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Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

While my mom was all about how pretty the prospect Parijaat was and my aunt full word of appraisal of the glass vase that she had hand painted as they showed her picture to my granny.

My uncle couldn't stop blabbering how tasty her hand made snacks were.

My father kept on exaggerating about how refreshing the tea that she made was.

My granny the drama queen of the decade!

No, no I love her but she is too much sometimes/ corrections all the times

She looked at her picture and was almost teary eyed. "Oh my when will she deck up in her red bridal dress and come to my house. I will drink tea twice made by her in a day."

Lol, I do not plan to marry her, well I do but I doubt she'll make tea if she agrees to what I have in mind.

Now I feel guilty.

Damn it!

Come on tea is a tea, it always refreshes if you are addicted to it.

How special it can get if your expected would-be daughter in law would have made it.

Mind it they haven't asked me once if I liked anything about her.

Well Pari's father was anxious and wanted to know but I calmly replied, "I have just returned from U.S, have a severe jetlag and I need time to think."

This was again killing two birds with a single stone cause my father dare not suggest that we go and look for another girl.

Probably that was the only good thing that happened in a day.

No the second good thing because meeting a new friend Pari as she liked to be called was also good if I delete the acquaintance added about marrying her to it.

We'd have been good even better friends if we had met in different circumstances.

That reminds me I have to call her ASAP and start with my plan.

''''''''

Wow! The typical nerd seated with loads of books and files in the Café Plaza.

No wonder she is obsessed in becoming a doctor.

"What? I knew this meeting would be a blunder." She yelled irritably to another guy who too wore nerdy glasses and was exchanging books with her.

Yeah! I know I too am pouting not the right time to enter into a tigress's den but cant help it.

Time was flying and my family was getting anxious each passing day waiting for my answer.

So I masked my negativity and walked towards her.

She was upset now "Ganesh can you apologize on my behalf and ask for a retest. Tell him anything, any damn f##k,ing excuse that I was busy helping another faculty. Please" she almost begged.

"No worries. I'll do it for my favorite class mate." He winked at her and left.

Yes! The nerdy ugly guy full of pimples winked at her and I was boiling why?

Don't ask me.

Yet when she was back to work, least affected by him, I felt relieved.

"Hi" I greeted confidently and she jumped.

"Hi" she greeted meekly.

"Sorry I did not intend to scare you." I said trying to be a gentle man that I am.

No judgments folks!

"Its okay actually I was lost" she shrugged and pouted at the same time.

"No wonder. Even I had to search you behind these stack of papers." I winked as I mocked at her earning a glare from her.

Oops bad timing. She didn't take my sarcasm.

"Come to the point" she said flatly "I am running late. I have to go for tests."

Didn't she just deny that she wouldn't be able to make it? Whatever.

"Well then I guess you are going to miss it." I said as I leaned back trying to be as comfortable as possible on the plastic chair of her canteen "Because what I am here for will take some time."

"How much time?" she stared at the silver strap watch she was wearing and then shook her wrist frantically in the air and tried to look at it again.

Obviously it wasn't working! It looked like a watch from 80's. How'd it work?

She pouted and started hunting among her pile of papers without uttering a word.

She had to stand up and bend as she did this and when the round neckline of her white kurta curved, I got a vision of nice round and sculpted bosoms..

Yeah I am a bastard! But a gentleman one, I did not stare for long though I longed to. I mean I am a guy and I was not forcing her to display. She did.

Okay stop with your accusations. White flag waving!

After she was done searching and I trying to be decent and avoiding the display of her beautiful umm... you know what I am talking about she finally succeeded to get a black box kind of thingy.

Shit! This was a mobile phone.

Nokia; the oldest version.

She stared at the screen turned her lips into a thin line and suck in the lower one.

Yes! Yes! I was observing every bit of her facial expression and you cannot blame me. She is one hell of a beautiful Asian woman.

"Listen I have ten minutes if you could hurry." She almost begged and when she looked at my relaxed demeanor she added, "Please"

"Do I make you nervous?" I asked as I smirked at her.

"What? Why? Why should I?' she started rambling but in a louder voice than expected.

"Because I just overhead you saying to that nerdy guy who was flirting with you that you would be missing the test and now you seem to be anxious to attend the same." I leaned in closer to look at her browns, anxious browns "so do I make you that nervous that you feel like running away? Am I intimidating?" I asked seductively as I wriggled my eyebrows.

"Do I have to pick either or shall I reply "None of the above" she snapped irritated.

"Come on we are getting married. We cannot fight." I tried to calm her.

Her face lost color all of a sudden "bu... but.. you said you didn't want to. You had a girl... girlfriend" she swallowed making me smile. She equally loathed the concept of marriage.

"Its not funny Mr." she yelled.

Is she a chameleon changing colors so frequently nervous, shy, angry. Well forget it...

"Well forget it" she almost stole my thoughts "Then I guess there is nothing to talk. I think there's nothing much we could do about it. I am leaving.' She picked up her files in one good swipe and was about to leave when I stopped her holding her wrists.

She froze. She actually froze.

Was my touch doing this to her?

"Please leave my hand" she said in a choked voice.

She was scared and I immediately dropped her wrist.

She licked her lips once again and closed her eyes, the pain evitable in her face making me want to hug her.

But before I could anticipate she opened her eyes and she was back "I have to go."

"We can escape the whole wedding thing." I came to the point.

Rather I did not want to mess with her: the vulnerable her moments ago melted my heart. I wanted to help her in any possible way.

And here it was win-win for both of us.

"And how is that possible?" she asked not interested at all.

"Please you have to give me time for that." I said seriously.

She moved her thumb on the strap of her denim tote obviously ancipitous of her thoughts.

"Come on you have to trust me." I tried to convince her.

"Trust you?" she raised her eyebrow.

"You do not have a choice until you want to marry me." I smirked at her "I know I am smart and handsome and obviously marrying me is every girls dream."

"Obsessive arrogant " she murmured sitting in front of me defied and defeated.

And I smirked further. She can think whatever she wants but end of the day I was at the upper hand.

"So do I have enough time?' I asked stalling enjoying the pout of her breasts.

She had folded her arms around her chest.

I did not tell her to do so DON'T JUDJE.

With an audible unladylike huff she sat defeated and gave all ears "Lets get over with it." She muttered more to herself and I chose to ignore as if I pretend not to hear my dignity or male ego whatever it is gets unharmed.

Okay you can write FOOL on my forehead in capital letters when I am alone but...

"See you don't want to get married for your career and I too don't want to get married right?" I stated not for an answer but still she complied with the nod of her head.

"So" I paused as I offered the biggest solution of the problem that appeared to be at the moment "We get married'

One clap, two sarcastic clap, three humor filled clap. "Wow you are a genius idiot" she stated and stood up "you are the biggest moron I have ever seen or met. We don't want to get married" this time she was louder than expected and what a solution you have to offer "lets get married"

The entire cafeteria was now looking at us as if we were the latest Karan Johar[famous Bollywood director] cliché movie of all ages.

"Will you just tone down your volume? People are staring" I pulled her to sit down instead she swatted her hand away from me.

"Oh you guys are staring" she shouted looking around the cafeteria and added "please carry on because we have biggest of rarest material of the earth seated here." She gestured her hands at me and I wanted nothing but to sink into the floor right at the moment instead I sank into the chair if this would help.

And guess what?

People around were bigger morons they actually stood up to see what a specialty I was.

Now suddenly Pari or the arrogant bitch, yes this was the recent nickname I had for her because I was gritting my teeth annoyed at her for I was offering solution while she was being a major bitch of all times.

Okay my way of offering solution was a bit too off the beat but I did not mind amending my mistake. So I stood seated.

"Are you done humiliating me or there is more?" I asked.

She suddenly realized what she had done and looked around embarrassed at her own deed. Fiddling with her own fingers she chose to sit.

When she noticed that all the guys and girls were still staring she shouted, "Shows over" a little intimidatingly making the crowd disperse and me awe at her This small town girl was full of surprises

"I don't want to beat around the bush and come to the point." I offered to explain and the bitch that she was

"Wish you'd realize it earlier" she muttered and I pretended to not hear again.

"See we can get married for elders and I take you to my home in Delhi and also get you enrolled in a college there. I have my project to be finished in a span of two years in India and after that I can go back to US and you are free to live your life as you wish since you'd also have completed your degree by then. So it's a win-win."

She was shunned in silence for a long moment probably processing what I was saying and was jumping on my chair eagerly waiting for her response.

After a long lasted silence she finally spoke and I heard with utter concentration

"This was the stupidest plan I have ever heard." She said calmly "Dumbass" she shouted later.

"Are you crazy? We are talking about marriage here" her voice muted no was she was ashamed of whatever topic she was talking about. "I am leaving"

"Okay fine then go ahead and deny the marriage and wait because if my parents have a series of expected brides waiting for a groom from US, your parents surely have a series of grooms who are eager to get married to a homely girl from a small town."

Except that she is an arrogant bitch who desires to become a doctor. I did bite out the italic part because it was hazardous at the moment.

She went into a thinking mode again, the scrunching of her thin sculpted eyebrows knitted together.

Time to hit the hammer I told myself and held her hands that were fiddling as she scrapped the half erased pink nail paint with her other nail "see I know you are desperate to become a doctor and I really honestly appreciate that and again I too am desperate to evoke this wedding. So this is the best possible way we can do it. Just think over it. Try to be positive about it. It is most convenient for both of us."

She heard everything clearly the debate running in her mind evitable and clearly visible as she bit her lower lip and released it repeating the process "Convenient?" was the only word she spoke or rather question to herself probably.

"Yes. I promise that I would do all my best to get you enrolled to one of the best medical colleges and me......"

"Wow! Moron! Idiot! Stupid! Dumbass" she chanted a series of adjectives and none of them acknowledging anything good about me...

Should I dig the floor and sink into it?

Or someone give me handful of water that I can drown myself in:(

"Daughter with added in law's in India are not meant to study, they are supposed to be decked up, look presentable and stay in the confinings of the kitchen. Your plan is a FLOP." She did not wait to take a breath but continued her rants of disappointment

"You'd surely get what you desire but me.. wait you never told me why you are against this wedding?" she asked out of no where.

And her stance made it look like she was genuinely interested so I went ahead with my part

"Well it's a long story but I'll cut it short for you. I love someone from US and want to marry her eventually." I started and the curios cat killer that she is she interrupted "Then marry her. Why did you even come to see me?"

I almost banged my head on the table. Girls can be so irritating.

Apologies for the stereotype

"Because she is an US origin, not an Indian, a blonde and my family would never approve of her, not in this birth."

She chuckled, humor evident in her sharp laughter "You don't seem to be the kind to be bothered aboutyour family

Oouch! that hurt but unfortunately that was true. They would be hurt with what I was doing but I still was doing maybe this way I could damage control

"You are probably right. I can walk away but this project I am doing, I need my family's goodwill and I cannot walk out of them, that will ruin my career, my future that I cannot take chance with." I finished and looking at the calculative look on her face I asked again "convinced?'

'So you pick to marry me and then dump me great!" she lifted her hands in the air quoted fake appreciation "and how'd they approve of their daughter in law studying? Humor me."

She raised her eyebrows.

"It's my responsibility to enroll you to a college in Delhi where we'd be settled in after the marriage and convincing my parents is not that difficult. My dad always promotes women liberalization and is also a chairman to one such club, letting his daughter in law study medicals after marriage will only add feather to his cap. Simple." I said nonchalantly leaving her speechless for the first time in the evening

Yay!!! Throwing my fists up in the air in celebrations

"After two years you'll be a Doc and my project will be done and I'll be big and wont need my family's goodwill anymore. So we'll be good." I finished.

"Good will that's all you need your family for?" she asked.

I was taken aback with her question. She was right but I wasn't ready for that. Still I had to answer her. I needed her to trust me, how much so ever selfish it may sound.

"Well then we can say that you dumped me and I would act utterly devastated till I meet Sam again and boom happy-happy. I am sure my granny would love to see me happy again." I suggested.

"You are quite a manipulator." She commented.

"I may be but now my family is trying to manipulate my life by forcing me to marry someone I do not know or love. Is it fair?" I made my best puppy dogface that always worked with girls back in New York and stared directly into her eyes.

She too returned the stare and then after several long moments later she turned pink and looked away.

Oh! How and why do I long to know what she thought that made her blush pink.

She licked her lips again and clicked her tongue "Okay." She said

"Well okay what? You okay with the whole wedding or you think they'll actually take it?" I asked desperate as if her opinion would matter a lot.

'It actually would' I hit my head imaginarily it's her who is supposed to marry you.

"Okay I mean so this would be convenient for you to convince your family about Sam.?" She was still confused.

"I guess yes and probably that the only option I have at the moment because there are almost five more girls that they had chosen for me to see and decide.. Wait two were just introduced today. So there are 7 more." I said smirking proudly.

"So you could try your plan with others why me? And did you ask Sam? Is she okay?" she asked sincerely.

"Sam' I waved my hand dismissively "she is a modern girl and she'll understand you don't have to worry about her."

"But still I don't find it correct. I mean wedding, fake.." she hesitated.

"Look you trust me or not but I trust you. I see passion for your career in your eyes and I am sure you are going to make it one day. Again rather than wasting time looking out for my would-be brides who would agree to marry me, I rather concentrate on my work. This would be convenient for both of us."

"Convenient. So this marriage is for both of our convenience" She stated as if she was registering the plan finally in her brain.

A broad smile might have spread across my face because I could see my plan getting successful as I shouted "Yup.. Marriage for convenience"

THANK YOU so much all the wonderful people out there to give this story a chance:)

Means a lot

Dedicated to @purvarautvinay for being the first one to comment on the story.

My little Bubbles I miss you and feel encouraged every time you comment on my stories

Love your honest works too:)

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