As soon as I reached home that night I threw my bag on a chair and slumped down on the couch, trying to settle my nerves. It was too much to take in. The past days...today...Abeer... it overwhelmed me. I didn't usually like addressing things in life that made me uncomfortable. I liked denial. You refuse to admit to things out loud, because then they become real. Palpable. And had to be dealt with. Something I didn't like. 

I decided then and there and I needed a distraction. At least for the night. I took my phone out and scrolled down to find a missed call from mom. Home sickness took over me as I hurried to dial back. It was 10.30 PM, meaning they must have got ready to go to bed.

"Have you decided to forget us?" My mom's booming voice greeted me after three rings. I smiled despite the snide remark.

Classic mother.

"Hii mumma! How are you? How is papa? And I have not forgotten you it's just a lot of work here. Chaudhary bohot paka raha hai aaj kal, mom!"

"I hope its just your boss. And we're fine. Will be better if you care to call us more," mom replied, making my heart ache.

"What do you mean by 'I hope its just your boss'?"

"How is your Neel guy?" I guffawed uncontrollably, to the point that I struggled to breathe. I could faintly hear my mother in the background, relentlessly questioning my maniacal behavior.

"Neel guy like cow in Hindi, how could you not understand the pun? It was so funny," I giggled, trying to rein in the cackles.

I was skeptical that she knew what pun meant but before I could ask she had already jumped on another topic.

"I was asking if he was doing well. He is your mami's distant relative. Remember I had told you about him? He is very smart and simple. The family is well-endowed and respectable as well. It is good that you're working with him. How do you find him?" I groaned internally. I could smell the matchmaking vibes all the way from Mumbai. I wasn't a fool or an amateur to not realize the ulterior motives lingering behind innocent interviewing. So I retaliated.

"What did aunt tell you?"

"Your mami? About what?" I rolled my eyes, not buying the ignorant act my poor mother was trying to put up. I was exhausted to continue the cat and mouse game. So, I pounced.

"Is she trying to set us two up? If that's the story, then please, don't get your hopes high, mom. He's...let's just say he just isn't as charming and all as mami has probably told you. Look, we just have a professional rapport, and I would like to keep it that way. I know aunt has put this thought in your mind, thus the interrogation." My mom bristled. I just knew how this would end.

" I don't need your aunt to tell me stuff. I'm your mother, Aashi, don't use that tone on me. You are almost twenty eight now. Many of your friends are already married!"

"Mom, let's just not compare their lives and mine now. They have a completely different background story as to why they got hitched in the first place. Let's just not go there," I sighed. 

They married out of love - had their boyfriends/girlfriends, their own love stories - and it was useless to point these out to my mother. It would lead to another round of lecturing from her, and I wasn't in the mood to take it without bursting out in frustration. Things like these weren't preferred in my family, to put it mildly.

"Look beta, we just want you to be happy. Its your decision whom you want to marry. You choose the guy."

Yes, out of the marwari guys you approve of. 

"You could tell us if you like a guy and we would be ready to see him. But you know the limits. And the conditions too." 

Oh yes, since my teenage years. Vegetarian. Most preferably Gujarati or Jain. No other castes allowed.

"So be honest with me. Do you like a guy or something?"

I heaved a long sigh. She just led me to where I didn't wanna go. After a few moments, I replied, "No mom, I don't! There's nothing like that. But not that Neel, okay? I just hate his guts!" I screeched, making my mother chuckle.

"Okay okay. I'll have to go now. Its getting late. Papa has said hi. Have your meals on time. Take care, beta, and come home soon, okay? Bye!"

"I will, bye mom! Good night!" I sighed as she hung up.

This wasn't the first time. Coming to Delhi had been a tough battle in itself. My marriage also had to be a family agreement. Children of conservative middle class Indian families weren't supposed to have love lives. They just had to marry. They could have their pick, but only out of the men/women their families approved of. 

Be seven or twenty seven, some things just didn't change in conservative families. In some houses parents have the last word and mine was one of them. I shrugged off the unsettling thoughts, and after an unhealthy meal of stale sandwiches, brought in from Starbucks two days ago, I hit the bed, my mind heavy from all the buzz in my life.

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The next day I went to the office earlier than usual. I had got up at the usual time, but I wasn't in any mood to hit the gym. Lethargy and me were best pals, you know. The peon hadn't arrived yet so I decided to go to the storeroom myself. I walked to the farthest left corner of the floor and stood outside the storeroom, only to hear the two voices from last night again.

So our pretty receptionist can arrive early for all this and never for work? How priorities matter.

"I think I made everything clear yesterday. Why did you follow me in the storeroom and why the hell have you closed the door?" Abeer's deep voice echoed through the storeroom. Of all the times we had hung out for work purposes, irrespective of how difficult the work had been, he had never sounded vexed. Stressed, tired, but never...waned out. His voice was mirroring defeat. I didn't like the sound of it one bit.

I reached for the handle to confirm if it was locked. It wasn't. It wasn't even properly closed. From the gap between the door and the frame I could see the two of them, Maya's hand on his chest, her body inching closer to him by the second.

Doesn't she understand no?

"It's just you and me again Abeer. You can speak your heart out," she said while sliding her hand on his chest. He held her wrists and removed the hands while I cringed heavily.

"Listen, Maya, I am not in the mood to deal with you right now. Its high time you realize it was over years ago, and you can't really play me with my reputation in the company at stake. I'm sick of your blackmails."

She smirked, her hands now on his collar as she pulled him closer to whisper in his ears. I strained my ears to listen to what she was saying which had Abeer stand rooted to the spot. He hadn't made any move to remove her hands from his bodice.

Warning bells rang in my head as I sensed something off in the air. I walked back a couple of steps, and with my phone pressed on my ear, I began talking in the loudest, most normal voice I could possibly fake.

"Yes, I'm sorry I haven't called you in days...I'm saying sorry na, don't act all annoyed now. I had a ton of work, sis. Like I haven't even had a proper dinner since days now. Like I haven't had a nice dinner. Imagine!" I fake laughed on the phone as I neared the storeroom. I pushed open the door, looking anywhere else but where I knew they were standing.

"Arre, what happened to the signal? Vodafone is like...Oh Hi! Good morning! What are you all doing here? " I asked with my brightest on my face, as I looked up to Maya and Abeer. They were standing way apart than they were a minute ago. I was glad my plan worked.

Abeer let a small smile take over his lips as he greeted me. "Good morning, Aashi." It was then I noticed how horribly tired Abeer looked. Bags under his eyes, stubble on his face, tousled, uncombed hair - he looked a mess, a stark contrast to his clean, crisp personality.

My smile turned a notch more forced. 

"And Maya's here, so early in the morning! My my, wonders never cease!" I couldn't help the diss. My heart swelled when I noticed Abeer's lips perk in a half smirk.

Maya smiled tightly at me and walked out of the room, but not before sending Abeer a look. It could have been an innocent look, if I didn't knew Maya and if Abeer hadn't turned pale.

"The keys, Abeer!" I reminded him, trying to get his mind off the matter.

He nodded mechanically before taking the keys from the cabinet and signaling me to walk out. I closed the door behind us as we walked out to the office, our boots sounding heavy against the carpeted floor.

So much for peace in the mornings.

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For our readers:

Mami: your mother's brother's wife. 

Gujarati: They are the ones who originally hail from Gujarat (a state in India), which shares its borders with Rajasthan. The culture of the Marwari's (the ones from Rajasthan) and the Gujarati's is said to be quite similar, which is why marriage alliances are quite common in both communities. 

Jain: Follower of Jainism. Jainism is a religion (like Buddhism) and is believed to have stemmed from Hinduism. 

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