Mister and Miss Bachelor

Chapter 7

Anirudh sat on the sofa beside his Kaka with a soft smile. 

"Zamindar Babu! You not only have been blessed with a good nephew, but he is also good-looking!" The man said as he chuckled.

"You are right! He sure has so many good things about him, if he was atleast not that stubborn and rebellious..." Kaka replied with a grin as he slapped Anirudh on his back. Anirudh glanced towards him awkwardly.

"This is my daughter, Suhashini! She has heard a lot about your certain contributions. She really admires you!" He said happily to which his daughter looked down with a soft smile.

Anirudh quietly looked towards them, smiling a bit as he looked away, "I see.... Sir, before we proceed to any further things, I think, I want to tell you something important.... "

"Oh, I see. Go ahead then. You are going to be my son  after all!"

"So.... " He paused for a bit, "I think it's better if your daughter doesn't marry me, and..... I hope you can take time to listen to me.." He replied slowly. Kaka's slight frown and bewilderment of the man were the responses which accompanied his sudden reveal. 

"What are you trying to do Anirudh??" Kaka whispered to him quickly. 

"I, am already in love with someone, you see. I can't get her out of my head, that I am afraid I will betray your daughter. I can't sadly marry her too as she has no feelings directed towards me, making it difficult for me to forget her. So, um, it will take me more time to just, let go off these feelings. I hope you can understand." He said as he slowly looked towards him. 

After a moment of silence, the man replied, "Ha ha ha, I see. So good to be still young at heart. But, my daughter is really good at everything, you see? She will make a great wife! You will be able to fall for her quick once you get married-"

"I am sorry but I can't do that." Anirudh quickly said, "I can't use your daughter's feelings to forget mine. It's really unfair to her. Her feelings are ought to be respected. I am not questioning her capability.... It just doesn't sound right. I hope, your daughter soon meets someone who can return her feelings.... Please, think of your daughter's feelings too."

His answer was enough to make the others quiet. 

"You are really good with words, Anirudh Babu. You really are a Barrister!" The man replied with an uneasy laugh, "This is what we can expect from such a great person like you after all. I am not even feeling hurt after listening to you.... Zamindar Babu."

"Y-Yes? Please don't mind him. He doesn't mean to reject your daughter." Trilochan tried to say. 

"No no, it's okay. He is right after all. I will think about it." He calmly said. 

With a sigh, Anirudh comfortably sat as he thought, "So stressful! Well then, one more push and then, I will be free from this situation. Thank God I had talked to Bondita earlier..... How did she even come with this? !.... "

"Hey Bondita, what are you planning?" Anirudh remembered their conversation. 

"It's a surprise! Just some fun!" She grinned. 

"No, please no surprises. I am already tired mentally. Just do something simple. Were you thinking of causing a scene?" He asked her to which she looked away. 

"N-No, nothing like that! You worry way too much!"

"Your face is telling me eitherwise. Seriously, drop that idea and think of something else. Will you try to pretend to be someone else or what?" He questioned her with a slight frown.

Bondita sighed and replied, "Fine fine, you win here. Then..... " She leaned on one arm, "Tell them about your feelings, just pretend. You are a good actor after all. Just narrate a sad story about your love or something. I guess this will work."

Anirudh stared at her quietly to which she twisted her brows, "What now? Any complains?"

"No, thanks for this idea." He smiled at her. Bondita grinned, "Good for you!".

"I had to seriously tell my feelings to others. Bondita, you silly girl!" He chuckled at himself. 

"Noo! Anirudh Babu! You can't do this to me! Noo! You can't marry anyone else!" They heard someone wailing suddenly. Their eyes stopped at a veil hidden face, that of a young woman. 

"My Anirudh! Where are you?! Who are you marrying without me?!" They heard her high pitched voice. 

"Hey! Is this the girl you were talking about?!" Kaka whispered to him.

"Of course not! I don't even know her! I already told everyone of you the truth! " Anirudh whispered back.

"It's hard to believe you sometimes. Hey you! Who are you now?!" Kaka said in a loud voice.

"I am his secret lover! Give me my Anirudh! I can't live without him!" She said in a high pitched voice again.

"Huh! What a stubborn stranger! Anirudh says he doesn't know you! Go away!"

"No no! I won't! He is mine!" She said as she ran towards Anirudh and clung to him, making him feel awkward.

"You!" Kaka shouted again as he walked towards her. They both instantly got into an argument, while the girl and her father watched them silently, wide eyed. 

"Ah, Kaka, listen, Kaka..." He tried to calm him down. In this dispute, the woman lost her balance slightly and fell on her knees. Anirudh quickly stepped behind when he realised he had mistakenly kept his foot on her saree.

"I-I am really really sorry! It's my fault! Are you hurt anywhere?" He asked her as he looked towards her while gently making her stand. His eyes widened slightly when he saw her face and said in a soft voice, "Batuk? It's you?".

Batuk quickly hid his face with his veil and hurried towards the stairs. 

"Where you do you think you are going?! You are a thief! Aren't you?!" Kaka shouted in rage as he ran behind him with his cane stick.

He walked towards the surprised people and said, "I am really sorry for all this ruckus. I will leave you till your car if you allow me to."

"It's okay. You don't have to apologise. Thank you." The man replied with a smile to which Anirudh smiled too.

The girl smiled at him as she walked away. 

"Finally time to rest!" He thought as he smiled at her.

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Somnath wrote on his notebook silently while flipping pages of his book. He suddenly heard Batuk's cry which made him worried, "He is finally done. What happened to him?!"

"Dada! Dada!" He shouted as he ran into his room and closed the door.

"Did something happen?!" He walked towards him. 

"Dada! Save me! Kaka will ban sweets for me if he finds out-"

"Where's that girl?! Where did you go?!" They both heard him yell. Somnath quickly took hold of Batuk's saree and pulled it harshly, while Batuk twirled. 

"Oh, I am remembering something..." Batuk murmured. 

"What now?!"

"Draupadi's cheer haran. Kaka told me about it tomorrow."

"Somnath!" Kaka called him after he threw the saree behind his bed,

"Yes Kaka?"

"Did you see any girl coming here?"

"Um yes, she jumped out from that window." He pointed outside. 

"So she was really a thief! I couldn't catch her!" He muttered as he walked away from his room.

"Thank you Dada." Batuk grinned at him. 

"I am not helping you again! You seriously call for trouble!" Somnath snapped at him. 

P.N: Thanks for reading. 😄🙏💕 I hope the story is going well for you!