Rikara One Shot Story Collections I

Engagement Trilogy 1 : Mohabbat Ho Na Jaye

Hello everyone... Engagement Trilogy consists of 3 individual stories with the common theme of engagement in it. Hope you all will like this series.

Gauri wiped her tears as she looked out the car window as trees and buildings fled past her, seeing but not taking it in. She was still mourning her parents. They had passed away a year ago in a car accident and she was left with her uncle, Khuranna. Her uncle was nice though he didn't know how to behave with her having seen her only a hand full of times before her parents passed away. So she was lonely, and then another blow came when her uncle was called away for a project in the US for a year and he had to leave immediately. He couldn't take her with him and she couldn't go anywhere else. That was when Tej Singh Oberoi had unexpectedly called up telling them that his son was of marriageable age now and he was coming with his family to see Gauri. On further talking Khuranna found out that Tej and Shakti had promised that their children would get married once they grow up when they were of marriageable age. Gauri was shocked to realize that all these years when her father had talked about his best friend's son who had gone abroad years ago with his family would come one day to marry her was not just a joke. When Khuranna had informed Tej about Shakti's death and that Khuranna had to leave the country in two days and he had no idea what to do with Gauri, Tej had instantly asked him to send Gauri home as his family has permanently shifted to India saying whether Gauri came to her house before or after marriage was not going to make any difference. And here she was on her way to her supposed sasural to marry a man she had never met but was engaged to since she was born.

Gauri feels a hand on her hair as if someone was caressing her and she turns to look at Jhanvi Aunty who was smiling at her lovingly. Gauri smiles back at her, seeing her had brought back memories of her mother and it was making her homesick. Jhanvi Aunty had come to pick her up from the airport.

Seeing the tears on her face Jhanvi asks worried, "Why are crying, Gauri? Are you missing your chachu?"

Gauri shakes her head in no.

"Then?"

"Seeing you reminded me of mama." Gauri sadly tells her.

Jhanvi smiles at her "I am also your mother, right? You can call me Mom just like Rudra."

"Rudra?" Gauri asks confused.

"Rudra is my younger son. Your fiance." Jhanvi explains.

"Oh! You have an elder son too?" Gauri asks conversationally feeling comfortable with Jhanvi.

"Yes, Omkara."Jhanvi says happily, seeing the pride and joy in her, Gauri understood Omkara was his mother's favorite son.

"Who all are there at home?" Gauri asks.

"Just Tej, Omkara, Rudra and me." Jhanvi tells her, then adds "Now you, also. I always wanted a daughter, being in a male dominated family can drive you crazy at times." Jhanvi says laughing.

Gauri smiles seeing her laugh, "What about Omkara's wife?" Gauri asks.

Suddenly Jhanvi's smile drop and she says sadly, "My Om is not married."

Gauri being Gauri couldn't help but ask, "Why? He is elder to Rudra right?"

Jhanvi sighs sadly.

"If you don't want to tell me it is fine." Gauri says quickly seeing her sad.

"No. You are family, Gauri. My Om had an accident when he was small and he has a..." Jhanvi stops as she tries to control her tears and Gauri patiently waited, "a limp. And he feels that he will be a burden on his wife and has refused to marry."