Arranged Marriage ✓

Chapter - Fourteen.

[Nishita]

I knew that this was going to happen. I knew since, I and Darshan are sitting together then somehow someone will dig out the topic of our marriage.

"Why is it that, when both of us are denying to get married, our parents have to force us to get married?", he asked. It was a simple question. But he asked the wrong person. "How I wish I knew the answer", I merely smile. "If only either of us knew it, we wouldn't have been here", he too smiled, flatly.

"What are your plans of staying together?", I asked. "Haven't made any", he shrugged. "Do you have any girlfriend?", I don't fucking know why, but I asked him. "Do you really think I would be getting married to you, or even agree to get married to you and listen to the shit that Anita spoke, if I had a girlfriend?", he shot back and laughed.

"The answer is no, right?", I asked, again. He shook his head. "By the way, do you have a boyfriend?", he asked. "No", I replied, "Even if I had any, either I would have been tied up with him or I would have been tied up with someone else and you also are there, now".

"Meaning?", he asked as he hit the brakes, "We're here". I got out of the car and walked into the café. While my eyes searched for Anita, my phone beeped. To my surprise, it was a message from Anita. 'Stuck up in an urgent meeting, can't come. You two carry on. (If only you both showed up)', her message read.

I looked at Darshan whose mood was now off. "Did you got the message, too?", I asked. He nodded. "You want to stay in this noisy and crowded place?", He asked. "Your car is rather better", I replied. We both walked back to his car and sat comfortably beside each other.

He put his hand on the steering wheel. "Could you take me to somewhere else? Just somewhere I could get some peace. My mind's fucked up", I requested and he nodded as he started driving.

"Shall we continue the conversation that was left?", he asked, eyes not moving from road. He didn't even notice that I was staring at him. I stared at him, his face. His sharp jawline. The way he licked his upper and lower lip in every five minutes. The way he he blinks. His eyes. His eyebrows. His eyelashes. And my personal favorite, his nose.

"Are you going to answer me or not?", he caught me looking at him. "Huh?", I exclaimed. "You just got lost", he said. "Yeah, sorry", I said. We ain't even engaged yet and he already is trying to scold me, huh! "What did that boyfriend thing mean?", he asked. "Nothing", I shrugged.

"No, I mean, you said that even if you had a boyfriend, you would get married to someone else and not him. Why so?", he asked, sticking his upper lip between his teeth. "My parents", I started, "They think that since they have given birth to the three of us, that means it gives them the right to choose everything for us. Thus, both my brother and sister got married to my parents' choice. And here I am, forced to do the same".

"Why didn't you explained them that you don't want to do every that thing they say?", he asked.

"Darshan, be honest, you know me for like nine to ten years. And still you think I never protested? I did. I've always wanted to do the things that I wanted to. But you know what did I lack? Support. I never had the support of anyone of my siblings. It's not like, they were very happy with my parents' decision. They weren't. They too were like me. But the difference is - they never protested or even, tried to explain. And when it was about me, by then their lives were settled because of my parents' decision so they always thought that my parents' decision will settle me down, too", I said, and a tear rolled down my cheeks.

He instantly stopped the car and told me to get down. "What's wrong?", I asked. "Come out", he forwarded his hand. I took it hopped out of the car. "Cry", he said, "Cry out loud. Loud because, you can't explain your feelings to people. Just cry. But do not suppress your tears. Breakdown whenever and wherever you want to. It's your life. If not anything else, you should at least have the right to cry when you feel like".

His words forced me to stare at him, again. He stretched out his arms, "C'mere", he said, pulling me into a hug. I threw my hands around his neck and dug my face in his chest.

I could hear the thumps of his heart. I heard his heart beating. Tears continuously trickled down my cheeks. His hands rested on my back and he continued to rub them. "Cry. No one's going to stop you. No one will yell at you. No one will see you. It's just you and me for now", he said, kissing my head.

He was, undoubtedly one of the sweetest persons I'd ever met. I broke apart. He wiped my tears. "Wanna cry more?", he asked and I laughed. "Come", he said, taking my hand in his. We walked together in silence. ‌"What's this please?", I asked. "I don't know", he replied, "I just found it when I was new in Mumbai and lost track to home".

"Darshan?", I called his name out. "Hm?", he rose a brow. "Thank you", I said and he smiled. "But our ten year grudges don't die here. I hate you for dating my sister", I hit him. "Aww baby, don't be jealous. I'm getting married to you now", he said and I turned tomato red.

I pushed him and he began to run. I chased him, like I wanted to chase my dreams. "Stop, you!", I said as I run after him. "Baby, catch me if you can", he blew a kiss. "You just wait!", I said. We ran on the empty dark road, while laughing loud. Just him and I. No one to stop, complain about us. Just us.