"Married off To My Ex"

Met after ages #3

Happy reading ❤

A week has passed after that conversation, and he was heading towards some stranger's house, with his parents and sister, Sanyukta, who has just arrived for this important task,
The task to finalise this girl for him, as her bhabhi.

Unwillingly, he sat in the car, decked in formal white shirt and black pants with a frown on his face, beside him on the driving seat was Sanyukta, all excited, smiling and teasing him occasionally. Mr. and Mrs. Malhotra were sitting behind with all the necessary items for Roka ceremony. They seem to be very optimistic about this alliance.

But he was confused, he didn't know what to do, how to react? Should he just say yes? Or should he not? He felt like a villain in his own eyes, for ruining a girl's life, even when he knows that he won't be able to accept this relationship wholeheartedly.
This was all so complicated, the only option left for him was to go with the flow.

So he did.

After half an hour, they reached the venue, it was a luxury apartment in Okhla. The building was luxurious and beautiful. They took the lift for the fifth floor of K block. As soon as the Malhotras, reached the entrance of the flat, Ahaan's eyes got stuck on the nameplate. It was written Agnihotri's, his heart went back to the memory lane of his ex-girlfriend, who had happened to share the same surname. The door opened and he saw a woman greeting them with her warm smile, his parents reciprocated the greetings and entered the flat, but his feet were jammed. He was unable to move.

"You okay bhai?", Sanyukta asked, "You doesn't seem sure about this marriage, if you are not sure, you can still say no, don't worry.", she smiled softly assuring him and he smiled back at her, "I am fine.", he doesn't know if he was fine or not, but she is the last person he would want to stress because of him.

My sister was my lifeline. Although she is just four years younger than me, but I had always loved and treasured her like a father would do. She has been living away from us since last six years, and there hasn't been a single day, I had not missed her.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as Sanyukta asked, "Chale?", and he nodded.

As soon as they entered the apartment, he bowed down to touch the feet of Mr. and Mrs. Agnihotri, as they blessed him.
He looked around before seating himself on a couch next to his father. It's a large living room, with a massive TV screen mounted on the wall to their right and plush couches surrounding it, along with a recliner. The walls had different paintings hooked to them ranging from modern art to traditional forms of art like Warli paintings. The home was beautifully decorated, it looked rich.

Ahaan felt like being in an interview after more than five years again, as they hovered over him with a number of questions like, What are your hobbies, beta? Why did you left a stable job? What are your future plans? What do you like to eat? What's your dream destination? And so on-

He politely answered their questions, being able to understand their concern. After all they will be giving him their daughter. And for that, they need to trust him.
Trust
He again started feeling guilty just with the thought of breaking their trust, ruining someone's life.
I don't think I am capable enough of being anyone's husband, I am not....ready.

He was again pulled off his trance as he heard Sanyukta's gasp, "Siya di,", he looked at her and then followed the directions of her eyes.

"Siya,"

"Siya Agnihotri,", he mumbled to himself, his eyes widened and mouth opened ajar after looking at the woman in front of him.
How could she be here? Why is she here in my life again after TEN LONG YEARS?
He peeped in her light brown eyes looking for the answers to his questions only to see them moist. 'She is crying', his heart ached seeing this woman whom he loved the most in the past or maybe at this moment too, crying. She noticed his gaze fixated at her, and hence blinked her eyes repeatedly trying to control these traitor tears.
But failed miserably.

He would have been more stable right now if his obsessed lover was standing here, but it's the other way round today. In front of him is the girl whom he loves alot, the same girl who left him suddenly without any information about her whereabouts. She is standing in front of him for an arrange marriage proposal, with their families by their side.

His eyes remained widened just as hers, she looked bewildered, Didn't she knew that he was here for this marriage alliance? Was she forced too like him? But why? A plethora of questions surged his mind as he looked at her, whereas she ignored him completely and greeted his parents, they patted her shoulder lovingly blessing her.

This ignorance struck his mind.
How could she ignore me? That too after being at fault! She is behaving as if I left her all alone!

'She is no one to me, I will ignore her', he chanted these words like a mantra continuously in his mind.

His parents and ex-girlfriend began talking to each other as he just gawked at them with mixed emotions. Again he felt an assuring hand on his shoulder, it was Sanyukta, he looked at her and she gave him an expression as if gesturing him to remain stable, understanding his restlessness, and he nodded.
He just can't create a scene with both their parents being here.

After around half an hour, Siya's father spoke, "Beta, why not you both go and talk to each other in private?", "Hanji, that would be great", Ahaan's father spoke and he stood up without saying anything along with Siya. They both went to the balcony of her room and an awkward silence surged the environment.

******

Being bewildered would be an understatement for Siya. Currently, she was feeling beyond shock seeing her ex-boyfriend in front of her with his family to seek her hand in a marriage alliance. And now, she couldn't help but curse herself for not looking at the guy's pic when her father was showing it to her. Who would have thought that, Mrs. Surekha Ahuja, her patient as well as an old acquaintance of her mother would turn out to be her ex-boyfriend's aunt?

No one was ready to break the awkward silence among them, the classmates stood in the balcony for two minutes without speaking anything, just stealing glances at each other, after interval of every ten seconds.

After around five minutes, Ahaan took the initiative to break the ice between them, "Are you forced?", his voice harsh and cold. These were the words he chose to spoke, after taking five minutes.

"No, not completely,", she didn't lied, nor did she said the truth. Her voice reflecting the same harshness that Ahaan carried.

I would be lying, if I will say that his tone didn't hurt me.

"Then, let me make it very clear to you, I am not interested in this wedding,", he looked straight into her eyes, coldly, venom dripping from every word he spoke.

"W-Why? D-Do you love someone?", she managed to utter only a few words as her eyes glistened hearing his rough tone.

"You should be the last person to worry about this.", he looked away. And it did hurt her again, she felt her heart dropping to her stomach at the harshness of his tone, but yes, he is not wrong, he is not her boyfriend anymore and she should be the last person to worry about his love life and relationships.

"Okay, as you are not telling me the truth, I assume that you are forced, and let me inform you, I am forced as well,", she said firmly wiping her tears off, "Why so?", he interrupted.

"You should be the last person to worry about that, but now, as we both are forced, I have a proposal for you.", she said the same words forcing a smile on her lips.

"What?", he asked raising his eyebrows.

"Let's get married."

°°°°°°

Hey lovies! 

What do you think will be Ahaan's reaction? 

Hope you liked the chapter❤

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Thank you ❤
Anshika.