Wooing Ms. Raizada

We're Family

"Adi beta" the man in his fifties said, "Is Ana ready? We need to leave"

Adil looked up from where he was sitting on the floor and then looked to his left when Ana was sitting, leaning on Varun.

The man kneeled to him and whispered, "Is that the Hindu guy your sister is getting married to?"

Adil looked at him and he said, "I had told Serene to reject the proposal! They are hindus!"

"Stop it uncle" Adil hissed, "Can you save it for another day?"

His uncle scoffed and said, "Your mother never listens to anyone. She eloped and married your father. That was fine since he was a Christian himself but this.....a hindu guy and look how they are sitting! People are looking!"

"Please" Adil whispered, "Not in front of my mother's corpse! Please STOP!"

Someone walked over to them and Adil looked up. He stood up seeing Arnav. Arnav patted his back and looked at Adil's uncle.

"ASR, this is my uncle, my mother's brother! Uncle this is Arnav Singh Raizada. I work in his company!" Adil said weakly.

Arnav shook hands with his uncle who said narrowing his eyes, "So your son is my niece's fiance?"

"No, Varun is my nephew" Arnav said.

"Ah nephew" uncle scoffed and looked at the couple. Varun had wrapped an arm around Ana who had slumped on to his chest.

Arnav frowned and looked at Adil who gave him a tight smile.

"We need to leave" Adil said grabbing his uncle's attention, "I'll come with Ana! You guys can move"

His uncle nodded and left but not before glaring at Arnav.

"I'm sorry but...doesn't he like us?" Arnav asked frowning.

"Can't digest the fact that Ana is marrying a Hindu" Adil muttered and walked to Ana, "Ana, let's move to cemetery"

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Ana sat near her brother under the tree and watched her relatives talking to others. She craned her neck to see her uncle and his family interrogating her fiance and sighed.

She looked at Adil and asked, "What are they doing with Varun?"

"May be trying to get details about his properties" Adil muttered.

Ana rubbed her face and leaned on his shoulder. Adil wrapped an arm around her and rested his chin on her head.

"What did she say? Her.....last words?" he asked.

"Call Adi" Ana whispered, "She lost conscious before completing that!"

Adil took a deep breath and Ana said, "She didn't deserve this! Why did she have to go so soon?"

"Fate" Adil whispered.

Ana sighed and said, "I've taken some decisions. Varun will be attending his police interview this week and he will get selected, I'm sure. He will have to leave for training!"

"I know. Don't worry your marriage would be before his training" Adil said.

"No" Ana said firmly and he looked at his sister, "We'll marry after his training, that's after an year!"

"Ana....."

"No. I don't want to marry now. I don't want to leave you alone!" Ana said in tears.

"I'm not alone. And you'll be right there in RM! In Delhi!"

Ana nodded no and said, "I've decided bhaiyya. I've told Varun. He agreed!"

"You don't have to do this!" Adil whispered.

"I will!" Ana whispered and hugged him tight, "No matter how much I love Varun, you stand above that love! You're my brother! Even if years pass by and I've grandchildren, I will always be your little sister!"

Adil smiled in tears and kissed her hair.

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"Have they left?"

Ana looked up from where she was sitting in the dining table, hearing their uncle's voice.

"Who?"

"Raizadas" he said.

"Yeah" Ana said

He looked around and said, "Ah so have the other guests! So it's family now!" he said pointing to his wife and children sitting who were sitting and watching TV in the couch.

Adil walked to the dining table with an angry face. "Can you keep the volume down!" he shouted at his aunt.

"Respect boy!" uncle sneered, "This isn't how you speak to your aunt!"

"Well it's when my aunt is playing a reality show at high volume and when all me and my sister wants is a bit of peace!" Adil retorted. Ana clutched his arm and held him back.

"Are you asking us to leave the house?" Uncle asked angrily, "Boy this is our house now. Now that your mother is gone, both of you are under my guidance!"

"Guidance" Adil scoffed, "I'm 28 and Ana is 26. We don't need our dear uncle to guide us! And regarding the house, it's mine and my sister's. Not yours!"

His aunt stood up and was about to say something when Adil said, "You've watched enough for today! When you leave I need you to pay my electricity bill!"

"You brat!" his uncle screamed and Adil said, "You people never ever loved us. When mom was alive you guys never visited. I know why you are here. You want the property she has earned! She doesn't have a single penny from her parents or family. Everything that's under her name is solely hers and thereafter her children's. So it would be nice if you leave from our property since you aren't gonna get any!"

His uncle and aunt glared at him and his sister.

"It's your doom!" his uncle sneered, "Your sister is marrying that hindu guy. You guys consider those people as your family! They aren't your family!"

"And so are you guys" Adil shouted, "We don't need a family because me and my sister are not alone! We have each other and we have our parents looking after us from where they are. We're a family and I won't have anyone messing up with it!"

Ana nodded and said clutching her brother's arm, "I love Varun and I consider his people as mine too. But if I had to choose between Varun and my brother, it will always be my brother! Me, bhai, mamma and papa; We're Family."