Focusing on the task ahead, Preetha angrily walks inside the Mariott and gets on the floor as told by Arhaan.
She pushes the door only to realize it's the terrace of the 10 storey hotel.
Seeing some lights at a corner in the otherwise dark place, she moves there to find Karan.
Contrary to her imagination,there are few fairy lights hanged, a red cosy make shift coach with white pillows, projector and white screen, few starters on the side table and a food trolley.
She gets surprised but realizing Karan is meeting the girl at such a charming place a scowl replaces her smile.
Preetha: Karan! Karan! Kaha ho thum?
She is yelling for him when a hand closes her mouth from the back capturing her through waist.
She wiggles hastily but stops hearing his whisper,
Karan: Calm down dragon.It's me.
She relaxes but her anger makes her wiggle again as he is not leaving her so she bites his palm.He immediately backs off while she stands infront glaring him,
Karan: Ouch!
Preetha: Thum yaha kya kar rahe ho? Aur kaha hein thumhari date?
Karan: Meri date mere saamne tho hein.
She turns back to see none,
Preetha: Kaha?
Karan(showing her): Yaha!
Preetha: Mein?
Karan: Aur kaun?
Preetha: Kya? Arhaan ne kaha ki thum kisi ko mil rahe hein?
Karan: Mil raha hu na.Thumse.
She understands after a second,
Preetha: Matlab yeh sab thumne jaan bucke kiya?
Karan(defends): Aur kya karu ? You are not meeting me so I had to do that.
Preetha(relieved): Oh god!
Karan: Now....now.....give me a hug.Bahot din hua.
He whines, she shakes her head before walking into his arms. They hug tightly for 5 mins and Karan takes her to the cosy bed.
Preetha: Yeh kya hein?
Karan: A movie and dinner date with M'lady.
She giggles as he bows infront of her.
Preetha: But Karan ghar mein.....
Karan: Kaho ki thum friends ke pass reh rahi ho aaj raath.Ab thum kuch math bolo.Let me do my work.
He hurries and she sends a message to Mahi about her staying in hostel with friends.
Meanwhile,he opens the dishes from the trolly, serves her and sits beside with his plate. She is surprised by all the arrangements but enjoy as they finish the dinner in dark.
After eating Karan pours some soft drinks and gives it to her,
Preetha: Thank you so much. I really needed this little break.
He smiles as she lays her head on his shoulder,
Preetha: Pata hein jab Arhaan ne kaha ki thum kisi ladki se milne jaa rahe the mujhe bahot gussa aayi. Meine kaha " lecturer thumhara friend hein lekin aaj mein unko padaungi".Wo dar gaya tha aur kaha ki "thum sach mein dragon ho" .(they chuckle) Thank god wo jhut hein warna mein apna fighting skills thumhara upar use karna pada.
She jokes but he doesn't laugh,
Karan: Wo jhut nai hein.
She raises her eyes to look at him,
Karan: Ma ki zid par mein 3 ladikyon se mila hu.
She sits straight,
Preetha: Huh?
He lowers his eyes,
Preetha: Mujhse kyun chupaya?
Karan: Mein chupana nai chahtha tha lekin thumhe bhi pareshaan nai karna chahta.Isiliye meine nai bathaya.
Preetha: Baath tho ek hi hein Karan.Thum mujhse pehle hi batha dena chahiye tha.
Karan: Sorry!
Sighing, she again keeps her head on his shoulder,
Preetha: Waise itna jaldi kyun hein thumhari ma ko? Aise nai ki kuch hojayega agar shaadi nai kiya tho.
Her casual words make Karan go stiff.
Karan: Shayad!
She can sense something is wrong so sits straight again holding his arm,
Preetha: Karan?
He looks at her, she is demanding an answer.He takes a minute contemplating whether to tell or not but decides to reveal,
Karan: Jaanu aur Arhaan ki shaadi ka muhurat fix karne keliye ma Guru dev ke paas gaye the. Tab ma ne mere baare mein bhi pucha.Mera kundli dekhke unhonne kaha ki kuch dosh vagera hein jiski wajah se mujhe bahot bura honewala hein.Uska Parihaar keliye mein apni patni ke saath havan karna hoga aur kuch niyam bhi palan karna chahiye.Aur yeh kaam kitna jaldi hua tho utna behtar hoga kyunki aanewali wakth mera nai hein.Kuch bhi ho saktha hein.
Preetha at once lost all her color.
Preetha: K....kya bol rahe ho?
He sighs signing all this is true and continues holding her hand,
Karan: Ma bahot dar gayi aur mere peeche pada. Meine bahot try kiya tha usse manane par wo sunthe hi nai hein. Bas Unkeliye mein ladikiyon se milne keliye tayar hogaya.
Karan could see the tension in her face and fear in her eyes, he immediately cups her face relaxing her,
Karan: This is why I didn't tell you. You will be scared just like mom. She is worried for me Preetha. I don't blame her and I also don't want you to feel pressured. Because as soon as she knows about you, she won't rest until she takes you to our house. But you have goals to achieve and I don't wanna become a hurdle or a headache for you. I want you to do everything as you wish.(looking into her eyes) As much as I wanna carry you into my house I know you are not ready.
Tiny drops appear in her eyes,
Karan(wiping them): Don't worry I will handle it.
She immediately hugs him not able to take what he said,
Preetha: Do you believe all that?
Karan: My mom believes.
Her hold tighten while Karan understood what she might be thinking,
Karan: Hey don't worry ok. Meine kahana mein handle karlunga tho karlunga. Thum tension lene ki koi jarurat nai hein.
She doesn't say anything and he decides to lighten the mood,
Karan: Acha chalo.Sab kuch bhul jao aur enjoy karne do mujhe aaj rath. Kyunki ghar mein Jaanu mauka nai de rai sone keliye bhi.
She smiles at his effort of making her relaxed while he starts the movie.
After a while,
Karan: That's hilarious. Heina?
No response.
He looks down to see her sleeping holding his torso. Smiling, he shuts the movie and lay back in a comfortable position embracing her.
Karan is so happy and relieved feeling her in his arms. Lately, he is stressed about his mother's worry, Janu's marriage, office works and on top of it missing Preetha. He needs this little break as much as she needed it.
Though it's not his plan to reveal what the actual matter is, he just couldn't hide it from her. He knows she would understand. But his mother wouldn't. She is hell bent on marrying him. He is not knowing what to do. He can't ask Preetha about marriage as it ruins her plans, he can't say to his mother about Preetha as she is not ready, he can't meet the girls like this and reject them cheating his mother and Preetha.
What to do?
He doesn't know when the thoughts pulled him into deep slumber.
At midnight, Preetha suddenly jerks shouting Karan.
She is startled looking around the calm place but sighs heavily seeing Karan sleeping beside her peacefully. She concludes it as a bad dream and thanks god for not making it true.
Drinking water, she lays beside facing the starry sky.
What a sight.
She releases a long breath as her mind now starts thinking about what to do.
Preetha is always a will driven person. She thrives everyday to make herself deservable for her own name. That thirst to prove herself made her the COO in such an young age. Her studies and family are the only thoughts until Karan.
He stepped into her world and became her whole world.
What would happen now?
His mother won't take No as an answer for many days. She would definitely select someone and force him to accept her. What can she do when her son is in danger? But what about her?
Should she leave him? Impossible!
Then what should she do......... For the man who shifted countries for her, for the man who gave up Oxford to become a lecturer just so he could be with her, for the man who understood her friendship with her best friend, for the man who respected her aims and gave her his immense support, for the man who stepped into her world and now became her own world.
One glance at him and she knew what to do.
As she got the answer, she smiles and looks at the person who is sleeping peacefully. She tousles his hair and kisses him.
Preetha: Anything for you!
Just like that she sleeps feeling the cold breeze with a small smile on her face.
MORNING
Its early in the morning when Karan wakes up to see her already staring at him resting her head on her palm,
Karan(cutely): Good Morning!
Preetha: Shaadi karoge mujhse?
He gets confused but understands,
Karan: Shaadi nai dosti hein dragon. Uss film ka naam Dosti karoge mujhse.
He too mirrors her position and they lay opposite to each other,
Preetha: Mein film ke baare mein nai hamare baare mein puch rahi hu.
Karan(confused): Kya baath kar rahi ho?
Preetha: Shaadi Karoge mujhse?
He understands what she is asking but didn't knew why,
Karan: Haa karunga.
Preetha(happily): Fir chalo apni parents se baath karo aur mere ghar aao shagun leke.
Karan: What the hell are you talking Preetha?
He is now completely awake and sits down while she too sits infront of him,
Preetha: Hindi nai aatha?
Karan: Preetha?
Preetha: Kya?
Karan: Kya chal raha hein thumhari dimaag mein?
Preetha(giggles): Hamari shaadi ki pictures.
Karan looks at her sharply while she stops giggling,
Preetha: Simple si baath thumhe samaj kyun nai aa rai. Dekho mein thumhe display nai karna chahtha ladikiyon keliye. Mujhe nai pasand wo sab isiliye mein thumhe shaadi karlungi aur meri cupboard mein safely rakhlungi sab buri nazar se bachake.
Karan chuckles listening her but he knew what she is doing,
Karan: Mujhe pata hein thum kya kehna chahthi ho Preetha par mujhe manjur nai hein.
Preetha: Kyun?
Karan: Because you are doing it out of obligation not because you want it.
Preetha: Issme obligation kya hein Karan? Iss saal nai tho agla saal. Shaadi tho karna chahiye ham.Fir ab kyun nai?
Karan: Really? Thumhara plans aur goals ka kya hein? Itni saal ka sapna aise hi chodoge thum?
She averts her eyes,
Karan: Shaadi ke baad thumhe Arora hi nahi Luthra bhi milega. Tho kya karoge?
She smiles as he is still thinking about her,
Preetha: Ab tho mein pakka hu apni decision pe. Career ki baath aa gayi tho meine ek plan soch liya.
Karan(frowns): Kya?
Preetha: M.B.A. khatam honekeliye ek aur saal baaki hein. So ham apni shaadi ko ek saal chupake rakhenge duniya se. Jaise hi mujhe gold medal milegi mein apna post official karungi aur shaadi bhi. Kaisa hein?
As soon as he listens it, he thinks it as a joke,
Karan: Are you kidding Preetha?
Preetha(rolls her eyes): Why will I?
He can't believe she is serious,
Karan: Do you even know what you are speaking? Shaadi chupake rakhna.....yeh kya baath hein aur ham kaise karthe hein? Agar media ko pata chal gaya tho it will become a complete mess. Hamara families handle nai karpayenge. Unki baath aa gayi tho ham families ko kya bolenge? Kaash kar thumhari family ko? Agar mein yeh bolunga ki mein unki beti ko shaadi karunga lekin secretly. Thumhe lagtha hein ki wo maanega? Ghar se nikal denge mujhe.Bilkul bakwas hein yeh idea.
He is already standing exasperated at her idea,
Preetha: Mere paas koi raastha nai hein Karan. Itni saal ka sapna mein bekaar mein nai jaane dungi. Thum jaanthe nai ho meine bahot mehnet kiya.Raat bhar mein kaam karthi thi aur subah college jaathi thi. Kuch din meine sona bhi bhul gayi sirf meri sapnon ko puri karne keliye.
She is telling all this as if he doesn't understand her and this irritates him,
Karan: Itna important hein tho thum yeh decision kyun liya? Mereliye? Aise mehrbani karne ki koi jarurat nai hein. Mein manage karlunga.Waise bhi "Ham Apke Hein Kaun?"
He is frustrated by this discussion, he didn't even ask her then why she is doing all this?
Preetha: Meri sab kuch.
He snaps his head at her whose eyes are twinkling with tears,she immediately hugs him,
Preetha: Meherbani nai matlabi hein.Thumhare bina mein kuch kar nai paungi Karan kyunki meine zindagi thumhare saath dekhna shuru karliya.Jaha pe bhi hu mein chahthi hu ki thum mere saath ho mere bagal mein. Kyunki thum hein tho sab kuch hein warna kuch nai dikh rai mujhe.Mein thumhare lekar chance nai le sakthi Karan. Please understand! Yeh decision thumhareliye nai mereliye liya. Hamareliye.
He melts at her words. He hugs her back relishing the moment and rewinding what she said.They have it to themselves.
She comes out of hug,he cups her face,
Preetha: You ok with it?
She asks regarding the plan,
Karan: Who wouldn't after your heart touching speech?
Preetha(seriously): Wo speech nai thi.Wo meri feelings hein.
Karan(kissing her nose): Pata hein mujhe. ab thum bathao kaise manayenge sab ko.
Preetha: Pata nai. (he frowns) Meine sirf idea di hein full proof plan thum banana hoga.
Karan(narrowing eyes): Full proof or fool proof?
She chuckles,
Preetha(teasing): So Mr. ab kya karoge aap?
Karan: Aur kya? Yeh dilwale iss dulhaniya ko le jaane ka plan banayenge.
With broad smiles, they hug each other for their upcoming future.
The next one week is dreadful for Karan & Preetha.
Regarding his family, its easy for him as most of the members already know about her. When his parents came to know about Preetha, they are more than happy.
Until his mother saw her pic.
She was shocked seeing Preetha and knowing she is an Arora is a bolt for her.
Sahana took Preetha as a girl of pride and greed.She didn't like her a bit and absolutely hated her guts but her son likes this girl.But how? What did he see in her?
So she asks the same to him,
Sahana: Why her?
Though the question is small Karan knew his mother is expecting something else,
Karan: Wo achi ladki hein ma. Khud se kuch banna chahthi hein without any name or background. Do you know why she chose business when her whole family is in medical field. She wants to help her father in maintaining the hospitals. She had the opportunity to study in the best University but she is studying here because she loves her family. She can't stay away from them. Though she could easily get into any college she took the entrance test. She succeeded in it and got scholarship also. But you know what's interesting ma she gave her scholarship to another poor student and enrolled herself as a recommended one. She is born with a golden spoon ma but she didn't take anything unless she made sure she is deserved. What more is needed to like her?
Sahana saw the happy glint in his eyes, adoration in his words, fondness in his smile and determination in his voice. And instantly, she gave her nod for her son though she is not sure.
ARORA'S
Coming to her family, Karan first met Raghuveer respectfully and told about Preetha and him and his intention to marry her. Aroras are more surprised than shocked as they already suspected something is going on in Preetha's life observing her changed routine, going early for college and frequent lunch and dinners with her 'friends' but they didn't expect it to be serious and that too with a Luthra boy.......never!
As Karan directly approached for marriage they couldn't turn down such a nice proposal. Also Preetha responded positively so Raghuveer and Varun left nothing unchecked about Karan and his background. Satisfied, they gave their approval to the Luthras.
Its a bit tricky for him to convince them about the idea of hiding their marriage because he want 1 year to fully establish himself in India and take charge of the business though its not the truth. Mahesh helped him in convincing Raghuveer, Sahana with Sarla about Karan's horoscope though they are reluctant but accepted as Preetha doesn't seem to have a problem with it.
The two families decided to meet at Arora household officially to fix the date.
All of them are in the backyard chattering and waiting for the pandit to come up with the dates when Sameer suggests having same venue for both of them. Everyone agrees with it as the thought itself seemed excited.
Just then Karan sees Preetha walking to them in a green dress. Today is her last exam so her friends decided a party but she ditched them and ran back here. How can she miss this?
Times like these make Karan happy. She knew what is important at that moment.
Varun: Wo dekho aa gayi dulhan!
He yells making everyone turn her side, she flushes and greets the elders. She is about to sit beside Jahnavi.
Jahnavi: Yaha kyun baiti? Thumhara place tho ab waha hein.
She pushes her towards Karan who catches her. She immediately composes while the youngsters hoot.
Arhaan: Arey waah meine tho kahbhi thumhe dekha nai sharmate hue.
Varun: Thum kya? meine khud nai dekha. Sach mein Mickey mujhe tho laga thum bhi apni behen ki tarah hogi.
Mahi: Kya kare? Mujhe sharmila banne keliye koi hein nai Mickey ki tarah.
Varun glares her as all of them chuckle,
Jahnavi: Kismat kharab hein hamari Mahi.
She comments making everyone laugh at Arhaan and Varun,
Both: Kismath tho hamari kharab hein isiliye aapki jokes ki centre bane ham.
They both sigh looking at each other.
Raghuveer & Sarla are happy looking how they received Preetha and how they are already considering her as a part of them. They both bless her to have a happy life ahead.
And continues in the next part.......
They are lovely! 😍