Starlight (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 6: Enjoy your weekend

Ishan's pov:

I rushed out of the room. It was too suffocating. I looked at her, I looked at the tears in her eyes. She's doing it because she's forced to and she wouldn't be happy with me. No matter how hard I try.

I'm ready to put aside my needs and hopes to fulfil the promise I made to her father.

Maybe in another world, I would've dated her, fell in love with her and then married her. But I'm bound to the promise I just made. I'll be bounded to her.

I strolled past my parents who tried talking to me but I know I can't do it. Not when so much is going inside of me. Id just end up saying things to them that I would regret later and they don't deserve my anger.

All this that they're doing, they're doing it for me. They're doing it because they think it is right no matter how wrong I think it is. I'll always put their happiness over mine and now I'll have one more person to add to this list.

Everything is happening too fast and it is not to my liking. But what done is done. I can't back out and I can't let go of the word I gave to my professor, a dying man.

I got in my car. I didn't put on a seatbelt and drove as fast I could to get out this place. Another reason to hate hospitals.

My mind kept going back to her face, her sad face and her tears. I tried pushing her out but nothing worked.
The wind hit me hard in the face as I rolled down the windows.

Kaira Kaira Kaira

My mind echoed.

Simple, beautiful and elegant Kaira.

Kaira's pov:

"And the wedding?"
"We should do it as soon as possible. A month?"
"I might not have that long"
"A week?"
"That would probably work the best. We don't need a big wedding, do we? It could be just the family and the relatives and other people can show up at the reception"

I heard the voices in the living room.

I was in my room when the Singhania's arrived. They've been talking about when to hold the wedding. I was nothing but a mere burden on my father that he decided to pass on to someone else as he leaves.

That was all I could think because of how fast the things were happening. It has been 2 days since my father was discharged and I'm eternally grateful to his mom for being here.

She has been taking care of me and my family as if we were her own. She is like a light to the darkness that this house surrounded. I don't know how my marriage would work but my in laws are as perfect as one could be.

Life has not been kind to me in the slightest but she has. She makes me believe in hope again.

I heard a knock on my door and I looked up.

"Kaira?" Gayatri aunty...his mom, stood at my door with a small smile on her face and she entered the room. She sat on the edge of the mattress of my bed "If it's not too much to ask....Can you go with Ishan for the um wedding shopping?"

As much as I detested the idea, I nodded. She smiled at me and gently patted my cheek as she stood up and left my room.

Mr Singhania has been...nice too. He brought all my paintings home that day after the whole situation. I'd forgot about them but he didn't. I guess I'm not reliable after all.

3 DAYS LATER

"I can't believe you're getting married so soon" Jhanvi said, sipping her softdrink that she ordered. She and I were friends in art school. We're not that close but she's the only person I have who's close to being called a friend.

I just shrugged. I had just come to give her the wedding card. Yes, the wedding card. Printed and given to the close relatives. Too fast, too fast for my liking.

"Is he coming to pick you up? She asked.

I nodded "My um mother in law chose a lehenga for me and gave my measurements so we need to pick that first and then some more things" I told her.

Right on cue, my phone started ringing and I picked it up.

"Kaha ho?" He asked on call. "I'm at gate number 2. Hurry up"

I bid goodbye to Jhanvi as I picked up my stuff and walked out of the mall and to the place he told me he's waiting at.

I spotted him leaning against the car and walked over to him. He looked up from his phone as he saw me approaching. He, surprisingly, opened the door for me before I could even reach and so I went directly into the car.

"You're late" He said and closed the door as he walked over to the drivers seat.

"So are you" I said "You were supposed to pick me up at 6. It's 6:15"

He gave me a look before he started driving to the showroom. Yes, a showroom. Expensive lehenga.

I wasn't wearing my mothers ring. Gayatri aunty said it isn't okay to wear mothers ring as your own engagement ring and a new start of a relationship calls for new ring apparently.

I didn't object.

He stopped the car and we got out. I looked at the awfully bright lights and high ceilings. Was any of it really necessary?

He stood at the counter and my eyes went to a really pretty receptionist sitting behind it. He flashed her a grin and red blush crept her cheeks.

A few moments later a man brought the lehenga packed in a white bag. He extended his card to the female and she purposely touched his fingers while taking it.

She said some things to him and he was chuckling, which made her giggle. And I just watched them from a distance.

"Well if it's not too forward, I might be free Saturday afternoon" She said to him as we were about to leave. Am I invisible?

"Oh that's nice. I hope your enjoy your weekend" Be said and picked up the lehenga and we walked out.

I didn't say anything but just matched his pace as he walked forward.

"What was that?" My mouth opened and I couldn't stop myself from saying the words out loud.

He looked at me "What?"

"All that...flirting" I said "Is there any place where you go and don't flirt?" I regretted my choice of words.

But the two times I've been out with him both them always had one girl shoving a card in his pocket and one telling him she's free on saturday.

He frowned "When did I flirt?" He asked "She was flirting with me, I didn't even react to what she said"

I sat up straight on the seat and looked ahead as I crossed my arms.

"Should've atleast had the decency to tell her off when I'm there"

"Why?" He asked "Are you jealous?"

"No I'm not jealous" I said, even if I was a bit jealous, I'm not going to admit it to him "And you can flirt with whoever you want, I won't care. I'm not going to pull you back from your old ways"

"Old ways? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Aren't you always....talking? To girls? Random ones even. Well I just want to let you know that you can continue it even after our marriage"

He looked taken aback and I swear I saw hurt flash through his eyes but it vanished in a blink.

I didn't realise I had said something bad.

"I appreciate your..whatever this is"

He said and drove the car. He looked eager to drop me off and get rid of me so I didn't bother trying to make a conversation with him. Not when it's of no use.

***

vote and comment❄️