Our Arranged Marriage

X.

Shubman stared at the building in front of him, a whole 20 storeyed apartment, tilting his head. It felt familiar to him.

Yeh kyu jaana pehechana sa lagta h? He frowned staring at it.

Ladki Vaishnavi h? Realisation hit him.

"Kya maal h yaar!" Shahneel exclaimed as her eyes twinkled seeing the apartment.

"Sir, kiske ghar?" The watchman asked.

"Abhimanyu Salian." Lakhwinder replied. Shubman's eyes widened.

Ladki Vaishnavi hi h.

"Yeh... Salian?" Shahneel whispered to Shubman. "Vaishnavi?" Her eyes twinkled. Shubman shrugged, because yet he wasn't convinced.

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Vaishnavi, in a beige colour kurti and straight pants paired with maroon dupatta, helped her father in dishes.

"Baba I still don't know ladka kon h." She said.

"Aatey hi honge, Vaishu. Dekhlena." She nodded sadly.

"m typical ladki k tarah Chai nhi leke jaungi." She scrunched her nose.

"Thik h. Thik h. Juice leke aana."

"Babaa.." She whined making Abhimanyu laugh.

The bell rang. The excited Abhimanyu went to open the door.

Agar aap ese khush h toh m kisi se bhi shaadi karlungi, Baba. She smiled at herself.

After keeping the dishes aside, Vaishnavi followed Abhimanyu, stopping at a distance. As he opened the door, Vaishnavi peeked a bit through the ajar.

"Your order for Swiggy, sir?" Abhimanyu nodded recieving the order.

"Swiggy wale se rishta?" Vaishnavi laughed.

After a second, the bell rang again. Abhimanyu, on the halfway, handed Vaishnavi the order and then went to open the door. As Vaishnavi stepped out of the kitchen after placing the food, her eyes widened at the scene.

Lakhwinder and Keart entered, followed by Shubman and Shahneel.

Teri Maa ki---
Shubman?

"Namaste Uncle ji, aunty ji." She greeted to which they smiled widely.

"Hey, Shahneel Di." She hugged her.

"Ayee.. Vaishnaviii." Shahneel reciprocated the hug.

Breaking the hug, she smiled and waved at Shubman mumbling a hi. Shubman smiled at her, waving back.

As they made themselves sit on the sofas, Lakhwinder and Abhimanyu nodded at each other understandingly to start the topic.

"Tum dono ko pataa chal gaya hoga almost." Lakhwinder started.
"Shubman, Vaishnavi puttar, pataa nhi kese batau but we would be really happy if you both get married to each other." Shubman looked down with a small smile yet mixure of emotions running. Vaishnavi stared at nothing particularly, biting her lips.

That was straight forward.

"Kya aap bhi bacho ko dara rhe ho?" Keart scolded Lakhwinder.

"See Vaishnavi and Shubman. What he said is true but, we have reasons, right?" Keart explained. "I know mind occupied hogi, how to do, what to do... Specially, Vaishnavi. As a woman, i have also experienced the same, Vaishnavi." She said making Vaishnavi look at her. "I know kesa feel hota h. New family, new relation, kaam family bachey sab dekhne padte h."