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Chapter 11

As time went by, she did not hear from Lakshya. She prayed everyday over that week that the marriage was going to happen.

That's when she heard some beautiful news. "We are setting up a date for your engagement," her father said. He did not seem as grumpy as before. Possibly after getting a little more acquainted with Lakshya's parents, he no longer had the previous contempt.

She smiled slightly.

He looked away.

She had an hour more before she left for work.

She knocked on her brother's door.

After a while he opened it looking groggy. "Still not going?" It has been close to ten days since he stopped running to college. She was worried.

He shook his head as he walked back and plopped on the bed.

"What about your classes?" He was always so meticulous in following the schedule and completing his syllabus. He was going to take the entrance exam, after all. The exam was just five months away.

"Just this week. I'll see if I can study this portion during revision. Can't you see how my nose is running?"

She nodded. He sneezed. Then he sneezed three more times.

"A fortnight of stalling in two years of preparation. I kind of deserve it, don't I?"

"You tell yourself anything."

He wiped his nose. "You had something to tell me?"

Shreya nodded. "I like the guy. Father seems to be fine with him; he just told me they were setting a date for engagement."

"He always thinks of us first."

Shreya sighed. It did seem so.

"After enjoying this huge break, should I again take a break for your marriage!" he suddenly asked with a twisted face.

Shreya slapped him on the back. "Won't you?"

After some more talking he bade him farewell and went to her lab.

She had dealt with a lot since childhood, but the worst of it still seemed to be awaiting. She did not know if she was doing the right thing hiding the bitterness between Lakshya and her from everyone. But she was sure she was making the best out of her circumstances.

What would it be like? Her future? Her marriage? Her life?

Only time would tell.

That day, she had more food from her lunch to offer to stray dogs. Somewhere she knew she would be fighting a losing battle. Why was there no light at the end of her tunnel yet? What horrid things had she done in her past life? Why should she still suffer?

She did not know what changed in her, but she noticed the change. When her father discouraged her about tying the knot with Lakshya and she knew of his girlfriend, she had a burning fire in her heart. A fighting spirit to get what she wanted.

But now when her father finally came around and had no bitterness regarding this marriage, when what she wanted seemed to come a little closer to her, she somewhere feared it. She lost that fighting spirit.

She would effectively be fighting for her own happiness at the cost of someone else's, in fact, at the cost of two people's.

∼•∽

Amid all the negativity, Shreya was coping with, Shreekant's NEET result was out.

He sat before the screen tapping his foot furiously and he entered his hallticket number. The server loaded for a whole five seconds. His tapping got wilder.