakes, while Jhanvi handles the orders and Khushi delivers the orders to the customers. Raghav will be coming at noon after completing his college day as he wants to help his parents with his fees.
Sharma's Residence
"What do you do, beta?" Mrs. Sharma asks Bhaiyu.
"I am the CFO at Ajmera Hotels."
"Nice. I have heard a lot about that company." She smiles warmly at him.
"By the way, what does Mithya do?" Mumma asks.
"I am an artist, Aunty Ji," Mithya answers politely.
They chat for a while. Papa tells Mithya and Bhaiyu to talk privately. They nod and go to her room.
Ruhan
I enter her room. It is cozy and warm. Portraits are hanging on the wall. The curtains are teal blue, following the colour theme of her room with white walls and a queen-size bed with a teal blue spread over it. Two pillows are stacked neatly.
"You sit." I sit down on the bed and she sits beside me.
"Your room is nice and cozy," I say, breaking the silence.
"Shukriya."
(Thank you.)
"What do you look for in a life partner?" I ask.
She looks at me and replies, "In my opinion, life partners should have understanding, care, respect, and space. Love can happen later. Besides, love is impossible without respect and care."
I think the same. This ticks one of the boxes. I smile warmly and reply, "I believe the same."
We chat for a bit. We are getting to know each other's likes and dislikes, our embarrassing moments, how our school days were, how our work life is, etcetera.
Later, we are called to tell us our decision. We both decide to consider it and then see if we want to marry each other. One meeting can't decide our future. I have given her my number so we can go out on a date to get to know each other better. Both families exchange goodbyes and we leave for home.
After freshening up, I lie on my bed and ponder over our conversation.
Things I notice about her are that she's ambitious, hard-working, and a lovely human being with firm beliefs.
My thoughts are interrupted by a knock on the door.
I say, "Come in." and the door opens. My twin sisters enter the room and plonk themselves on the bed.
"Bhaiyu. How did you find Mithya?" Myra asks.
"She's a good person. We have many things in common. But, I'm not sure about it. My thoughts are scattered right now. I feel the alliance is good. But will I be able to handle this relationship? Will we be able to fall in love? I'm not sure right now." I tell them.
"Bhai. Take your time. Marriage is a big commitment. It's okay not to know your answer. Whatever your decision will be, I'll stand with you," Naira says.
"Even I will Bhai, take your time. You have your sisters with you. Hum Mumma ko mana lenge."
(We will convince Mom.)
"Do you guys wanna play Ludo? If you're free?" I ask them.
"Bilkul."
(Of course.)
"For sure."
I take the board game out of the drawer and lay it out. We choose a colour and I roll the dice.
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Hoiii peepss, so today is Unconditional Love's first birthday. 🎉 I can't believe a year passed by so quickly. I hope you folks are liking the plot so far. Many new readers have joined us as well.
Don't forget to vote and comment. Thanks for reading! 🩷
