The grey canvas

📌Chapter 27- A stich in time, saves nine

Nitara:

"And why do you think I'll give up on this marriage?" Kshitiz asked.

However, his question was only retreated with silence.

It is said that silence is the best answer sometimes. But ours was a case which required words. Plain words of logic and no justification, was what we needed, me and Dev. Unfortunately, we had none.

Some half an hour had passed since the Aroras' were at our place. They had innitially planned to pick up Dev on their way to Ambe Ma's temple. It was their son's marriage afterall and they were in sheer need of blessings from the supreme power. Little did they know that the marriage was not going to take place at all.
And Dev chose not to keep them in this darkness any longer.

He asked them to give him few minutes, to let him say something important. Given that time quite immediately, he ensured he didn't waste a single moment more. He took a deep breath, looked at me and confessed everything in brief.

-"This wedding can't happen today. Nitara is not ready, neither am I... nor can we ever be..... its becoz WE two are in love & can't allow anyone else enter our newly found heaven." He had said.

Kshitiz's question came next and was soon followed by that imperial silence, which signifies the calmness of nature before an upcoming tempest. The silence left me shaddered deep inside.

"What? No answer??..Come on yaar, say something. Give one reason atleast for why I shouldn't marry Nitara!" Kshitiz spoke again, his tone beholding the same coldness, back reclined to his chair and eyes looking somewhat relaxed.
This calm version of the man sitting infront of me, was so not him. I knew that already and hence got goosegumps all over my body. A choked throat and a palpiting heart were my additional rewards.

-"It is becoz you always believe in profit&loss!" Dev commented to break my reverie.

"That I do...But then how is it related to my marriage?" Kshitiz raised his eyebrows.

-"Marrying a girl who will never love you back, don't you think is a great loss??"

"Oh thaaaat....." he rolled eyes and giggled. Shit, even that laughter was fake too for it was soon revealed with the next question he asked- "How do you know that she'll never love me?"

-"Some conclusions are better drawn before the story ends."

"And some conclusions are better left for time's sake....who knows, what happens next!"

Another long silence. A hush in the room and an unnatural increase in temperature, my tummy began to wobble again.

Is Dev running out of answers? If so, then I should help him right??..... No, there hasn't been any pact or promise that one should offer his/her hand when the other one is loosing, but isn't it already expected?
"I think I have the answers to your questions." I muttered atlast, irrespective of Dev's angry glances. He had clearly warned me to not open my mouth till the discussion ends.
Not that he wasn't aware that nothing was gonna be sorted without me speaking, yet he still tried to protect me and dignity from the Aroras' single handedly. Ofcourse it felt good and damn special too, but no more could I let this happen. No more could I let him fight alone when the matter revolved around both of us, specially me being the root cause of all these troubles.

"You have the answers? But sorry dear, I can't rely upon them... not atleast after knowing how insignificant your words are." Kshitiz smiled sweetly.

Ofcourse I knew what was he talking about. And it was the same reason why my anger quotent hit my brains again.
"My words are not insignificant Mr. Arora.... but your thoughts definitely are!" I snapped.