Dilkash

(xi) manchala

"Manchala, mann chala teri ore"

Inayat's POV

"Hey, would you mind if I dropped Aayat off? That way I can meet her family too, it's been quite long." Utkarsh hesitated and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. Advait nodded in approval. I smiled at him as a 'thank you' and we left. What even is Utkarsh doing?

As the car moved further and further away from the restaurant, Utkarsh increased the volume of the music. As the song changed, music of Aayat from Bajirao Mastani took over the car and that led me to mute the radio.

"What were you high on today, Utkarsh?" I spoke and inhaled deeply to calm down the storm in me.

"Nothing, I assume. But I don't think that's right, I saw you engaged with Advait, the Advait Singh Mewar today so there is definitely a possibility that I might be high." He looked at me, smirked and looked back at the road.

"You aren't funny, Utkarsh, just annoying," I cleared my throat before speaking ahead. "Moving on, why did you make me tell him how we met, huh?" I looked at him and raised my eyebrows.

"Well, I did it because I had absolutely no clue what was going on, like the situation between you and him. Besides, I didn't want to accidentally say something you wouldn't have wanted him to know." Utkarsh spoke in a serious tone. That actually makes a lot of sense.

"Okay, that makes sense. But, why'd you assume I wouldn't have told him anything? I mean we're getting married, why wouldn't I have told him?" I asked, making sure that it looks that Advait and I are actually giving this marriage a try to him.

"Well my assumption was correct though, because he did not know," He looked at me and smirked. "Which means, you are just getting married for the sake of it, aren't you?"

"I— but— be—," I tried to reason, but just couldn't, he knows me too well. "You know what, yes we are, and?" I just gave up and rolled my eyes.

"You literally have so many people around you to choose from and you choose him, that's just poor decision making, Aayat." He explained with a calm voice.

"Except I didn't have a choice," I spoke and started looking out of the window just to almost meet my end because Utkarsh hit a short brake and stopped the car in the middle of a quite empty road.

"What!?" He looked at me and I didn't say anything, just nodded. What would have I said either?

"So, you were forced?" He asked while still trying to recover from the shock I just gave him.

"Directly, no but I was kind of obliged to do this for Di and Jiju, they needed my help." I tried to reason and he just rolled his eyes.

"Does that mean you don't need my help to run away either?" He asked me, still confused with everything going on as if I wasn't confused myself enough.

"Absolutely not," I declared and paused before gulping my saliva. "I don't want any kind of drama to happen between December eleven and December fifteen, I just want to pretend that this is my real wedding and have the wedding of my dreams."

"Maybe, it is the wedding of your dreams, Aayat. Maybe the two of you are able to make up and you're able to forgive him and it turns out to be what you've dreamt of since a very long time." Utkarsh tried to put some hope in me for some reason.

"After what he's done, Utkarsh? Now, I seriously think you're high. There are no feelings for him inside of me. Hate, love, anger, regret, pain, nothing because I'm over it and over him. Besides, dreams change, mine changed too, a very long time ago." I declared and looked out the window right after turning up the volume of the radio and letting the music take over. I did this because I couldn't look him in the eye while partly lying. I do still feel the pain he gave me sometimes and I still do hate him more than anything.