Smirk Of A Jerk

3. Teen

"Natasha!" I raised my head from my laptop to look at a pinched face of my sister.

"Ma is calling for you," The way her tone modulated in her message gave me a feeling like something went drastically wrong. Like someone had met with an accident! And the fact that we had travelled all the way to Hyderabad just for this to happen had me stilling, but only for a second.

Letting the laptop fall on the mattress, I stood up and rushed behind a scurrying figure of my sister. I still couldn't believe that she had finally accepted a proposal. Not that it was a bad thing. I wasn't annoyed at the fact that she had accepted the proposal after getting it for the sixth or perhaps seventh time. Or that she didn't like the guy earlier nor did she liked him now. But at the fact that she lived with a hope that he would propose me and I would save her from a clingy man by sacrificing myself. If she had to reject it, she shouldn't have tried to set me up as a bait. Now the consequences were clear -- she was getting married and I, I will be drinking some fantastic lemonade. Enjoying the free show.

Anyway, this wasn't supposed to be occupying my mind in an emergency. I couldn't help but remain calm and composed, despite clear concern on Kriti's face.

On reaching the living room of my airbnb apartment for the time being while my dad was confident enough in me to be already searching for a flat to rent, I found my mother biting into the red and white checkered kitchen towel as she went on staring at the television screen.

"What happened mother?" I schooled my features and lowered my tone, asking my anxious mother.

"Look what he's doing!" She pointed at the screen dramatically causing my eyes to focus on the video of Mr. Raivardhan on a daily press. He was seated behind a table and surrounded by a large number of microphones from various. The camera flashes lit up his face every now and then. The air of confidence surrounded him. A pair of aviators were stowed on the table before him. The smugness on his face was very much evident as if he was enjoying something greatly.

"Good evening, everyone. Thank you for arriving on such a short notice. I don't like beating around the bush, so let me get straight to the point." The audio of Mr. Raivardhan's announcement wavered a bit before the recording hung leaving everything in suspense.

"What happened?" I calmly voiced my confusion when the screen didn't proceed with the news.

"He's getting married!" My mother wailed dramatically.

"Good for him, he'll be more understanding now," I stated monotonously with reference to the fact that men learned to appreciate other women and become less demeaning after getting married. At least in a few cases that I had analysed. In this, I knew I could be terribly wrong but then it was just a theory in my head.

"What are you saying, idiotic girl! Weren't you supposed to be getting married to him? How can you miss an opportunity like that?" Kriti exclaimed causing my eyebrows to hit my hairline as I stared at her. She looked like she was heartbroken and everything just clicked in my head regarding what had happened.

"Pray tell me," I schooled my features into a poker face and eyes into the No-nonse as I looked from my mother to my sister and vice versa, "Which fool even thought of feeding your minds with the probability of me getting married this soon, with a person I have no idea about, other than his social status? And why would he propose me on the first meeting that ever took place between us?"

I watched my mother look away embarrassed while my sister gulped, not even daring to meet my eyes.

"I thought so," I added before looking at the screen for one last time and heading back to my room. The turn of events had me worried. Not because I wanted to be tying a knot to my soon-to-be boss but because my scheduled interview would be on the same day as his reception.