His Arranged Wife

Make up or make out

Shridha's pov…

I came back inside my head full of fury and my eyes searching for an unknown person for unknown reasons. I wanted to scream and cry out loud not caring about anything else but it was not a day to pull stunts. I have to hold back for my sister's sake. I looked at her and found her eyes filled with tears and a smile adorned her face. She was happy in the middle of ladies who were giving her parenting advice along with several gifts. 

My sister and I had been in the same equation as siblings. We fight, we quarrel, we sleep, we forget, we start playing together again. This had been the cycle. My sister has been more expressive than me while I am more diplomatic. When my father had all his hopes for her to get indulged in the finance industry, she said a clear no. She doesn't fear confrontations while I am always scared. I feel that at the end either I will hurt them or they will hurt me so I believe in compromises. Most of the time, I ignore my likes and go ahead with the person who matters most to me. 

I like her for straight forwardness and I don't give a shit attitude. If she likes it, she will do it now matter what. 

" Bhabhi!" Shiv broke the trance of my thoughts and I was surprised to find him beside me all of a sudden.

" From where did you pop up , devar ji?" I asked and he grinned.

" Haaye! Call me that from now on. I am so elated." He looked ecstatically happy.

" Noted." I said and we both chuckled.

" I was looking for my brother and obviously I knew where he would be but now I am confused." He said while scanning the room with his eyes and then finally looking at me.

" He will be wherever you are, that's what I assumed but..." His words made my brain stop thinking for a moment before I shook my head." Don't shake your head. That's a fact. Now tell me where did you leave him?" He asked and I remember the argument we had outside a few moments earlier. 

" I spoke too much just now. Don't worry. I will butter him up." I said winking at him and he chuckled again. 

" You don't need to butter him up. Just a glance of yours, and he will sliding all over." The way Shiv used his words, I got to know that he is very good with words but that was not something which made my heart stop. It was his definition of Rudra's love for me and that made me blush now matter how much I try to conceal it. It's impossible. 

" What made you say so?" I asked and he shrugged his shoulders.

" When dad had a stroke and Bhai was unable to reach you..." 

" Wait...what? Your father had a stroke? When?" 

" Don't tell me Bhai didn't tell you. O my god, he loves you like no one can describe it in words. Yes, dad had a stroke and it was on new year. Bhai had to stay back here to take care of the work while he was trying really hard to contact you but being busy made him helpless. When he received a call from Vidhi didi, he knew something was wrong hence he somehow managed to contact a batchmate of yours and when you said just a word on the call before breaking into tears, he was crying too. I haven't seen my brother crying but that day, I saw the way tears rolled down his cheeks. A week later he received your email saying you are not okay and he was smiling. When I asked him why he was smiling? He should actually get worried for you, do you know what he said?" There was a knot I felt in my heart as my hands shivered. I cannot even expect anything from now on. Rudra is always beyond my thinking, beyond my imagination and beyond my league. 

What karma did I do to get such a person? 

" What?" I asked, my voice low due to the lump forming at the back of my throat.