Husband For Hire

37. Lizards, Veer Zaara, & Contracts

37. Lizards, Veer Zaara, & Contracts
Sarhad paar ek aisa shaksh hai . . . joh aapke liye apni jaan bhi de dega (Across the border there is a person . . . who can give his life for you)."

* * *

All of us sat down in the Langar hall where free food was served for all. Thankfully, the plates were divided into small sections to try a little bit of each Indian food they were serving.

I surprised myself by accepting second servings of the black daal (lentil soup). It was light and delicious. Even Jhanvi was eating like she hadn't been fed all day. Actually, she had wretched out her breakfast, so she was definitely hungry.

We returned to the house after three hours and Ashar's dad asked us to settle in the living room. He wanted to catch up now that we had enough time to relax.

"Neither one of you told me about my lovely daughter-in-laws," Ashar's baba said. "I want to know more about them."

"Baba, Anmol's parents and Jhanvi's parents own businesses in the state where we live," Ashar told him. "I met Anmol at a restaurant . . . "

"He loved me too much and asked my mom for my hand in marriage," I said a little too giddily. Then, I remembered the contract and my smile dropped.

"That's not true," he said immediately. I raised my eyebrows waiting for him to continue. "Maybe a part of it is true—"

"Wait a minute," Sunny interrupted. "Her mom agreed to the marriage just like that? She's heir to her father's businesses and you barely have a father who acknowledges your existence."

Whether the dig was at his brother or his father, Sunny earned a moment of silence. Ashar opened his mouth to say something but I beat him to it.

"My mom agreed after I said yes," I told Sunny. "Do you have a problem?"

I stared at Sunny with a challenging look. Although my yes had been forced at the time, I wasn't about allow Sunny relish in that. Ashar watched me rather curiously as if not expecting what I had said.

"Of course not, Annie," Sunny said, raising his hands in defeat.

"What is this Annie?" asked their Baba. "She's your bhabhi (sister-in-law)." Ashar pretended to rub his nose but he was hiding his smile. "Same for you, Ashar. She's Jhanvi bhabhi not Jhanvi."

"Sure, baba," Ashar said obediently.

"Does that mean I should call Sunny bhai (brother)?" I asked curiously, earning snickers from Jhanvi and Ashar.

Ashar's baba nodded while Sunny didn't seem amused. Thankfully, their stepmom announced she was bringing everyone chai.

Apparently, there was a designated time before dinner called chai time.

All of us had tea and Ashar's baba asked about Jhanvi and Sunny how they met. There was a point raised about them not having children as of yet.

To which, Sunny had replied, "Maybe you should worry about your children first before thinking about grandchildren."

Jhanvi seemed shocked by Sunny's cruel behavior towards his baba. But his father let it go. Both guys were on the same boat of hating their dad for abandoning them.

Ashar's baba moved on to asking me about my job and interests. Once the old couple heard I was into moviemaking, they promised to show me Bollywood classics.

Starting today.

While I had seen a few old ones from the 90s, they still had a list of what I had to watch. Ashar's stepmother went to the extent of putting one of her favorite Shahrukh Khan movies on TV. She had a CD of Veer Zaara.