LOVERS FOREVER

Chapter 6 - A Twist of Fate

The doorbell chimed, shattering the morning calm of Ishqi's house. Sunita, clad in a shimmering silk saree, rushed to answer it. A chorus of excited chatter and greetings filled the air as the family of the prospective groom, the Guptas, arrived in all their glory.

The living room was a whirlwind of activity, brimming with an air of nervous anticipation. Vivek, sporting a crisp kurta and pyjama, shook hands with Mr. and Mrs. Gupta, their faces beaming with pride.. Outside stood a family, all smiles and silk sarees. This was it, the official meeting between the the 2 families or Ishqi's alliance with the son of the Guptas, Gaurav.

Sunita greeted them warmly, ushering them into the living room..

Su: Namaste ji.. aayiye na.. andar aayiye.. baithiye 

The Gupta family bustled in, a whirlwind of introductions and polite chatter. Sunita beamed, her eyes flitting nervously towards the stairs. Ruchi, sensing her anxiety, excused herself and climbed the steps, her heart heavy.

She found Ishqi in her room, staring out the window, a picture of dejection. 

Ru: Ishu.. (she said gently) Guptas aa gaye..

Ishqi turned, her smile strained. 

Ru: I know tere mann mein kya chal raha hai.. isliye keh rahi hu.. abhi bhi waqt hai.. tu is rishte se back out kar sakti hai.. apne paapa se baat kar na.. I'm sure wo samjhenge jaise humesha tuhe samajhte hai..  Ruchi spoke, placing a comforting hand on Ishqi's shoulder..

Ishqi cut her off, a flicker of defiance in her eyes. 

I: nahi Ruchi.. jo ho raha hai hone de.. yahi sahi hai..

Ruchi sighed as Ishqi moved out of the room heading towards the hall.. She understood the hurt behind those words, the unspoken answer to the question that hung heavy in the air – what about Ahaan? But sometimes, love wasn't enough, and life had a way of throwing curveballs.

Back downstairs, the living room buzzed with conversation. Mr. Gupta, a jovial man with a booming laugh, was regaling Ishqi's father, Vivek, with tales of his successful business ventures. Gaurav, a handsome young man with kind eyes, sat politely, occasionally stealing glances at Ishqi.

The air crackled with awkward formality. Questions were exchanged, Ishqi, despite her reservations, played the part of the perfect prospective bride, answering questions about her education, the job that she is seeking for and her dreams with practiced ease.

As the afternoon wore on, a sense of normalcy settled in. Gaurav, seemed to be a nice guy but she felt something was missing.. a small flicker of warmth, a sense of connection or something else that she couldn't decipher..

Meanwhile, across town, Ahaan received a call from Kartik

K: bhai.. ek bad news hai.. 

A: meri life se bad kya hi ho sakta hai.. (he murmurs) ha bol..

K: Ishqi.. Yeah, your Ishqi. Uncle aur aunty ne uski shaadi kisi ameer ladke se fix kar di hai.. it's all set and done bhai..

A: Kartik plz.. it's not time for pranks.. aur aise maamle mein toh tu prank na hi kar..

K: it's not a prank bhai.. ik Ishqi aapke liye kya hai.. isliye aapse sach keh raha hu.. she's getting married..

The phone clattered from Ahaan's grip, landing with a dull thud on the floor. The news slammed into him like a physical blow, the air knocked out of his lungs. It couldn't be true. He'd been foolish, naive, but he still held onto a hope, a desperate belief that they could work things out. Now, that hope lay shattered on the cold floor.