A Marriage of Convenience: A Love Story of Unfamiliar Beginnings

Chapter 6

"Uhhh.., yeah. Yes I am ready for it."Akriti said after giving a second thought to her decision as she understood that he was a really nice man with a really supportive family.

"And what about you? Are you ready for it or not?" Akriti asked Raj out of curiosity.

"Yeah, even I am ready for it." Raj said without any hesitation about it as he had this feeling that everything would go well. They stood up and started moving towards the living room where both the families were waiting for them, stopping himself in the middle, Raj turned towards Akriti who was following him,

"Why did you say yes?" Raj asked Akriti pulling her out of her thoughts and.

"Why? Do you want me to say no? If you want then I can say no, you don't  have to pressurise yourself abou..." Akriti said in one breath looking at him just to make sure about it.
"No no you got me wrong, what I meant was that why say yes to this marriage when you can litrally marry any other man?" he asked her as this was the question lingering in his mind since the moment they said yes to each other and it was true that the women standing infront of him really had the power to make anyone marry her as their were many families who wanted her to be their daughter-in-law and and their son's fiancée.

"Because I want someone who dosen't make me change myself for anyone, and when I asked you that won't you make me change my surname or tell me to make my business on your families name, your reply to that question was enough for me to say yes to this marriage?" Akriti said with trust in her eyes as if she knew that she would end up saying yes to him. Raj nodded understanding her feeling and started moving forward.

"And what about you? Why did you say yes?" Akriti asked him making him stop in his track and turn around. He turned around and bent to her level,

"Aapki wajhase." whispering near her ear he started moving forward making her freez on her spot as it took a few seconds for her to realize and as she realized a small smile appeared on her lips as shaking her head she moved towards living room.

"Dekhiye dono bacche aa gaye." Manohar said taking everyones attention and diverting it towards both of them.

"Soo, are you both ready for the marriage?" Padma asked putting her hand lovingly on Akriti's head expecting for a yes from their mouths.

"Yes we are ready for the marriage." both of them said together making everyone in the room smile and cheer.

"Sachhhhh, bachoo?" Shanta asked not believing in what she just heard.

"Haaa amma sachii." Akriti said as a chuckle left her mouth looking at her mother.

"Samdhanjii!" Padma said hugging Shanta as both of them had tears of joy in their eyes.

"Main methai leke aati hu sabka muh jo meetha karvana hai!" Uttara said almost running towards the kitchen and bringing sweets for everyone.

"Aaahh, main bohot khush hu ke aap humari bhabhi ho!" Riya said jumping in Akriti's arms and hugging her as in almost chocking her, and as the elder ones were busy in fixing the dates for marriage and engagement the younger ones were in the backyard introducing themselves to each other and spending their time knowing each other.

"Waise bhai, apki help chahea thi." Tejas said quietly almost whispering in Raj's ears, but to his bad luck Riya heard him.

"Bhai aap iski koi help nhi karoge, main bata he rahi hu." Riya said glaring at Tejas as she knew where tis was going, and Raj being her best brother nodded his head in her statement.

"Bhai please na please aap shadi agle saal karo na please..." Tejas begged Raj looking at him with puppy eyes but did it affect Raj, no it didn't.

"But why do you want it to happen next year?" Ansh asked  being curious as he didn't knew about the bet that happened between the siblings, and Riya being the ruthless sister told the truth to everyone as everyone glanced at them and bursted into laughter.

"That means now Tejas is the one who has to pay the money hahahah...!!" Ruhi said and bursted out laughing almost falling off the couch.

"Didi jii, badi bhabhiji apko aur bhaiya jii ko andar bula rahi hai." a worker came and informed them as both Akriti and Raj headed inside.

"Amma, you called us?" Akriti said standing beside Raj.

"Han Aku, hume puchna tha ki engagement ki date do hafte baad tuesday ki hai aur shadi ki date uske agle hafte wednesday ki hai." Shanta said eyeing at both of them and telling them about the wedding dates.

"Actully, mujhe shadi ke date ke do din baad hi yani saturday ko business trip pe jana hai and main usse cancel bhi nahi kar sakta cause main and Urvil us project par pichle 2 saal se kaam kar rahe hai. Soo.." Raj said everything as he didn't want them to take it in a negative way as this project was also as important as his marriage, and he didn't wanna loose any of it.

"That's alright I don't have any issue with it and we both don't know that after an year at that date we will be available or not it its better this month." Akriti said putting her point of view infront of everyone as even she was right at her place and even Raj agreed to this as he knew that she was right.

"Are you sure Aku, beta even next years date is alright we can make things work." Shanta said wanting to confirm things with her daughter.

"Yes amma, I am sure about it and so is Raj, so there has to be no problem." Akriti said assuring her and assuring her whole family.

" Theek hai fir to, shadi isse mahene main hogi, main to bohot khush hu." Mohini said ganing everyone's attention as she was expressing her happiness.

"Bhabhiiii, I am soo happy. I finally have a sister with whom I can go on shopping sprees and spend quality time with and on top of that we both are engineers, aahh I am already loving this." Riya said hugging Akriti and started jumping at her place showing how happy she was.

The Singhania's left bidding their goodbyes as the Chauhan's settled themselves discussing about the marriage as their excitement was beyond anything else and they indeed were happy as finally after 2 years of finding someone for their daughter's marriage they finally have the perfect son-in-law they could get and a perfect family for their daughter.

Here Akriti was sitting in the balcony reading a book but her thoughts were stuck on only one person, it was new for her this feeling of getting married and leaving her house that too this soon, and as much new this thing was, the feeling of her sharing her life with someone was new and she was now going to have 2 families, two mothers two fathers and not just that she would move out of her house, the place where she was born and brought up, the place where had her beautiful memories with everyone. And on top of everything she also might have to leave her identity, the identity with which she had spend 27 years of her life, her business, her degree, her Id proofs everything which 'Akriti Chauhan' on it might get changed. Things took and 180° turn, but the thing that wasn't upsetting was the person she was marrying, he was good and assuring her on the most important things he did made her smile. Sliding her thoughts away she moved toward the bed and slipped into the deep slumber.