Published on 2nd January 2021.

Word count : 2431 words.

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- S H R U T I -

"Shruti, how long will you take to come outside?" Akriti shouted.

"Just a few minutes."

"Few minutes my foot. Just come out now or I'll break the door." This woman, better known as my sister, is a headache. I wonder how we shared the same roof since my twenty seven years' existence.

"Let me bath properly. And have some shame. What effect would it have on your son if he sees you cursing around?"

I repeat, she curses a lot!

"Don't worry about him. Now leave the bathroom. I can't control this pressure."

"You have a bathroom attached to your room. Can't you use that?" I shouted while drying myself with a towel.

"There is a leakage problem in my bathroom. Now step out! I can't control it. Damn!" She shouted. Well, I didn't want her to poop in my room and dirty it. So I quickly wore my clothes and stepped out, leaving the room all to her.

"I'm here." I said. She pushed me aside and slammed the door on my face. "Rude!" Pacing out I saw Adit running here and there on the floor. "Adit! Let's go, it's time to eat."

"Masi.... Chocolates!" He screamed and I shut my eyes.

"No chocolates. Finish your breakfast first." I made him sit on the chair and leaned my head in the direction of kitchen, "What do we have for breakfast mumma?"

"Aloo paratha." Mumma said and came out with the plates.

"So, we have aloo paratha today. Have a bite." I tore a bite and slipped it into his mouth.

"Chocolates?"

"After this. First finish your food." I made him eat every single bite and smiled at my accomplishment.

"Finally, he ate everything!" Akriti sighed and sat on the chair opposite to mine.

"I doubt if he's your son." I said and she raised her eyebrows in question. "Cause he never listen to you."

"That was a very good and interesting thought, but you're wrong." She glared at me and I returned her a tight-lipped smile.

"Stop talking and eat properly." Mumma scolded and we nodded while eating. "Actually, we want to discuss something with you."

"Akriti, it must be about you." I said while munching my bite.

"Not Akriti but Shruti. It's about Shruti." Papa said. I pointed my index finger towards myself in question and he nodded. "Tomorrow, we're going to meet your groom." He said and I choked on my food.

"I don't have a groom."

"To-be groom."

"But I don't want to marry."

"I've heard this many times."

"But seriously! I have no plan of marriage."

"No excuses this time."

"I have some work. I'll get going." I said and stood up. Picking my purse I ran out and started driving to my office. Why can't they understand that marriage isn't what I want to do? I don't want to be tied in a loveless relationship.

Increasing the speed of my car, I drove fastly. Suddenly I felt as if I bumped with another car. Oh shit!

Hope nothing happened!

No major accident please!

I stepped out and saw a familiar man standing against the car while checking for any bumps. "You!"

Not this filth!

He turned back and gave me an awkward smile, "Shruti. Why were you driving at this speed?"

"First of all don't take my name from your filthy mouth. And secondly, you don't have any right to ask this after you cheated on my sister."

"I-"

"Stop it. I don't want to hear any of your justifications."

"Let me drop you home." He asked and I glared.

"I can drive on my own. I would take anyone's help but you." I spoke and walked back to my car.

"I want to meet Aditya." Hearing his voice, I stopped dead in my tracks. I didn't want to degrade my mood further. Seeing his face in the morning was enough.

"He's Adit."

"Changing his name won't change the reality. I want to meet him."

"I'm sorry but you can't. It was decided four years ago in the court."

"I'm his father."

"You were. He's only Akriti's son."

"Some papers can't change the fact right? I'm his biological father."

"Correction, you're just his sperm donor and nothing else. Hope you get this into your mind soon." I sat in my car and started driving to my office.

✨

Such a bad day it was!

First, papa's order for me to meet the groom.

Second, encounter with Yash Jiju.

Nope, he's not my Jiju anymore! That son of a bitch!

And third, a bad day at work. All these clients do nothing but increase the workload. And in turn, they want everything before the time.

When I came home, I saw everyone seated together in the living room. Weird! "What happened?"

"Nothing. We're discussing about your wedding."

"I never said yes." I argued back.

"They'll come tomorrow."

"Why aren't you listening to me? It's my life. I don't want to marry."

"Enough Shruti. It's been two years you're dodging this topic but not anymore. We want everything good for you. We would never think bad for you." Papa said.

"Haven't you seen Akriti's marriage? How did it go?"

"But Shruti, not every man is same. I did a mistake by marrying Yash but it doesn't mean that the one you're going to meet tomorrow will be the same too." Akriti held my hands and suggested.

"What if he is?"

"There's nothing wrong in meeting him." She said.

"But I don't want to."

"Stop it. I don't want to hear your choice for meeting him. They're coming tomorrow. Be ready and take a leave." Papa announced and stood up, "Plus, I don't want any new drama. I remember what you've been doing for the last seventeen times. Just don't repeat that." He completed what he wanted to say and went to the dining table.

Why don't they consider my opinion?

I would bear the consequences after marrying. They won't.

I stood up, stomped to my room and closed the door. "Shruti, open the door. Don't vent your anger on food." Mumma shouted while banging the door.

"I don't have an appetite. Please go back."

"Shruti, just eat one bite. Open the door."

"Please mumma. I don't want to eat anything. Just go back."

"Shruti, listen to me." Akriti said.

"What?"

"Open the damn door! I want to talk to you."

"But I don't want to. You've changed teams. Now you support papa and mumma."

"Listen to me first." I don't know why, but her words sounded so trustworthy. I opened the door and pulled her inside. "Why don't you want to eat?"

"I don't need to give an explanation for my every action."

"Oh really? Just tell me, why don't you want to marry?" She kept her hands on both the sides of her hips and asked.

"Because I'm not interested in marriages."

"Since when?"

"You know."

"Just because I had a failed marriage, it doesn't mean that you'll have the same too. Every man is not like that bastard. Not every man cheats."

"What if he's one of them?"

"What if he's not? There's nothing wrong in meeting him. We'll know then."

"How can I understand someone in just few minutes when you yourself couldn't do it in fifteen years?" I shouted. Bad choice of words!

Her life had been a rollercoaster.

She met her now ex-husband during her high school years. At that time they were just friends. As time passed, they became best friends and then started dating, and finally married each other just six years ago.

When Adit was just one month old, Akriti came to know about Yash cheating on her. He had an extra-marital affair with his colleague. She then filed for divorce on the grounds of infidelity.

Just when Adit was two months old, they were officially divorced with Akriti having Adit's custody. He tried to get the custody but couldn't as I had connections with almost every lawyer.

"I know it was my fault to trust him. I wish he never happened in my life. But then, I couldn't change it right?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For talking to you in such a way. I shouldn't have talked about it."

"You don't have to say sorry for that bastard's doing." She said and sat on my bed. "Now rise your mood up and come out with me."

Between us, she has always been the outspoken one, who would use abusive words in every sentence possible. While I am the one who stays quiet.

But when it comes to her past, she becomes vulnerable. I've seen her crying at nights, reminiscing about her past.

"Okay. Let's go." I said. Sitting together on the dining table I stuffed the food inside my stomach and sighed. I had no mood to enjoy the food when my mind was having an earthquake inside. "I'm going to my room."

"Shruti." Mumma said, "We just want you to meet him once. We don't want anything else. Try to understand our point too. You've sent back families of seventeen men either by rejecting them, or by using God knows what trick. Please don't do it again."

"Mumma I-"

"Please. Don't disappoint us."

"Hmm..." I hummed and went back to my room to sleep.

✨

The next day I got ready and went outside my room to have breakfast. Taking Adit on my lap, I made him eat while stuffing my food at the same time.

"They'll be here in three hours." Papa said and I nodded.

"Actually I have some work in office, I need to go there."

"We told you to take a leave."

"This work is very important and I can't leave it. It would take just three hours. Just three."

"Are you joking? They would be here by that time."

"I know but I'll try to come back as fast as I could. This client is really important."

"Okay. I was the who always supported you in your career. This time too. Just don't be late." He said and I hugged him. "Try to come back before they arrive. Don't be late."

"Hmm... I'll be here before they arrive." I said and he smiled, "I'll go then. I can't waste much time." Sitting inside my car, I started it and pressed the accelerator forcefully with my right leg. I had to reach my firm as early as possible.

Reaching my office, I scanned my ID card and went inside. "Shruti, what took you so long?" My childhood friend, Aditi asked.

"I told you yesterday."

"Is that man coming to meet you today?" She asked and I nodded.

"In three hours. He and his family would be there."

"Don't tell me that you haven't seen his pic?" She asked and I nodded in negative. "What the hell? Which century are you living in?"

"It's nothing like that. I know, there will be no future of us. So it's better to stay away from these things. I don't even have any interest in that guy and his photograph."

"But you haven't met him. What if he's-"

"Now, you don't start. I've had enough of this."

"Okay, I'm not going in that way. Did you prepare all the legalities for Chaddha's company?"

"I did it. I'm just waiting for Mr Chaddha's call."

"That old man must have forgotten about it." Aditi said and I chuckled.

"Hey buddies! Don't take much tension. You'll get dark circles under your eyes." Parth walked towards us while sipping his coffee.

Parth, Aditi and I are the childhood trio who would never leave each other. We always stayed with each other in school. For us, our friendship is more important than anything. Thus, we chose the same major.

"It's not me but she. The groom perspective will be coming to meet her today." Aditi said and he took a deep sigh.

"And, I know what she'll do. She'll either say that she's lame or she'll use her emotional blackmailing strategy." He said and I hit his hand. "It pains."

Drama King!

"I know."

"How is the man? Handsome? Hot?" He asked and I rolled my eyes, "Not more than me!"

"When will you stop boasting yourself all the time?" Aditi asked him and he grinned.

"When you marry me."

"It will never happen. Atleast not in this life." She hardened her jaw and said.

Okay, so the thing is— he liked her from childhood, but never told her genuinely, thinking about the negative after-effects. I'm the only one who knows about his feelings for her.

But she thinks that he's just flirting with her.

Friendly flirt!

"We'll see." He smiled.

"Okay, stop it. We're not kids anymore." I shouted.

"I know right. We're lawyers." He said.

"Who never visit courts." She said and we laughed. "When will this old man Chaddha call you?"

"I don't know. It's him who needs these papers for his company, not me." I said and they nodded. Completing rest of my work, I sighed and checked the time.

Shit! I'm late!

I stood up from my chair and quickly ran out. "Wait! Where are you going?"

"Home. I'm late. Due to this Mr Chaddha, I'm doomed."

"I told you, that old man has buffalo's brain. Go now, I'll handle it."

"Hmm..." I picked my purse and walked out to my car. Reaching my house, I stood near the door to hear if they were talking bad about me. I know my parents, they love to criticise me in front of other. They call it constructive criticism.

"I'm sorry, she's still not here." I heard mumma saying.

"No problem, we understand it. Kids nowadays are busy with their work and we can't blame them. It's us who gave them these traits about doing their work wholeheartedly." Another female voice said, which was somehow familiar.

"She would be here soon." Mumma said.

I slightly opened the gate and came inside without looking towards the guests. I was about to say something when my phone rang. I picked it up and held it close to my ear, "Hello Mr Chaddha."

"Are my documents ready?"

"They are but I've increased the fees."

It was the perfect thing to do. Acting like a greedy human would surely help me in escaping this relationship.

No one wants a greedy daughter-in-law for their son!

"What?"

"Yes. You want so many clauses in your legal document. On top of that you have a mind to snatch your partner's shares too. Should I inform her about your plan?"

"You won't do this."

"I will."

"But the fees is mentioned in the your company's document. You can't increase it by your choice."

"I can if I want to. And this extra fees will be transferred seperately, so don't worry about legality. I know it better than you."

"But I need to save money for myself too."

"What will you do with money? You're already seventy Mr Chaddha, just hand your company to your sons."

"I'll think about it later."

"Okay. But my payment should be done soon."

"Okay. I'll see it."

"You should or else I'll inform your business partner about your wrongdoings."

"Hmm...."

"Have a good thought about it Mr Chaddha." I said before cutting the call. Turning back I wished my parents and then uncle and auntie, who looked somewhat familiar.

Turning my gaze towards the man, I looked at him and I knew that it could only be a dream.

Rishabh Randhawa....

Was this really him?

Was he here for real?

It couldn't be.

It must be my dream.

But then, it wasn't a dream!

〰️⭕⚫⭕〰️

Any guesses about Rishabh?