It wasn't romantic or easy. It was just something that happened."
"God! Was it worth ruining everything?"
"It wasn't. Dhruv, it happened. I don't want to justify it nor do I want to defend it but nor am I ashamed of it."
"You've ruined my life. T...
He tugged at his collar which increasingly grew tighter. The sweltering Bombay heat was something he was still getting used to since his posting was here.
Now he was sat beside his parents, it was embarassing at his 30 years. But he couldn't put off the marriage talk any longer, so here he was, seeing the girl whom he his father had chosen.
She was apparently very beautiful, someone who was a paegent princess. He didn't know why he was here when he his father and her father had already finalized the wedding.
The woman, no, he couldn't even call her one. She was barely a woman, came in carrying a tray of tea and biscuits. She was beautiful, that was true but she had a willowy innocent look about her. She was too thin like he could snap her in half. And as soon as she had come in, she left the room.
His father slapped his back, laughing along with his future father-in-law.
"I told you, Dhariya, she is pretty. The prettiest lady in the country!""
He said nothing and sipped from his cup. "How old is she?" He mumbled to his father.
"She's nineteen!"
Nineteen and Thirty were worlds apart. How could he even share a part of his life with a teenager? He was sweating out again. He stood up abruptly. "Smoke break!" He smiled awkwardly and moved to the terrace.
He took out a stick and bit on his and he patted his pockets for a lighter but his pockets came out empty.
"Need a hand?"
He startled and turned to his side to see a woman. The woman was wearing a chiffon blouse with a sleeveless blouse, her hair in a bob and her lips painted red.
His cigarette almost slipped from his lips; considering how his jaw was about to hit the floor. Clenching his jaw, he pulled out the stick. She put a lot cigarette to her lips and blew out smoke. God Almighty, was he hallucinating? Did he hallucinate a sprite under stress?
"Need a light?"
He nodded and walked to her. She clicked the light on and he bent his head, lighting his cigarette.
"Thanks" He blew out smoke, he felt instantly relaxed. His eyes wandered to her lips and lower to her neck and lower, to her cleavage. His body heated in an instant and he looked away from her embarassed that he was behaving like a milksop.
"Did you find my sister appealing then?"
"It's your sister?" He asked confounded. Why had they not offered for her instead? Putting aside the older sister in terms of marriage was unheard of.
"It's because I'm the black sheep of the family. Eloped with a guy to US and then we broke up, brought shame to the family, the whole shinding..."
"I mean...I never asked."
She laughed, "But you wanted to. Anyway, how did you like my sister?"
He shook his head and scratched his left eyebrow, "She's younger than I thought, I assumed that she would be in her 20's."
"So you didn't like her?"
"I... it's not a matter of me liking her or not, it's already pre-decided by my father so...it doesn't matter..."
"She doesn't like you, Dhariya. She is nineteen. She loves someone else and my father wants her to marry you so she doesn't elope. Like me." She flicked her cigarette butt on the ground and raised her saree and stomped it with her heels.
The glimpse of her feet and her ankle again roused some uncomfortable feelings in him again. "What do you want me to do?"
In some weird corner of his mind, a fantasy of her asking him to kiss her played. How gladly he would do that? He brushed that thought away, putting out his cigarette on the wall and dropping it.
Her scarlet lips curved in a smile; as if she was aware about his thoughts. "For a man to act helplessness in society moulded for him is stupid."
"Are you calling me stupid?"
"What else should I call you? You're so tightly wound, I wonder which lever I have to pull to dismantle you?"
He had no idea what she said because as she talked, she moved forward and tapped her index finger on his chest, right where his heart beat crazily.
"So you won't reject the proposal?"
"No." He muttered.
"Sad that you lack a spine." She said stepping away and he instantly missed her. She looked at home with such disappointment and disdain that he was ready to march to his father and reject this marriage. But he couldn't.
She shook her head saying, "Well...I have nothing more to say to you." Saying that she turned away from him and walked to the door.
A strange panic set in his heart seeing her slipping away.
"What's your name?" He blurted out. He had to atleast know her name.
Turning back, she smiled and said, "It's Nakshatra but you can call me Nats."
***
A/N: Dhariya is obviously Dhruv's dad. You have met Nats in Chapter 3. So if you don't know her, just go back and read that chapter.
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