Love Deal

8. Proposal

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Rudra sat at the corner of Anvi's bed. He still remembers the day he left for college. He got into his dream college- Armed Forces Medical College. Sita and Anvi were wailing behind him. As a child, Anvi was the clingy one. She would cling to him whenever Raghuveer was mean to her. She would always seek affection and attention from him. 

But everything changed when she turned 12. He came home from college. That particular summer was sweltering and sticky. Rudra was wearing a vest sticking to his back as he tilled the flower beds. He still remembers Anvi's cheeks turning red as she bit her lips. Her eyes went down, unable to hold his gaze.

At that moment, he knew that she was not a child anymore and he was her very first crush. He tried to make it easy for her. He would not talk to her more than needed, only pass a smile if they ever met and would spend more time with his friend.

He thought that feeling would fade away, but something unthinkable happened. After a couple of years, when he went on vacation, he saw her cooking breakfast on a Sunday morning,  all his favourite. She would take care of everyone's wants and needs. She would joke around and chat with his father when he cooked lunch. Once, she decided that the curtains were too plain, so she hand-embroidered all the curtains in the house. She took care of Rudra, and it scared him.

Rudra was not used to being taken care of. He was always the caregiver after his mother passed away. He was the one who would dress up her sister, iron his father's clothes while his father cooked the breakfast, manage the house finances and everything in between. When Anvi started caring for him, he felt guilty, as if he did not deserve it. He was so used to only caring for others that the notion of someone taking care of him felt alien. It made him uncomfortable. So he did what he thought was best: avoid Anvi, ignore her.

"Rudra", a weak whisper brought him back to the present. Anvi was awake.

"Hey...how are you feeling?" Rudra asked while patting her stubbled head.

"You are still here?" She asked.

"Yeah...I am your doctor on call," He said with a chuckle. She did not find it funny. Her eyes went down to her lap, and a lone tear rolled down her cheek.

"I will not be able to top the Uni this year", the whisper was hardly audible. "You are free to go."

Rudra sat up straight on the bed and, in one swift move, pulled Anvi on his lap. She was so frail and light. The sudden closeness took Anvi aback. She tried to back away, but Rudra maintained a good grip on her. 

"It does not matter to me. You did your best for the last four years, "he said. Anvi was about to say something when he silenced her with his tumble on her lips."But if it matters to you, then let's try together."

The next ten days were nothing short of torture for them, but each had different reasons. Avni had so much to cover in such a short time. Rudra had to check on Anvi as she would throw a tantrum now and then, but one glare from Rudra would make her crawl back to her burrow. Raghuveer could not believe that his parents were ready to get Anvi married to Rudra and Sita ... The ignorance of her brother was hurting her to the core.

Soon, Anvi found Rudra driving her to her college for the exams. He would drive her to the college for every exam and kiss her forehead before bidding her goodbye. 

"Happy?" Rudra asked with a smile as Anvi came out of the exam hall. Today was the last exam.

"Very happy" " she replied with a big smile on her face. Both of them got into the car. Rudra passed a water bottle and a box of snacks to Anvi. 

"Dad packed the snacks for you," He said.

Anvi was too busy the last few days to realize she had spent so much time with Rudra. She was staring at him, absorbing all his features.

"Anvi, not that I am complaining, but you can enjoy my charming looks while munching on your snacks", Rudra chuckled.

"I..I..was...I mean.." Anvi was turning red by the minute.

"It's ok, Anvi. Now eat. I need to talk to you about something important. " that caught Anvi's attention. The moment he said that, her mind played all negative scenarios. She lost her appetite. He kept the box back in her lap.

"What do you want to talk about?" She asked cautiously.

"Nothing bad. I promise. But I can only talk when you finish that box," He said.

Rudra parked his car in front of a resort. Both of them got down. Rudra steered her to a small cafe. Both of them settled at a corner table. They each ordered a juice.

"So, Anvi, whatever I am about to explain, I need you to listen carefully, OK?" Rudra said while he could see the panic in her eyes, but she nodded.

"OK, so you know my profession, right? I am a doctor in the Army. So, it is not a 9 to 5 job. It is a 24-hour job. My schedule is extremely hectic depending on the station I am posted to." Rudra sighed. "So, if we get married, you might not have the kind of family you dreamt of...."Rudra was interrupted mid statement. 

"I know...I ...you don't have to marry me. I took the deal seriously, but it was a stupid deal of a teenage girl for you. I...please...it was stupid...you don't have to." her speech was getting slurry. 

Rudra pulled her chair towards himself so that her chair was locked between his legs. People started staring at the couple, but he cared less. He cupped her face and forced her to look into his eyes.

"Anvi, please let me finish. Ok? Do not interrupt me," He said. His voice had a warning tone. She nodded again.

"So, what I meant was, if you get married to me, there might be nights when we cannot have our dinner together. You might have to stay alone for months together. Sometimes years as well. You might have to sacrifice a lot. It will be difficult. " He paused. "But if we get married, I promise Anvi, I will love you, cherish you and adore you till the end of eternity." He finished.

Anvi froze. She was not sure whether she was dreaming or if this was reality. She blinked.

Once

Twice

Thrice

"So I want you to think and tell me..." Rudra was again interrupted. 

"No I am ready...no..no...I was born ready" She said. If this was reality, she was in no way going to wait anymore.

Rudra gave a beautiful smile.

"Well, in that case."...Rudra got up from his chair and down on one knee. He took out a box from his pocket. "Anvi Sinha, will you make me the luckiest man in this world and marry me?"

Anvi could not believe her eyes. She did not realize, but her face was drenched with tears. With shaky fingers, she took the box. She could not trust her voice, so she vigorously shook her head in a yes. 

When she said yes, Rudra engulfed her in a tight hug. Anvi pushed her face into his chest, laughing and crying simultaneously. This was the extreme happiness that she was experiencing. Only a handful of such moments occur in a lifetime, and Anvi made sure she engraved the moment well in her memory. 

That night, after dinner, she went to her bedroom. A permanent smile was plastered on her face. She opened the box to find two gold bangles. Those bangles were thin yet elegant. She loved them.