Destiny that planned their life

19. Blackmail Over Coffee

Third person's POV

In the lively atmosphere of a bustling café in the heart of Mangalore, Tarun stepped in, his eyes scanning the room for Drishti. Their families had arranged the meeting for them to get to know each other better. Upon confirming the table reserved by his mother with the waiter, he noticed someone dozing off at the designated spot. A mix of irritation and disbelief settled in as he approached, thinking to himself that this must be the same person who had sleepily answered his mother's phone call. 'If she could sleep-talk during a phone call, she could surely doze off in an unfamiliar place.' Tarun thought to himself, half amused, half irritated.

"Hey, Excuse me?" He called out, the irritation evident in his voice as he addressed the sleeping woman.

"Hello! Can you please wake up?" He urged again, his tone edging on impatience as he poked her hand more firmly, hoping to bring her out of her slumber.

Drishti stirred and blinked drowsily, momentarily disoriented before realizing where she was. "Oh, I'm so sorry." She mumbled, hastily sitting up straight, smoothing out her hair as she took in the man who had just woken her. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she realized she had fallen asleep.

"I guess you love your sleep." Tarun muttered, studying her with a critical eye. His first impression of her as a spoiled brat and a sleepyhead seemed to be right as he took in her messy hair and sleepy look.

"What?" Drishti questioned, tilting her head slightly to hear Tarun better.

"I assume you're Drishti." He said flatly, brushing off his earlier comment. "I'm Tarun Malhotra."

'Wow! How rude. Does he think I didn't hear him? There's no need to be so judgmental. I'm just a normal human being, unlike him, who think he's perfect. CaPtAiN PeRfEcT!' Drishti thought, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She nodded politely, forcing a small smile as Tarun introduced himself, hoping to mask her growing unease. She could feel the weight of Tarun's irritation hanging in the air, even as he attempted to mask it. Drishti had never found herself in such an absurd situation - thrown into an awkward encounter with a man she barely knew, who was soon to become her husband.

"You must have been waiting for me. I had a meeting that ran longer than expected. I'm sorry if I kept you waiting." He added with a forced smile, recalling his mother's advice on controlling his temper and treating Drishti with kindness and patience.

"Let's get this over with." Tarun stated curtly, motioning for a waiter to approach and take their order swiftly. As they sat in an awkward silence, Tarun contemplated how to convey his thoughts, uncertain of how she would respond, especially after witnessing her carelessness.

Meanwhile, Drishti's thoughts drifted to her friend Pooja, as she pondered the encounter with Tarun. In that moment, she deeply missed Pooja's support and protectiveness. Her friend's protective nature would shield her from any disrespect.

"So, Drishti! Actually I wanted to tell something to you. But before that why did to agree to this marriage? We didn't even met eachother before." Tarun inquired, in a business-like manner, his voice devoid of warmth, wanting to grasp her reasoning before sharing his thoughts.

Drishti sighed softly before responding, "I agreed for my family and their happiness. You see, our grandfathers were best friends who were unfortunately separated due to some misunderstandings, and I saw this as an opportunity to restore that bond. Plus, there's the matter of the debt my family owed. Your dadu's generosity towards my family during our time of need was something I couldn't overlook, and accepting this marriage proposal felt like a way to repay his kindness and unite our families. So, here I am." She finished, unsure of how Tarun would react, bracing herself for potential criticism.