Hunting Hubris

Building a family

"So you are in a relationship with him"

"Yup"

"Dhruv Shanaz Dara?"

"The same"

"The Dara I warned you of?"

"Absolutely correct Aju"

"See Mr.Arjun, my family name doesn't hav..."

"As you can see, I'm talking to her and I don't want any interruption." Arjun's rudeness wasn't affected by the fact that the man before him was his boss who could sign his dismissal order in a blink.

"Aju... I know him. We understand each other and I believe in us. So yeah I'm in love with the man you warned me of and I don't regret this decision. Simple"

"Everything isn't that simple Sam" his mask of indifference shifted as his tone increased.

"It is Arjun"

Silence prevailed over the dining table for a long time.

"You don't know about his family Sam. They don't know about us. Our culture, our life style and our damned way of thinking... everything will differ from them. It will be a chaos once they get to know about you!" Arjun said with a calm tone trying to look at the other side of the coin.

"Those are matters of my concern Mr.Arjun. I assure you whatever things you mentioned now will never come between me and her. I will take care of her."

"You will take care of her?" his sarcastic laugh resonated in the room.

"How Mr.Dara? How will you take care of her when you are busy running to become the Patriarch?

Does your family know about her, Mr.Dara? What will they do once they get to know that their precious heir is fooling around with a middle class girl instead of taking over their buisness empire?" He faked a chuckle as an unrecognizable but intense emotion crossed those blue orbs of his.

Glancing at the other end of the table, I found Dhruv trying and failing at masking his displeasure towards Arjun. Things were getting out of control. This wasn't the night I planned. And a smouldering irritation, spread like a wild fire inside me.

"Please answer this. Will your Mother accept a simple girl like Sam as her daughter-in-law. Will your clan accept a non-royal bloodline as a new member. Will your grandfather accept you as the Patriarch if you marry her?

Above all those, will you be able to stand the disappointment in your hero's - your flawless father's eyes by going against them?"

Those seething questions were answered with unabridged silence.

I knew the impact of his words on Dhruv's mind. We have been weaving a fairytale all along and Arjun's vicious questions have now torn down the paradise backdrop displaying the ugly demons that hid behind. The reality. The questions and obstacles that we conveniently ignored to float in our realm of ecstasy.

"Enough Arjun" it was my mother's way of getting thing under control. To suspend the argument and pretend everything was normal.

"Will you have some more curry, Dhruv?" She asked in an attempt to pacify him.

"No thank you... I'm full. I need to board my flight to Austria within an hour. I'll take your leave. Thanks for the dinner Mrs.Ragini and it was a pleasure meeting you Mr.Arjun"

I followed him wordlessly till the threshold only to see his limousine speed off.

I knew he had no flight to board and he had no words for me.