SEAL THE DEAL

chapter 8

After that big elephant in the room was out of the way, conversation flowed a little smoother and the atmosphere was a little lighter. Manisha had resorted to shoving the arranged marriage part of things out of her mind, deciding to treat this as if she was meeting a new friend.

Abhishek was doing the same, and for some unknown reason, he was actually indulging her; he'd temporarily disabled the voice in the back of his mind that was screaming bloody murder at him for letting things escalate to this point. Manisha had taken the reigns of the conversation and he had found out all kinds of things about her in the past half an hour. She is an only child, like him. She is the same age as him
too. She had majored in fine art and art history in university. She loved travelling and had been to countless countries all over the world with her friends, but she couldn't stay away from home for more than two weeks. She taught art lessons for free at a school for children with special needs that she'd helped to open.

Abhishek also found out all kinds of things about her through observation. She talked a lot, like seriously, she could probably talk for the country. She had the habit of biting your bottom lip when she felt uncomfortable or when she was thinking deeply about something. Her eyes lit up when she spoke about her family, and it was obvious that she thought the  world of her parents; and he guessed that's why she'd agreed to the marriage as easily as She had. She is humble and grounded despite the stupid amount of wealth and affluence
She had grown up in. Abhishek had always believed that the way people treated their help revealed their true personalities, and she had been nothing but kind and friendly to her waitress for the evening, even striking up conversation with her.

Abhishek did supply some information about himself from behind his walls too, only because he felt like he owed her that much. He had always struggled to open up to people, but he was a decent enough guy to respect the effort she was putting into all of this. The fact that she is confident and outgoing made things a lot easier though. It was as if she made up for his quiet self.

Jungkook told her (very) briefly about his life, about how he'd had a pretty normal working class upbringing and how his father had worked long and hard to build his company as well as a name for himself. He was grateful that she didn't ask any extra questions and just listened to whatever he chose to say. He told her about how his father wanted him to take control of the company someday, but was making him work his way up the ladder like
anyone else would, no shortcuts or special privileges.

"What really makes your heart race Abhishek?" Manisha asked in a sudden burst of confidence, the stack of Cartier bracelets on her wrist tinkling softly as she dipped a piece of paneer  sauce, "What do you really like doing?"

Abhishek had to really think about that question because nobody had ever asked him that before. He couldn't even think of more than two people who'd want to know that or care enough about it.
Memories from years ago suddenly flooded his mind, distant and faded memories of him being on stage, the cheers almost deafening, the adrenaline in his veins soaring as the bright lights flashed around him and the music pounded in his ears.
"Singing," he spoke up with a small, almost fond smile on his face, and Manisha felt like she'd been rewarded because she'd quickly learned that the sight of his smile was rare, "I used to love singing. I was part of a singing crew all through middle and high school...but I moved to another city and that was the end of that," he said wistfully, remembering how what was left of his
heart had been broken for the second time and all of his dreams had shattered when he'd found out that he'd never be able to sing again. He remembered how his father had been away on a business trip when it had happened, too busy to come to the hospital to visit him when he had accident ,too busy to be there when he had his operation, too busy to support him as he got through the first and most painful stage of both physical and emotional recovery.

Mani:-"That must've been a difficult time for you," she wanted to dig a hole in the ground and crawl into it because she was perceptive enough to tell that she'd hit a very sore and sensitive nerve. She swiftly switched the topic, "When's
your birthday?" Manisha asked instead, putting a piece of paneer on abhishek's plate before putting one on her own.

"It's just been, may 24th," Abhishek supplied, silently appreciating her small gesture that did not go unnoticed by him.
He'd been born at the end of a scorchingly hot summer. There had been a terrible
thunderstorm on the day and he'd been delivered by a neighbour in the middle of the living room because the roads in his small town were flooded and his parents couldn't make it to the hospital. He saved the story to tell her another time.
Because there would be another time.
Her eyes widened and Manisha put her fork down excitedly, "Really? That's crazy!
Mine's just passed too, it was on the 7th!" She exclaimed with a sunny smile on her face, her enthusiasm almost contagious, "may will be such a festive month for us!"
Us.

That word made Abhishek feel a little funny.
How was it so easy for her to accept this huge change in her life? How were she so
prepared to make it a reality? Was it Abhishek who was the strange one for finding all of this difficult and frightening?
But when he looked at her and her totally unfazed smile, he thought that maybe, just
maybe, this marriage thing wouldn't be so terribly bad after all...if it was with her.

M/M:-"manu beta, kaisa rha sab?" Her mother asked as soon as she stepped into the living
room, immediately rushing to her side.
Manisha kicked off her high heels, groaning as she rolled her shoulders and sprawled on the sofa, "Thikkk hi thaa maa," she rubbed her sore feet, "I had a good time,"
She was kind of surprised to find that she was not just saying it to appease her.

By now, her father had come downstairs and taken a seat on the sofa next to her,

M/M:-"kya vo achaa tha?" Her mother continued the interrogation. Manisha nodded, looking up at the concerned faces of both of her parents, "haa tha," she
answered truthfully.

M/D:-"Kya socha hai tumne firr?"