The Echo of First Love

Chapter 4

Meera's POV

"What do you mean?" Stupid me, I still couldn't believe it.

"I want you to be my wife--Angel's mother. I know what I'm asking is a lot. But all I can do is beg you—for her. She needs you, and I can't bear to see her sad anymore," he said, diverting his gaze from me.

I was dumbfounded. Is he really asking me to marry him? Not for himself, but for his daughter.

 But is it right? He doesn't love you; he's only using you for his child.

I kept chanting this in my mind, feeling completely confused. The pain returned; my heart was aching and happy at the same time. I could marry him? I could marry the love of my life? But at what cost? He will never love you, right?

"So, what do you think?" he asked again, bringing me out of my dilemma.

"Um, this is something I need to think about first. It's a very big decision," I said, keeping my emotions in check. But my heart was screaming, YES, YES, YES...

"Give me some time to think about it, please," I said as I walked out of his room. The moment I was outside, I started running. My heart felt like it was going to explode.

I dashed to my car and drove straight home. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. To calm my racing thoughts, I pulled out my diary and began writing.

Dear diary.
He proposed to me. Well, not exactly proposed, but he asked me to marry him. Aren't they the same? Who cares about the reason behind it? What should I do, Kanha Ji? I feel so much turmoil inside me.

The only thing in my mind is that I could be his wife. Like, seriously? Wait, what will Papa say? Mom? Oh, she'll kill me! But she loves me, right? She'll understand. She knows how much I loved him. She'll support me, I hope.

Bye, diary.

Karan's POV

It had been two weeks since I asked her about marriage. She hadn't said anything to me. She came to see Angel sometimes, but I wasn't home at those times. I thought about calling her to ask how she felt, but I wanted to give her space so she could think clearly. Still, I needed answers so I could decide and firm up my thoughts about my future. I don't like feeling uncertain about what lies ahead.

I was immersed in my files when her message came through. For some reason, I felt nervous and excited at the same time. I opened her message:

"CAN WE MEET?" was all she asked.

"YEAH, SURE. STREET CAFÉ AT 5:00 TODAY?" I replied as quickly as I could.

"OK," was all she wrote back.

I didn't know why, but my nerves were getting the best of me. Maybe it was because I knew she was a good mother for my Angel, and I wouldn't find someone like her again.

I tried to focus on my work, but in the back of my mind, I kept wondering what her answer would be. To be honest, I was scared.

Meera's POV

I arrived at the café a bit early, needing to gather my thoughts. I knew he didn't recognize me, and I needed to remind him of who I was. He hadn't liked me in college after that incident, and today, I had to set the record straight before making any decisions.

Lost in my thoughts, I spotted his car approaching. Instead of sitting at our agreed table, I chose a corner seat, wanting to stay hidden for a moment longer. Yes, I was playing these little games; I felt like I was losing my self-respect a little more each day around him.