“If a man is not faithful to his own individuality, he cannot be loyal to anyone.”

Shree’s Perspective

“Relax Di you are looking pretty.” Siya whispered in my ear as I descended down the stairs and eight pairs of eyes fell on me.

“Thanks!” I chipped, flashing smile. As I reached the hall, mom escorted me to them and I smiled, joining my hands “Hello!”

“Hello beta, come sit here.” The lady, who I suspected as Abhimanyu’s mother, patted the seat beside her and I collapsed near her having my eyes lowered as everyone was watching me and I was very nervous.

“How are you?” She asked and I nodded, finding my voice. “I am good, aunt.”

“Let me introduce you to my family…” She introduced me to everyone except Abhimanyu; I greeted them one by one and smiled at them. I wanted to have a full look of the man who was there for me but I was unfortunately sitting perpendicular to him. No chance whatsoever to see him surreptitiously.

“Hi, bhabhi. I am Vandisha, dada’s sister.” I chuckled at the way she introduced herself. “Hi.”

“And, I am Paridhi, the twin one.” Another one smiled at me and I nodded. “I figured that.”

“You are very pretty, bhabhi.” I blushed at their blended compliment and everyone laughed as well.

“Thanks.”

“Shree,” I looked at my right. Bhabhi smiled at me and elbowed her husband. “Anshuman, sit next to your brother.”

I smile at their concomitant and sat next to her when he complied his wife’s wish. Funnily enough, I was thankful of her because this way, I would be able to gawk at Abhimanyu as he sat opposite to me. A sudden yelp of a baby boy caught my ears as we talked. I watched bhabhi trying to gather the kid in her arms but he was wrestling incessantly. He was beginning to grapple and escaped out of her grip.

“Adi…baby, what’s wrong?” Bhabhi cooed, kissing the crown of his head. “Anshuman.” She beckoned dada and as soon as dada tried to draw him together. He leapt on to my lap and clutched on to me tightly.

“Adi.” There was an edge of reprimand in dada’s voice but the kid didn’t look up once he dropped his face in my neck. I couldn’t decide what propelled me to circle my arms around him and I cocooned him with affection.

“Give him to me. He’s going to ruin your sari.” Bhabhi forwarded her arms but I shook my head, rubbing his back as he clammed up. “It’s fine. He has his diaper on, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then it is fine.” I cuddled the baby and he peered at me with twinkling eyes that glistened with tears, “Me…Adi…Adi...”

His wobbling immediately stole my heart and I kissed his hair. “I know, baby.”

“It was my fault. I forgot to introduce the most important member of the family.” Abhimanyu’s badi ma laughed at the antics of her grandson and everyone chuckled.

“Shree, meet the youngest member of our family.” Dada said to me, ruffling his son’s hair. “Aditya Singh Chauhan.”

“Nice to meet you, Adi.” I crooned. “How old is he?”

Bhabhi replied with proud. “One and a half year.”

“He’s so cute.” I kissed his cheek again and he hid his face in my neck.

“Is he blushing?” I tried to peek at him but he tightened his arms around me and everyone giggled. Soon enough, everyone got engaged in discourse. I took the opportunity to silently stare at Abhimanyu as he talked to my dad and when my eyes met him, I averted my gaze quickly. That was thrilling, trying to lock our eyes in the presence of elders yet shyly peep away.

Abhimanyu’s Perspective

She was amusing herself with Aditya and talked to bhabhi, so I permitted to grab that moment to study her. She looked pretty, as Paridhi claimed, magenta suited her well. She was really very genuine and was mingling with my family. I was scowling furtively at mom’s Sherlock way of keeping me un-introduced when it was my wedding we were going to discuss here.

“Do you like her?” I heard mom hushing to me and I scrunched my eyebrows at her with disbelieve in my eyes. “I barely know her. How can I like her?”

“But you were looking at her!” She influenced me but I argued against it. “That doesn’t mean I like her. You haven’t introduced us much less talk.”

“I was thinking why don’t we let the kids talk in private. It would be good if they get to know each other and tell us their opinion.” Mom broached up.

Seriously, Mom! How can we take this decision within ten minutes?

“I agree with you, after all they’ve to spend their life together. Bu…uh...Shree, take him to the garden.” Her dad ushered her and she got up nodding. In a fraction, her auburn eyes clashed against mine and they pulled me deep.

I almost missed the utterance of “Come.” from her as she led me to the way of the garden which was actually a patch of flowers in the backyard. The lawn was perfectly trimmed and the evening view is ecstatic. The sky was filled with strokes of pastel shades and white puffs of clouds. “Um…be seated, please.” She smiled at me and I sat on the plush chair followed by her. Silence was enveloping us once again. I observed her as she was fidgeting with the hem of her sari, looking nowhere nervously.

“Um…what do you do?” She initiated trying to cut the silence. I smiled at her, placing elbows on the marbled slab of the table. “You don’t know?”

She inched up her lashes, slightly irked. “Okay fine. I am nervous. I’ve never been in this situation before and I don’t know what to talk.” She confessed, slightly embarrassed.

“Same pinch. This is my first as well. So, let’s begin from the introduction.” I elongated my hand and her expressions softened. “Yes, sure.”

“Hi, this is Abhimanyu Singh Chauhan, graduated from London School of Economics. I am working as CEO in my dad’s company; Chauhan Enterprises.” I felt like giving interview but her easiness was the prime precedence.

“I am Shree Jaisingh, graduated from PSIT. I am currently working as software engineer in Aston Holdings.” She met my hand. I realized it was good to come to point then. So, I put forward, “Do you have any objection to this alliance?”

She looked into my eyes, “No. I don’t.”

“Look, there are a few things that I want you to know before you nod to this relationship.” I premised and waited for her response.

“What?” She was calm.

“Shree,” I knotted my fingers together. Her name was alien on my tongue. “I do not simply believe on the concept of love. I can’t promise dreamy dates and confessions to you. I live in reality and I expect the same because I am not good with surprises and romantic gestures. This is not my league.” Her eyes were grave and her trimmed eyebrows were knitting together.

“But…”

“I am not finished yet.” I showed her my hand, “But if you say yes, I promise my soul to this relationship. I promise my loyalty, care, support and protection to you. I will stand by you in even and odds. There will be nothing that will make me step away and I will abide by every responsibility. Now think wisely and then decide.” I couldn’t believe why I said that but nothing made me regretted that.

“I will think over it.” It was her mere response.

Shree’s Perspective

“About three things I’m absolutely positive. First, Edward is a vampire. Second, there is a part of him and I don’t know how potent that part thirsted for my blood. And third, I am hell scared of him.’’ I echoed the same dialogue along with Bella, copying her accent but altered its end.

“Edward! Edward! Edward!” My hall buzzed with high pitched home theatre system.

Today is surely the lucky day... I thought, wryly looking at the scenario. Lazily dallying in the living when I tuned in the HBO, I witnessed Twilight going on and Siya jumped beside me, taking the remote controller under her custody. Since then, I was sitting watching this vampire romance reluctantly. Siya was dreamily staring at the screen as if Robert Pattison was about going to kiss her.

“Edward...” She squealed, excitedly and I thrust ear buds in my ears.

“I don’t understand why people are crazy for dead romance.” I expressed my dislike for the movie.

“Because, they are better than werewolf romance.” She sneered at me because I was a werewolf fan.

“At least they are alive.” I glared her, “And, before you say anything let me tell you I know how to disconnect the cable connection and I also know that you don’t know how to fix it.” I flashed an evil smile.

She looked at me ajar. “Are you blackmailing me?”

“Yes.”

“Mom!” I rolled my eyes at her whine. “Look what di is saying.”

“Stop complaining girl! You’re a big butt now.” I slapped her head.

“Butu! Stop troubling her.” Mom reprimanded me and inquired, “Did you get the call?”

“Yeah…My Volvo is on the way.”

“Bye and take care of your health. Don’t eat anything because you get stomach upset pretty soon.” Mom kissed my forehead and I blinked away the tears that gathered.

“I will. Bye, mom.” I rushed away after hugging Siya who made a demand of dress from Ooty.

“Rhea…” I yelled excitedly and she sprung up, sharing my excitement.

“Excited?”

“Very much.”

“Hi, Shree!” I glanced at Akshat who was sitting opposite to us and I grinned at him. “Hey, are you sitting alone?”

“Who said that?” Mrigank winked at me, hopping beside Akshat and they did some fist pumping. I rolled my eyes at them after recovering from his infectious wink. The sight of Mrigank had surely turned on the ignition in my heartbeat. He was too sweet to not have any crush upon him.

“How are you?” He asked with his honey flaked voice. ESV screamed in glee, ‘Someone please stop him to smile like that...his killer smile should be banned.’

“I’m good and how are you?” I managed to ask back out of courtesy.

“I’m also fine.” He answered with the same heart stolen smile. I focused on the chat that involved Aarti, Josh, Rhea and Akshat but Mrigank was a serious distraction.

“If you’ve forget, let me remind you that now you’ve a new chapter in your life named Abhimanyu.” Rhea whispered in my ear, catching me staring him.

“Shut up.”

“You know eyeing another man hungrily called--” I intervened in her ridicule. “Two things; first I was not eyeing him hungrily. Second, I’m not married yet which gives me right to stare at him.”

“Yeah, whatever.” She croaked, doing a falsetto. “Anyways, I forgot to ask what you guys talked yesterday.”

“The usual.”

“And what is the usual?”

“The basics only.” I shrugged, explaining her everything and she eyed me with ‘are-you-for-real look’. “That’s it?”

“Yes, I guess.”

“What does that mean? I mean who said these things at first meeting?” She reasoned, “I can’t promise you dreamy dates and confessions.” She quoted Abhimanyu’s words.

“What is wrong with that?” I frowned, “I know this was a dumb way of portraying that he had never been in love but what he told me was absolutely what I expect. I am happy that he said that, so that we will not have any misconceptions later on. Besides, I also want to reside in reality. I would prefer to have a lazy afternoon with my partner than a dream date.”

“Still.” She was contemplative. “Too much reality can be harmful.”

“I don’t think so.” I shook my head, vigorously. “He promised me that he will be loyal, protective, caring and supportive of me and are not these things constitute love?”

“So basically, you are ready to get married.” She twisted my words and chalked up a conclusion.

“I never said that.”

“You never said no.” She smirked, “And the way you advocated him presses that you’re floored.”

“Shut up!” I shoved my face in the book and she burst out laughing. “Deny as much as you want, Butu but the reality is Mr. Chauhan has knocked here.” She touched my heart. I licked my lips and blushed stealthily, hiding my face behind the book. Perhaps, he has really knocked here.

***

“Now check!” Rhea pestered and I, like a stalker, typed Abhimanyu’s full name in the search box, though I was dying to do that but alone not with her. The names rolled out and I finally traced him out of seventy nine Abhimanyu Singh Chauhan; he had this super sexy photograph set as profile, I took five extended minutes to ogle on him.

“He’s really hot.” Rhea whispered and something burnt inside me. For the first odd time in my life, I wanted to strangle her.

I hid the cell phone screen from her vision, “Don’t check him out. Focus on, Akshat.”

“Is someone burning?” She dramatically sniffed the air.

“Fuck off!”

“Tsk! Show me!” She nudged me. Reluctant, I reeled down his likes, dislikes and scrutinized his snaps. A certain snap caught my eyes that had a caption ‘Best moments’ and he’d tagged that with twenty of his friends. He looked young. Perhaps, this was clicked at LSE because some of the people were British.

“Will you scroll down please?” Rhea butted in and I rolled the cursor down.

“Shree…” I looked up at Akshat who smiled at me, “Mind switching seats?”

I grinned when Rhea blushed, “Get your lazy bums up. I’m coming there.”

He sat beside Rhea and I occupied the window seat, after having a fair bargain with Mrigank that said I would help him in learning gardening. He liked to have a small patch in his home but he was poor in caring for plants.

We played quizzes, Antakshari and every next thing that came up in our mind. We were tired after a few hours. Mrigank stretched his hands and I threw my head back on the headrest, Aarti was already begun to snore and I lost the track of time when my eyes dropped. I rubbed my face, slowly blinking adjusting my pupils to the lights that were faint now. Taking my surroundings in, I noticed Akshat and Rhea who were sleeping with head leaned against each other and on the adjacent seat where Aarti was sprawled covering her face with hood and Josh was busy in his phone. The Volvo was silent and I gazed outside the window to witness it’s almost night, I checked time; it’s half past eight. I rubbed my neck and rested my head upon Mrigank’s shoulder.