Arranged for Love ｡♡

Chapter 2

Maheshwari Mansion

The atmosphere in the Maheshwari Mansion was tense to say the least. Siddharth and Abhishek Maheshwari stood facing each other with neither of them refusing to back down.

Abhi - Sid, main tujhe firse keh raha hoon, yeh sab decisions aise harbarahat mein nahi liye jate.

Sid - Dada, ab toh Mummy bhi maan gayi hai, samajh toh aap nahi rahe hain ki yeh collab mere company ke liye kitne faidemand hone wala hai. Sharmas ready hai mujhe apni company handover karne ke liye, unke shares bhi down hai but I know that it still has a lot of potential. Sahi time pe agar main ise shape de paun then it would really be huge for us.

Abhi - Par Sid, kya company hi sab kuch hai?

Sid - Dada, agar aap yeh shadi ke wajah se bol rahe ho toh suno, ladki ne sab kuch jan ke hi haan kiya hai. Nobody is forcing her to go through with this wedding, the Sharmas have promised me that. Aur agar phir bhi aisi koi baat hui then I'll personally check it out when we meet. Kisi ke wishes ke against yeh rishta nahi hoga. But mujhe nahi lagta ki aisi koi baat hai. And moreover, iss rishte se unhe bhi toh equally faida ho raha hai. They still get to retain 50% of their shares and I have been more than generous with her family regarding this. Maine toh unka proposal bhi accept karliya to marry her daughter for god's sake, kyounki mujhe pata hai ki humare line of work mein alliances aise hi bante hai, it's nothing unheard of.

Abhi - Sid, tu janta hai ki main woh insinuate nahi kar raha tha. Mujhe itna bharosa hai tujhpar ki tu kisi ladki se uske marzi ke bagair shadi nahi karega. But Sid, kya tu shadi ke liye ready hai?

Sid - Firse wahi baat. Don't you understand? I have to do this?

Abhi - No I don't understand. Why do you have to do this? Teri company acchi khasi chal rahi hai, aisa toh nahi hai ki iss ek collab ke piche tera future depend karta ho. Aur agar kuch problem bhi hai then main hoon...

Sid (whispers) - Wohi toh problem hai.

Abhi - Kya?

Sid - Dada, do you really not understand? Mujhe aapke kisi ahesan ki zarurat nahi hai.

Abhi (shocked) - Sid tu... tu yeh kya keh raha hai? Main aur tujhpar ahesan karunga?

Sid - Ahesan nahi toh kya Dada? Aap jo humesha humse yun bhagte rehte ho. Ghar bhi issliye aate ho kyunki Mummy aapko dekhe bagair nahi reh sakti, nahi toh baki time toh aap apne flat mein hi... Aur kabhi aapne hume public mein dekh liya toh pucho hi mat... Like we are an embarrassment for you.

Abhi felt his heart break hearing the accusatory tone in his brother's voice.

Abhi - Sid, you know it's not like that.

Sid - Then what is it like?

...(pause)...

Sid - Thought so. Dada, aapko meri shadi ki fikar karne ki zarurat nahi hai. Main jo kar raha hoon soch samajh ke kar raha hoon. Agar aapko meri itni hi chinta hai then just support me in this.

Sid stared straight into his brother's eyes. It was Abhi who broke the eye contact.

Abhi - I'm sorry Sid but I can't do that. Yeh sirf tujhe support karne ki baat nahi rahi. Iss decision se sirf teri hi zindagi affect nahi hogi. Jis ladki se tu shadi karne ja raha hai, jise, mind you, tu aaj tak kabhi mila bhi nahi hai, uski life bhi isme entangled ho chuki hai. Iss rishte se uski bhi toh kuch ummeedein, kuch armaan jude honge. Aur shadi ke rishte ko aise sirf ek business deal ki tarah treat karna? Mera man nahi maan raha. Agar tum phir bhi iss rishte ko leke aage badhna chahata ho then I understand, main tumhe phir nahi rokunga but in that case, don't expect me to be a part of any of this.