Author's POV
Nikhil's eyes lighted up as soon as he saw his grandma standing at the door. Shakuntala came and sat on the bed and when patted her lap, Nikhil like a three-year-old kept his head on her lap. She started caressing his hair lovingly. Nikhil for a while forgot all the mishappenings of his life and closed his eyes enjoying his grandmother's love.
Shakuntala was waiting for him to speak up.
"Grandma." Nikhil broke the silence that was spread into the room for the last ten minutes just like she had anticipated.
"Yes, Nikky," Shakuntala called him from the nickname he never allowed anyone to call him except her.
"Everything is changed," he said. His dejected voice made Shankuntala uneasy.
"Hmmm."
"I am scared."
"Hmmm."
"And worried too."
"Hmmm." Irritated of his grandma's monotonous redundant answers he got up from her lap and sat in front of her. Looking sadly at her he asked, "What's with this hmmm every time? I need your help."
"I know."
"Then help, me, please." He knew all he needed was a little guidance and things will start to be on track slowly.
"Ok, tell me how do you feel?" Nikhil was bemused and thought out of all person she was asking how was he feeling even when he knew that she was aware of what he must be feeling. Nonetheless, he decided to answer.
"I don't know grandma how do I feel, I am confused and I feel so...feel so.." he couldn't find the appropriate word to describe his life that used to be organized before but not anymore.
Shakuntala understood her grandson's dilemma and answered for him, "Disoriented?"
"Yeah," he replied. That's why he liked her company. She always gets to know his thoughts.
"What do you want to do now? Leave the girl you married?" She knew his grandson, and also that he had already made up his mind for something.
"What? No." Nikhil almost yelled. Shakuntala smiled for brief so that her grandson couldn't notice.
"Then what do you want?"
"I don't know." He knew what he wanted but was scared to accept it. Well, the always organized guy's life has become a little messy and he was scared of the fact that things will not go like the way he had planned.
"Help me, please." he pleaded, feeling helpless because of the condition.
"What do you think, is the right thing to do?" she asked.
"How would I know?"
"OK, tell me what's bothering you the most." He sighed audibly before saying,
"You know grandma, that I always plan a lot before taking a step. I am used to take calculative decisions. Marriage is a big thing and it wasn't even on my cards till I turn thirty. You know why?"
"Why?" Though she knew it still, she let him speak.
"I wanted to earn enough to fulfill the desires and needs of my future spouse. I don't want anyone to struggle. I don't want to become a failure in any one's life but now things are different." Shakuntala felt proud of her grandson hearing him.
"Nikky, if I ask you something will you answer me honestly?"
"Yes."
"Do you want to stay in this marriage?" Shakuntala asked hoping him to accept but she still received the same reply,
"I don't know."
"You do, you are just scared to accept," she stated the fact making him anxious a little bit.
"I don't know what you are talking about," Nikhil replied without meeting his grandmother's gaze.
"Okay, then, divorce Anvi."
"What? Grandma this is wrong," he replied instantly. The conversation was not going the way he planned. He didn't think that his grandmother will suggest something like divorce.
"I don't know right or wrong, all I know is there are two options either you want to stay in this marriage or not."
"Marriage is a big thing grandma, just like it needs two hands to clap, the same it can't work on one person's decision." He stated his biggest fear in front of her.
"You are quite conflicted," Shakuntala commented.
"I know."
"Do you remember the first time you travelled alone?" Shakuntala asked.
"Yeah, and I was scared."
"And when you travelled with your parents how did you feel?" she was now using his life experiences to pull him out of the pit of conflicts he was thrown to.
"It wasn't that scary, the journey I thought will be scarier but to be honest it wasn't. I kind of enjoyed it."
"Just like that marriage is a journey, beta. But the good thing is you won't be alone in this you will have a companion and it won't be that much scary."
Shakuntala had understood that Nikhil had already made up his mind to give his marriage a chance but was scared. She was trying to make him fearless but all his fears will only go away when he will step into the journey.
"But what if I won't be able to give time to the other person or what if I fail to fulfill my responsibilities." She didn't want to give him false hopes so replied,
"These fears will stay with you until and unless you take that leap of faith until and unless you decide to work on your relationship."
He was still agitated, not sure if the decision he had made up in his mind was right or not.
"I was only eighteen when I got married. I was scared and so was your grandfather, but if we wouldn't have been together through every thick and thin our marriage would have fallen apart long before." Shakuntala gave her grandson her own example. She thought it would be more accurate if she tries to give him live examples and her trick worked. Nikhil was feeling confident of the conclusion he had reached. But his face soon turned pale making Shakuntala realized, there is more.
"Should I confess something to you?" Nikhil asked lowering his head as if he had committed a crime. When his grandmother nodded, without wasting a single second he said,
"I feel like a cheater."
"Cheater?" Shakuntala asked being unaware of the guilt her grandson was going through.
"I was dating someone in London. I was planning to propose her on her birthday," he replied making his grandmother shocked.
"Why didn't you tell us before?" she asked. Guilt overpowered her hearing Nikhil.
"I thought to introduce her to you all after she becomes my girlfriend."
"I am sorry, beta. We messed up everything." she couldn't believe the things were messier than she had thought.
"It's not your fault. In fact, it's no one's fault." Nikhil smiled sadly at his grandmother as he knew it was all written in his destiny.
"You love her?" she asked hoping his answer to be a No.
"No, I have feelings for her but I don't love her."
Shakuntala was out of words, she wasn't prepared for this but his grandson was now able to see a clear picture. He was feeling heavy but now after confessing he felt a little better. He knew Dia will understand him. He had made up his decision earlier but he wasn't the only one to take a step, he couldn't, without her, without his wife.
"Anvi, Can I come in?" Mitali asked her daughter-in-law who was sitting at the corner of a bed cursing her fate in her mind.
"Aunty, you don't have to ask. It's your house," she replied.
"I hope I am not disturbing you?" Mitali asked again taking a seat beside her.
"Not at all." she liked Mitali's presence. Mitali was so motherly that she could talk all day with her.
"What are you looking at?"
"The garden. It's beautiful." Anvi replied as it could be clearly seen from the bed placed near the balcony of her room.
"Mom designed it," Mitali stated amazing Anvi.
"Really?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"Beta, can we talk if you are comfortable?" Mitali didn't want to hurt her but she had no option instead of talking about the matter. Anvi nodded giving a go-ahead signal to her mother-in-law.
"What do you think, beta, about your marriage?"
"I...I don't know," she replied averting her gaze.
Mitali kept a hand on her daughter-in-law's hands before asking, "Are you scared?" Anvi couldn't reply.
"Don't worry, you don't have to be scared. Nikhil is not a bad person." Mitali said although she didn't come to Anvi to boast about her son.
"You must be thinking I am here to brag about Nikhil but it's not like that. We forced him into this marriage. He is just a little disturbed. He will be fine very soon. I know things have been really difficult but I want you to talk with him. Will you do that for your aunty?"
"I..I will try," Anvi replied as one day or the other she will have to talk to her husband.
"Thank you, beta." Mitali left her alone as she didn't want her daughter-in-law to feel unpleasant around her. Though Mitali had understood that Anvi likes her presence still, she wanted to give her some time to be with herself for a while.
Nikhil's POV
"I can do this."
"No, I can't."
"I can."
"No, I can't."
I was pacing back and forth in front of my room thinking whether to step inside or not. I was being a scaredy-cat. Well, it's not my fault, it's not like I get to have a forced marriage daily.
"I don't think I can," I mumbled and decided to go back but before I could someone pushed me inside that I stumbled with the small table near the door making the vase kept on it fall on the ground. I heard someone flinched and again I was successful in scaring her.
"Great Nikhil Arora." I scolded myself.
"I..I am sorry." I apologized when saw her face laced with fear. I was already very nervous because I was certain she thinks of me as a jerk after witnessing last night. I won't spare my brother for this as who could push me instead of him.
Both of us were standing at three feet apart and were looking here and there in the room. At that moment my room looked so interesting to me.
Though I knew I can't do this for long, still I was not taking any step.
"Do, something Nikhil, are you here to make her nervous?" scolded my inner self and when I looked at her found her more anxious than me. I needed to make things better so that at least she feels comfortable in my presence. After all, I have to spend my life with her.
Yes, I had decided already what I had to do but was scared. I know she has no option except to accept this marriage but I will make sure that it's her wish to stay in this marriage.
"Hi," I said looking at her. She looked here and there to confirm whether I was talking to her or not.
"Hi," she replied after making sure I was talking to her only.
Wow! Her voice.
Her gestures were telling me that she was still very nervous and a little bit scared as well. I had to make her comfortable anyhow and she wasn't any terrorist I should be scared of. I took steps towards her and saw her getting more tensed. A lot of things were to be fixed between us I thought.
"If you are comfortable then can we talk?" I asked. She looked up, her eyes met mine, and damn those beautiful eyes. When I used to watch her from afar in the restaurant I always used to think there was something majestical about them.
"Yeah," she replied breaking curt eye contact. I had never heard her voice before in the cafe, maybe because she was never too loud just like other customers.
"Let's talk in the balcony. What say?" She nodded and both of us went towards the balcony. We settled on the couch maintaining a good distance between us.
"By the way, I am Nikhil Arora, your husband," I said as if she was oblivious of the undeniable fact that I am her husband and she was my wife.
I was about to apologize to her about my previous night stunt when she said,
"I am sorry."
"Sorry?" I didn't understand what did she mean but all my confusions got cleared up when she continued,
"It all happened because of me. You were forced into something you didn't want. If you want I will get out of your life as soon as possible. I know what I did is not forgivable and I won't tell you to do that," I could see her blinking away her tears. She wasn't at fault yet she was asking for forgiveness. I had never seen her this weak when I had seen her in my cafe.
"Anvi, I called her. She looked up at me and a lone tear escaped her eye which she wiped instantly. I wanted to console her but couldn't. We were not that close, just two strangers tied together by fate.
"You don't have to ask for forgiveness. We both were forced, we both suffered." She was staring at me as if she wasn't expecting this.
"I wanted to talk to you about our relationship." she kept listening to me while looking at me.
"I know whatever happened was not justifiable but it happened, it was in our fate and we can't turn it back. It has impacted two families but more than that we two are impacted. We are tied in a bond now and for me, marriage is not a joke." I stopped for a moment and continued further,
"Anvi, I want to work on this relationship. I know I sound absurd and you might be thinking that I am fooling you but it's not the truth. Marriage is a heavenly bond for me even when I don't know you but I still want to give this a try. But, I also want to know what do you want? Do you want to take a leap of faith with me? I am not compelling you to answer now, take your time and then answer me."
I felt relieved after telling her everything.
"I don't have a choice except to work on this relationship," she said not looking at me. I felt bad for her but more than that I felt a little hurt and I had no idea why.
"If you don't want to, no will force you," I said though I was sad she didn't want the same as me.
"It's not like that. For me as well, marriage is a heavenly bond. I never considered it as a joke." Hearing her answer I felt a little relieved.
"So you want to work on this, together. We can try, right?" I was hoping for an affirmative answer from and did receive the same.
"Yeah."
"Don't worry, we will take things very slow. I mean we don't even know each other so let's take the first step to our relationship." She got alarmed but I smiled at her before saying.
"I am Nikhil Arora, a businessman situated in London. Will you be my friend?" I extended my hand to her. She looked at me and then at my hand. To make the situation light I added,
"Don't worry, my hand is not laced with thorns."
She smiled before holding my hand for a handshake. Her hands felt too soft to me that I wanted to hold them for long. Alas! My wish didn't get fulfilled.
"I am Anvi Shekhar, I work in Blue Bell Publishing house, London," she replied after taking back her hand out of my hold.
"Blue Bell Publishing House, It's near to my cafe." I grinned at the fact.
Anvi's POV
"Your cafe?" I asked. Why was he lying? He was a barista but he told me something else.
"Yeah, Keepers Cafe. Don't tell me you haven't seen me before," he said and it was the truth. We did have seen each other and also had shared awkward eye contacts.
"I did."
"That's my go-to place. My cafe keeps me sane. I always go there in the morning before attending those tiring meetings that keep me busy all day."
"You are not a barista?" before I realized those words left my mouth and I had to put my hands over it.
"A barista?" he asked amused.
"No..nothing." I stuttered. We were talking for the first time and like a stupid girl, I had embarrassed myself in front of him.
"You thought of me as a barista?"
I had no way out. Lowering my head down I nodded. I was expecting him to be angry but I heard him laughing. When I looked up I found him laughing like a mad man clutching his stomach.
"A bar...baris..barista," he said between his laugh making me frown. What's there to laugh about I thought.
"What's there to laugh about?" I couldn't control myself from asking him. He composed anyhow and replied, "You know, you need to read newspapers."
I was stunned listening to him. How does he knows I don't read newspapers? Is he a magician or what? "How do you know I don't read a newspaper?"
"Because then you would have known me, silly girl."
"I don't understand."
"You will, very soon." he got up from the seat probably to go out. My mind lingered over the conversation we had a while ago when I heard his voice again.
"Anvi." I looked up to find him standing at the door of the balcony with a charming smile playing on his lips.
"See you at lunch," he said and went out making my heart beat faster.
What was that?
Do share your views about our Arora couple.😂