Soulfully Fated

2.Fated

DEV's POV:

It was 6:50 in the evening as I predicted to reach the Mansion. The house was decorated to my surprise. There was another fleet of cars at the entrance. Did I miss something? Kiara or Karan's b'day? No. Then?

I stepped inside only to be greeted by the sight of the Maheshwari's. If I am right I know what this is.

A marriage setup. The process, where two people are tied together by a relationship called marriage.

I looked up to see my stepmother beaming with happiness, while my dad didn't look happy. My uncle on the other hand had a pissed expression on his face. Ramya Maheshwari, daughter of the business tycoon, Ajay Maheswari was sitting between her parents with a shy smile on her face.

"This is my eldest son, Dev." Mrs. Verma chimed in, her face reflecting a great deal of accomplishment.

"You might have heard about him. He won the 'Businessman of the Year' award a couple of months back." Mr. and Mrs. Maheshwari nodded their heads and smiled in response, seeing me. I gave them a tight-lipped smile, slightly bowing my head in response.

Kiara and Karan hugged me, taking me off guard.

"Bhai, you are always busy", whined Kiara. I looked up at my dad, baffled who just averted his gaze. My uncle was glaring at them. If looks could kill, they would be twelve feet under.

"Kiara, don't trouble him. He is busy looking after the company. Look how thin he has grown. He doesn't even seem to eat and sleep well. Dev, why don't you talk to Ramya meanwhile. I'll set dinner for us." Mrs. Verma stated.

With the things happening around me, I couldn't give a proper reply. I just nodded my head in response and signaled her to follow me. I led her to the terrace as it was the only place I could get my mind off things. I could sense her following me behind.

I took a deep breath and turned around. Ramya was fidgeting with the ends of her dupatta. I was good at reading people from the past experiences of my life. It was an important trait in the profession I was in. She looked nervous and uncertain.

"So you know what all of this is about?" I asked her. She nodded her head in response. I sighed.

" Will you please open your mouth and speak?" I asked. I didn't want to sound rude but at this point, I was on the verge of losing my sanity.

"Yeah, my father told me that our families have arranged to marry us. It will also be beneficial for the company as well as for our families." She replied.

"And you are okay with it?" It came out to be harsher than I intended to. She flinched at my tone but nodded her head. I sighed. This was no good. Women were the last thoughts in my mind. Marriage was never.

" Look, I cannot marry you. Don't get me wrong. It's not because of you or anything that concerns you. But the mere fact that I am not interested in marriage." her head snapped in my direction hearing my response. I could see her trying to mask the rejection. I don't know what my stepmom had filled in her head regarding this entire marriage facade. I could see the gears turning in her head regarding my decision.

"Do.. Do you ... like... love someone else?" She asked meekly. I let out a humorless chuckle.

"No. I don't." I saw her relieve a breath. Kiara's voice boomed from the entrance making Ramya flinch and snap our heads in her direction.

"Mom is calling you guys downstairs. The dinner is ready." She said and turned to leave.

"By the way, did I disturb something?" She teased.

"No. You did not." I curtly answered and made my way downstairs.

The table was lavishly decorated with a lot of food. Seems that Mrs. Verma badly wanted this deal. I sat beside my uncle while Mrs. Verma made Ramya sit to my right. She caressed Ramya's hair as an act of a loving mom. She even went to the extent of piling up my plate with food, wherein she had never cared to ask me if I had ever eaten in my entire life. My uncle snickered beside me seeing the affection my stepmom was displaying.

"So what do you think about the proposal, son?" Mr. Maheshwari asked. There was an eerie silence that filled the table.

"No sir. I am not ready. This cannot happen." Mrs. Verma gasped hearing this.

"No, no sir. He must be joking. He has bad timing for jokes. Dev, why would you say something like that? You are kidding right?" Mrs. Verma chimed in.

"No. I am not joking. With all seriousness, I am not interested in getting married." I stated. My uncle was happy, and dad looked relieved, while Kiara, Karan, and Mrs. Verma were glaring at me. Mr. and Mrs. Maheshwari looked furious.

"Mrs. Swetha, what nonsense is this? Do you think our daughter's life is a joke for you? You told us that your son is madly in love with our daughter. That is why we are here in the first place. Now, this is the case?" Mr. Maheswari's voice boomed in the hall. This news shocked us. I liked Ramya?

What the hell?

Mrs. Verma flinched at his tone. Though they were good businessmen, they had a deep regard for ethics and values. They were known for their strong cultural and secular thoughts too, making them a feared group of businessmen in the country.

"Dev never saw your daughter until today, sir. This meeting today with Ramya was unannounced for him. I am sorry for all the trouble you had to take. Dev must have had something specific about this in his mind that he had declined this offer. We are sorry." My uncle apologized. The Maheshwari's immediately left the place with my stepmom running behind them to cajole them. Pissing them off was not a good sign.

"How dare you do something like that? Do you know how important that deal was? It would have bought us so many profits and development, but no, you had to spoil it. Why is it so difficult for you to think about the company rather than thinking about yourself?" Mrs. Verma roared.

" And how dare you sell my nephew's life for a deal? Do you think his life is a play for you? Is this how you would choose a suitor for him?" My uncle countered. My Uncle and Mrs. Verma never got along well. He was the only guardian protecting me from my father's second wife and his kids.

"Dev shall marry only according to his will and wish. He shall not be forced to marry anyone out of a business deal." My uncle added.

"Dev, your mother would love to see you settle with a beautiful and amazing woman. Someone who would provide you with all the love you have never received. Someone who would cherish you the way you are." Uncle said emotionally.

"So you think someone would marry him? He is so boring and doesn't even have a life. People think that he is gay because of his unresponsive behavior towards women. He even has a man as his secretary. Who does that? And that accident which occurred three years ago, I am sure there are still after-effects of it." Karan said with a hint of victory on his face.

Shocked was an understatement that I felt at that moment. Never have I ever felt so weak and hopeless. My dad was silent through all of this. Everyone around me always wanted something from me. My money, my fame, the status I held. No one knew the real me. My best friends know a part of me that was lost as time passed, but no one could understand me completely.

"Dev, I know a girl, whom I feel is the best for you. There is no hurry for you to meet her, but believe me, once you meet her, I am sure you will like her. I honestly think she is the one for you. As I said, there is no hurry. Meet her at your own free will. I will also talk to her about this. You will not regret meeting her, I promise." My uncle said breaking me out of a trail of thoughts. I simply nodded my head and walked away from there.

It was about 9:30 in the night when I reached my penthouse. I had lost my appetite. Sleep was far away for me. My mind wandered to what Karan said, back at the mansion. Three years ago, my life had taken a turn in a worst possible way. Neither death was at my will nor life. 

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Here goes another update. Do let me know your views on it. I also need help from you guys. Dev and Mithra are the lead characters. I need a name to ship them. Can you think of a few? And before you go, press that teeny weeny star down there. 

Thank you.