Aarushi: The Dawn of his Life

Chapter 8

"Di...wo log aa gaye hai!" Abhishek's loud voice rang through her ears as she glanced at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a simple light red gown with yellow leggings as she matched her dupatta and her earrings with the dress. She tied her hair into a loose braid as she stared at herself through the mirror.

(Di...those people have arrived.)

"Today...might be the day that might change everything...maybe forever." She whispered as she quickly turned away hearing the door open. Her brother walked in, his usual teasing smile on his face.

"Di...your soon to be in laws seem really eager to see you. Let's go now before they barge in the room." She just rolled her eyes at her overdramatic brother and walked out from the room.

"Beta...ye chai aur biscuits lekar jao...mai samose laati hoon." Divya said, handing her a tray full of biscuits and teacups.

(Dear...take this tae and biscuits...I'll bring the samosas.)

"Ye mujhe dekhne aaye hai ya sirf apna pet bharne?" Aarushi couldn't help but mutter out loud as her mother widened her eyes before slightly slapping her shoulder.

(Have they come to see me or just to fill their stomach?)

"Beta...kindly do not speak in front or your in laws." Her mother warned as Aarushi smiled at her.

"Let's see about that maa. If they want me as their daughter in law then they must know my character too." Aarushi just whispered as she walked out towards the hall where the guests were chatting with her 'father'.

"Are meri beti aa gayi. Ji ye meri pyaari bachhi hai, Aarushi." Her father said, smiling sweetly as he looked at the two people sitting in front of him. She couldn't help but glance as the couple as she moved towards them to hand them their tea. She was in awe as she stared at the duo, the lady looked too young and the man beside her was way too handsome to be in their late 40s and early 50s.

(My daughter has come. This is my lovely daughter, Aarushi.)

She slowly went and sat beside the lady who softly patted the sofa, asking her to sit there and who was she to deny. There was an uncomfortable silence as Aarushi just peered at the ground, feeling shy all of a sudden.

"Mr. Verma...we wish to speak with Aarushi alone for a few minutes please." The man spoke up.

"Oh sure sure. She's all yours anyways." Her father replied as he walked out of the room causing the duo to let out a sigh as they glanced at the girl who was still staring at the floor.

"Beta...you don't have to feel shy or uncomfortable around us hm...Just think of us as your family." The woman softly smiled at Aarushi, who looked up hearing her. She could feel a different kind of comfort in the way the woman smiled, her presence just seemed to radiate a different kind of spark as she just smiled back.

"I actually wanted you to meet and know my son before we proceed with the marriage but my dear son is just wat too engaged in his work. I apologize on his behalf...but you need not worry. My son can be anything but can never hurt someone innocent. He's just a bit inexpressive." They guy's mother went on as she just nodded her head, letting the woman know that she was listening to her words.

"Also...you can stop acting now. Go back to your real self please. I feel like I'm sitting beside a doll." The man spoke out, his sentence ending with a small chuckle as I gazed at them, unsure of whether they are serious or are they just pulling my leg. However, since they themselves have asked her to put an halt to her act, then who is she to reject.

"Thank god you finally said that. It was getting hard to breathe." Aarushi replied, turning to face the duo as she made herself more comfortable on the sofa, causing her soon to be in laws to let out a chuckle.

"You are so cute bachha." The lady spoke as she slightly pinched Aarushi's cheeks, leaving a shy Aarushi with red cheeks.

"Now...this is how a real human being behaves right? Don't know why people like making their daughters look like an object who's ready to be sold off to someone. That's weird and totally illogical in my opinion. I mean...we will get to know your true self after your marriage anyway, then what's the big deal in it? Why to hide it?" The man sighed as he rubbed his hands and glanced at Aarushi before passing her a soft smile.

"Beta...are you really okay with this marriage? No one's forcing you right?" The man asked, staring right into her eyes as she got lost into her train of thoughts yet again...but just managed to nod with a smile.

"Who cares about how the husband is when their in laws are total green forests? Mr. Soon to be husband can be a killer and yet I wouldn't leave that house. I mean...just look at his parents. They're amazing, fantastic, out of this worl- okay, I should probably stop for now." Aarushi thought as she glanced at her future in laws from time to time, who seemed to be in a deep secret conversation.

Soon, her father came back, her mother accompanying him with a tray of samosas.

Right, the samosas.

The evening just went by with the adults talking about the marriage and how the arrangements must be done, while Aarushi just sat there, bored as hell, but still forced to sit there as she glanced at her brother who just passed a teasing smile to her before leaving to play cricket with his friends.

Finally, it was time to bid goodbye as the couple got up, hugging her parents and patting her head as they walked towards the door.

The four of them talked for forty damn minutes while standing near the door. How in the world did the goodbyes turn into a forty-minute conversation!?

Right now, all Aarushi wanted to do was, plop on her bed and fall into a deep slumber. But she had to change her clothes too as she cried mentally, leaving towards the washroom...and by the time she came back, her sleep was gone. Just gone.

She decided to gaze at the night sky as she sat on her swing and sipped on her coffee, which she freshly made a few minutes ago.

She studied the city carefully, the streets which seemed too busy in the morning, were now totally empty, the darkness embracing them with a glint of light from the street lights. She thoughts of all the events since the morning.

"The guy surely is lucky to have such amazing and loving parents. They seemed to be so in love with each other too...I guess that's the reason that comfort radiated through them. Their smile, it seemed genuine unlike the tons of fake smiles that people tend to stick up on their faces.

She smiled at the sky as she wrote down a few lines in her diary.

"A smile so genuine, that it lights up someone's dull heart, pierces through their soul and sends them a feeling of relief and peace, even if only for a few seconds. A smile so genuine, that a genuine smile automatically comes up on your face. A smile so genuine that it makes all the fake smiles hide under the darkness. A smile so genuine, that makes you wonder what would happen if people often smiled like that at each other, instead of starting wars, what if they smiled and actually discussed the issue?" She thought to herself as she jotted down her thoughts in her diary, another habit of hers.

"Auntie has asked me to join her for the dress selection tomorrow...and if I'll be honest...then I'm damn excited to go out with her. She's such a vibe." Aarushi thought as her eyes finally started closing slowly. Unlike the last time, she decided it was enough thinking for the day as she laid down on her bed as slumber took over her within a short while.

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So, this chapter was a bit short as I was way too excited to write the meet up of Aarushi and her in laws...but the next episodes will be longer. Do comment your views and tap that star icon on your screen.

Thank you for reading!

-Liz