The Royal Arrangement

Chapter 23: Inappropriate Suitors

Maira's POV:

I look at the person standing in front of me.

"How do you know him, Mai?" Well my sister's question broke my staring contest with the person standing in front of me.

"I just do." Knowing she is not going to get anything from me, she decided it's best to leave us to "talk" and see if we are good for one other and...I don't know, ready to be bear each other for our entire lives?

"Hey, Maira! How have you been?"

"I have been good actually. What about you? How's work?"

"Well, it's all pretty boring if you ask me." We both have now taken seat at the chairs available at the terrace.

We were both sitting awkwardly. I was gazing down at my hands when I hear him clear his throat and look up to assess him. I never pegged him as an arranged marriage type of guy.

"Maria, I know all this is very awkward and new for you and it is for me too. What do you think about this?"

"Honestly, Rahul I am not even sure what to think about all this. If you don't mind may I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"What happened to Tina, I mean I thought you guys were so in love and I was pretty sure that you both are gonna end up together." I can see pain reflect in his eyes so I immediately added. "You don't have to tell me if you don't feel comfortable." Basically I know Rahul from college. We were both classmates and we haven't interacted much but yeah, we have a handful number of times. I remember how he and Tina were an ideal couple, which is why I am so shocked.

Rahul is a 5' 8" guy with a muscular build, and he was wearing a plain black suit and my mind couldn't help but drift back to a pair of grey eyes who always did justice to three piece suits. Before I drown in those thoughts, I pulled myself out and diverted my attention to the person sitting in front of me.

"Well, I don't want to lie to you Maira, the thing is Tina, and I are still in love and we so want to get married, but it is just my family. You know that Tina is not as well off as us and my family thinks that it will be a disgrace if they make her their daughter-in-law. As bad as it sounds, we could have run away but none of us want to leave our families, so we have no option but to settle for other people." I am not surprised because more often than not people face what Rahul is facing. The dilemma of whether to run away with your love or to forget your love for people who have brought you up.

"Rahul, I think you should talk to your family and make them understand either by hook or by crook. You or Tina marrying someone else will not do justice to your future partners because you both still love only one other. In my opinion you should try convincing your family, try threatening them, I know that no parents would want their children to run especially your parents, seeing how concerned they are about the 'society'. Tell them to either get you married to Tina or you will not get married at all. You will only betray others by settling for someone else because in your heart even you know that you cannot forget her and same applies for her. As for me I cannot assent to this proposal so please."

"I never would have tied the relation with someone else keeping them in dark Maira. It's just I am way too confused about what to do and the pressure my parents are putting is too much for me to think."

"I get it. Come let's go down."

"Okay. But Maira don't tell my parents that you are declining the proposal because you know I love someone else."

"Rahul I am not declining your proposal, your parents are gonna say no to this." I smirk and give him a wink before leading downstairs. As we are about to reach the bottom steps, I turn around making Rahul halt thankfully without bumping into me. "And Rahul, convince your parents for Tina or else it might be too late." Receiving a nod from, we go down and make our way to the living room where I see some unknown and some known faces of my family members.