Unwanted Arrangement

5.

Daksh Kulkarni

She looked like someone who had her entire life flipped. A few months ago, I wouldn't have understood the torment behind her eyes but ever since what happened in Los Angeles, I found ignorance is a luxury I could no longer care to afford.

"Why did you ask to meet?" I asked with no preamble after I arrived at the cafè to find her sipping her cup of what looks like tea.

She scrunched her face, calling for a waiter ignoring me and I sat back to watch, amused.

"Can I have some sugar?"

The waiter nodded, skittering away and Ishika Ahuja turned her sharp bright brown eyes to appease me.

"Don't tell me you had no intention of sparking this meeting when you dropped off the bomb of Ramesh Kulkarni's health in Ahuja Mansion?"

The waiter arrived with a cup of sugar cubes and Ishika murmured a thank you before continuing.

"And here I thought I would listen more than talk in this meeting. So tell me Daksh Kulkarni, what were you hoping to get out of relaying that information." She asked bluntly, and surprise took me over at her assumption.

I cleared my throat, understanding dawning on me that Ishika Ahuja, like everyone else, prejudices against the Kulkarni's. I didn't know why that disappointed me so much, because if anyone had a right to do so, it was her and Piya maa.

"Yes, I do have an ulterior motive," I started with a humorless smile, "but it's harmless. Just meet my grandfather, Ramesh Kulkarni and we don't ever have to meet again."

"No," Ishika Ahuja instantly denied with a shake of her head and her earrings jiggled with the moment, echoing the bell of cafè when someone opened the door.

"Do you even understand what you're denying?" I questioned, dragging my chair closer to the table, "Anything about the past?"

Ishika paused with a resounding sigh, "I know, Daksh. Everything."

She went back to her perusal and I relaxed back into my chair, mind racing with who could've told her.

"Who told you? Because when we were there a few hours ago, it didn't seem like you were aware of anything at all?"

"I don't think it matters who told me. All that matters is what is going to happen next."

I disagreed. One's perception of things they were oblivious to depends on the narrator. I opened my mouth to ask her once again only for her to cut me off again.

"But if it's bothering you that much, Ananya Di told me."

I raised my eyebrows, realizing Ishika hated my family fully understanding what we did and not being the vessel for someone else's hatred, because Ananya Ahuja didn't seem to hate anything at all beyond a few days. If Ananya Ahuja told her, then she had no influence guiding her opinions.

Her dupatta kept irritating her when she started scouting her handbag, and my fingers twitched to hold back her dupatta for her, barely holding myself back as it would be more inappropriate rather than considerate with a girl that hates me and my family.

She pulled out a letter, a watch and a ring from the bag.

Instinctively, I reached over to take the ring, ignoring her click of tongue.

I turned it over in my palm, studying the inside of the ring, and placed it back on the table beside the watch and the letter.

Mama would be elated to know Piya maa still had the ring that symbolises their friendship. It was a beautiful sunflower engraved into the sun coloured stone, while my mama had a ring of night coloured stone with a campanula on it.

"I assume you recognise them?" Ishika asked, handing me over the letter and watch.

I immediately recognised my grandfather's handwriting on the back of the letter but didn't dare open it.

"I don't recognise the watch but yes, the ring and the letter." I said, watching her process with a nod. I don't understand what she's playing at, but at the moment she's the problem and the solution to my problem.

If Ishika Ahuja could convince Piya maa, she would visit Grandpa no questions asked.

But I've got to figure out how to convince Ishika Ahuja, the more I interacted with her the harder it seemed.

Nonetheless, with a plan in my mind, I started, but she cut me off, "I have a proposition."

I leaned back, rubbing my eyebrows with my index finger, suddenly nervous about the proposition.

"And why should I listen to this proposition?"

"You've said your motive was making my maa visit your grandfather once, but with my proposition, maa could be united with your whole family again."

Sounded way too good to be accomplished with a simple plan.

"What's your proposition?" I asked anyway. Simple plan or not, I would nod along to anything she says, if her proposition could unite our families forever.

She looked hesitant but glanced at something in her palm under the table and steeled her shoulders like a warrior entering a battle field.

Her next words worked like a magic mantra to open the gates of hell for monsters to crash into my brain again.

"Let's get married."

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Daksh will have longer POVs, just hang on for a bit❤️