Arranged marriage was an age-old story that Khushi, the youngest of the infamous Gupta family, who revolutionized and dominated the trading market for generations, knew well.
For it was the only thing she heard growing up.
But that neither prepared...
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Arnav chugged another glass of scotch as the clock behind him chimed midnight. He had been sitting in his office for over three hours now, as usual making calls that were pointless and drowning his pain in alcohol.
He knew he had to leave soon and trudge his way back through the city to his penthouse. Once upon a time that apartment, bought on the insistence of his mother to keep peace between him and his father, was his solace; but now, it was just another of the many things he avoided.
If truth be told, Arnav had lost the will to do anything. His life, believe it or not, was hung up on one phone call.
He had just poured himself another glass of scotch, when his door was thrown open and his sister walked in, her face as cold as ice. All the drowsiness vanished without sight, as Arnav stood up immediately, wondering what on earth happened now.
"Di," he said, clearing his throat. "What's wrong? Why are you here so late?"
Anjali stopped in front of his desk. "Oh wow, you know it's late," she replied sarcastically. "Should I be proud that you still haven't lost your sense of time?"
He looked guiltily at the floor.
"I must say Chote," she continued. "You have grown up to be quite the man, haven't you? Too busy to come home, too important to answer phone calls, too stressed to drink anything but alcohol."
"I-I just lost track of time Di... it's not a big deal."
Anjali was livid. "So you would rather sit here and drink yourself sick than come home to a wife who spent the whole day starving for your long life?!"
Arnav didn't follow. "Starving?"
"It's karva chauth today! Were you too busy to remember that too?"
He vaguely recalled reading Khushi's post-it that morning. "I am human Di," he mumbled. "I can't keep track of everything..."
"So Khushi's first karva chauth is nothing but another business meeting that you can't keep track of, is it?!"
"I... I forgot."
"You forgot?! Did you also forget to see Shyam's message-"
"What mess-"
"Or pick up your phone?!" she continued furiously. "Do you even know how many times Maa and I called you this evening? What could possibly have been more important than your family Chote?!"
"You called me?" he muttered stupidly, before searching his pockets and pulling out his phone. Sure enough, there were some twenty odd missed calls, although he couldn't remember hearing even one of them. And what was this message his brother-in-law left him? The last Arnav could remember was seeing the top floor of the company, where all the executives were housed, empty when he returned from his meeting with some local competitors.
