Breaking the rules.

Chapter 1

Everything had gone by so fast, and before I knew it I had a ring on my finger, marriage bangles on both hands and mehendi on my palms. It was all such a blur, I can hardly remember it.

~~

My name is Riya, I had just turned 26 a few weeks back and already my Mother had started pestering me to get married. I obviously did what every 21st century Indian girl did, and I rolled my eyes at them sarcastically. I wanted to be independent, I didn't feel like I wanted to get married so soon. In my head, relationships were meant for people who didn't want to go home to an empty house. It was all too much work for me.

My career was going great, I had started my own company 2 years ago and I couldn't wait to finally move out. Telling my parents, now that would be a tough one to do. I needed to be ready to face their emotional blackmail, specially my mothers.

"Riya beta?! Food is ready." My mother yelled from downstairs. I wasn't exactly keen to sit and eat dinner at the table, because somehow it would end up with mother telling me about million prospective grooms.

Two minutes into dinner and mother hadn't stopped talking about Mr. Maliks son who was a surgeon. "Doesn't he seem nice? I should set up a meeting with him." she then proceeds to tell me about his educational background.

"Ma... He sounds great. But I'm not interested." My mother sighs and at me.

"Who will take care of you when we die? You need a capable man, like that surgeon boy." she proceeds to try and convince me. "Harish tell her na." she snatches the newspaper that father was reading.

"Beta, listen to your mother. Otherwise she won't stop talking." My dad snickers at me from the corner of his eye. I grin at him and mother tosses the newspaper at him. My dad was pretty cool, he wanted me to be happy and that was all that mattered. My mother wanted me to be happy but she wanted the kind of happy that made her happy rather than me happy.

"I have to complete my work ma, goodnight." I roll my eyes and go upstairs to my bedroom. "Don't stay up too late." Mother calls out after me. "After all it is only a fashion company." My mother whispered under her breath but my ears were sharp enough to hear her comment.

I sit at my desk and turn on my table lamp. I had a million emails to type out, reply to and go through the company appraisals. I had already had more than five cups of coffee, I needed some sleep because suddenly it felt like my body had gotten immune to caffeine.

~~

"Mother please! Not again! I don't want to know about Mr. Malik's surgeon son. I'm gonna be late for work again if you don't stop pestering me about him." I say and walk around the room looking for my car keys. Mother had already started the morning with talking about Malik's son. I didn't want to get into this with mother right now.

"Oh good, you're just in time. Are you ready?" My assistant asks as she hands me the coffee. "Yup, today is the day I close the deal." I confidently walk into my cabin and greet the Director of the company I'll be dealing with today.

After a two hour long meeting it was finally over. I was victorious, I had gotten the signatures and the documents and finally the deal was closed.

"Good work Riya! If you keep working like this you just might be able to open another branch. And you deserve it. Just don't get too exhausted." My assistant Savita cheered me on.

She was completely right. I was a workaholic but I just loved working. It was my hard work that got me where I am. Thanks to my hard work I had my own company and had my own private office with glass doors and everything.

"I've emailed you the apartment and house listings. Also your mother called while you were in the meeting." My assistant follows me around with some files. "Do you want me to get you coffee?" she was clearly out of breath by the time she reached my office.

"Savi, why don't you take a break, huh? You've been running around me since the morning and you could use a break. No excuses that's an order." she smiles and thanks me. Now I'd better call mom or she'll think I've fainted or something. Like I said, she has a tendency to overreact.

"Ma.. No I'm have a job! I can't leave office whenever you want me to. Also please stop sending me marriage prospects on my email. I already get enough information about possible future grooms, from you at home. I don't need them showing up on my computer at work." It's already been two hours and she's already wanting me back home.

~~

"C'mon, at least meet up with the guy. Give your mother a chance and give the guy a chance." My friend Anita said as we drove from work.

"I knew this day would come. The day you would side with my mother." I laugh at her confidence in my mothers ability. "I just don't think that I'd be good at the whole marriage thing. Plus I can take care of myself, I don't need a man to do that for me."

I was tired of the stereotype that women need a man, I liked being alone. It meant I could eat an entire pizza alone, without sharing it with anyone.

"Finally the weekend is here, no work tomorrow. So I'll meet you directly on Monday. Thanks for the ride." Anita steps out of the car. She waves me off and I drive away. Now to deal with the drama at home, again.