Simmers Palace restaurant.
“Enough Advaith. I am waiting for you for so long and you are coming now.”, Aamira, Advaith’s girlfriend complained as soon as Advaith came and sit in front of her for a lavish dinner date.
“I am sorry but I was stuck in the traffic. Next time this won’t happen, I promise. Besides, I need to tell you about something very important.”, Advaith said the last part little a little nervously not knowing how to tell Aamira about his Sudden Forced Marriage that happened just last night.
“Ok, but can we order something to eat first!? I am dying from hunger now.”, Aamira complained harmlessly making Advaith smile at her cuteness.
“Ok, then we will order food first. I can not keep my girlfriend hungry for a long time, now can I!”, Advaith said with a wink making Aamira smile before they ordered for their dinner, With Advaith totally forgetting that there is someone waiting for him on the dinner being all hungry.
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Aarohi’s house:
“Aarohi, call Advaith and ask him that when he is arriving. It is already past dinner time.”, Mishti suggested as it was already past dinner time.
“Mom I already called him but he said he is in some meeting. He will be late so I will stay back here for tonight. Tomorrow morning he will come and pick me up.”, Aarohi said nervously without looking at anyone, but Abhoy observed her expressions and immediately came to know that she is lying.
“Ok then come we should have our dinner.”, Abhoy said dismissing the matter and everyone nodded before heading towards dining table.
The dinner was a mild-talk affair but Aarohi’s heart was not at peace. The more she thinks about this forced marriage, the more she feels her heart dropping.
‘For how long will she keep lying to her family about her and Advaith’s messed up relation!?’, was all Aarohi was thinking.
“Mom, dad, I am tired. I am going up to my room to get some sleep Good night.”, Aarohi said getting up from her chair after having a very little food.
“Ok. You go and have a proper sleep”, Mishti said caressing Aarohi’s hair making her smile.
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“And you are telling me all this now? Advaith why didn’t you tell your parents that you love me?”, Aamira freaked out as soon as Advaith told her the truth of his sudden marriage with Aarohi.
“First listen to me. This all happened yesterday only and it was too late to call you yesterday night. That is why I called you here for dinner tonight.”, Advaith tried to explain his side to Aamira who seemed to be calm down a little after hearing him.
“But now what to do, Advaith? Now we cannot even meet each-other anymore. It is all over for us.”, Aamira said with tears moistening her eyes, as she was genuinely in love with him.
“It is not over. IIam trying to figure out something. Infact I was thinking of talking to Aarohi for divorce after some months. I am sure even she might not be happy with this forced marriage. And she also deserves a partner who love her genuinely, which I can never do. So, its better we already part our ways.”, Advaith said with determination and Aamira looked contemplated about something.
“Advaith, my dad has also given a final ultimatum to me. He wants me to get married as soon as possible. I told him that I love you and he wants to meet you and your family. I don’t think that he will wait for this long. And besides, I feel Aarohi is also not wrong in all these. Rather because of our relation, she will also suffer. I guess—“Aamira trailed the sentence not knowing how to say, while Advaith’s heart-beat increased to thousand folds.
“Aamira, listen I will make everything okay. But please don’t say like this. I really love you and you know that I can’t stay without you. I will talk to Aarohi today only.”, confessed making Aamira more confused. She at one place wants Advaith in her life but at the other side, she also does not want to be unfair to Aarohi who had nothing wrong to do with this.
Further dinner was a silence affair and soon Advaith drop Aamira to her place promising about finding a perfect solution for this messed up situation. He after dropping her, left for his own house, totally forgetting about picking up Aarohi from her place.
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Aarohi’s room:
Aarohi’s POV:
Life has never been this unfair and difficult for me. I really hate myself for lying to dad when he asked me about my married life but at the same time I also don’t want him to take tension because of me when he cannot do anything in this matter.
Few days back I was so happy and excited for my marriage and now I hate this same “marriage” thing.
I can neither blame Abhinav nor Advaith because they both are right at their place. Abhinav was pressurized for this marriage and Advaith was also pressurized in the other way. This is all my hard luck that.
I really don’t know what is the future of this marriage or what this marriage holds for me. But I just want to pray that don’t let anyone be unhappy because of me, whether it is my family, my in-laws family or Advaith.
End of Aarohi’s POV
Aarohi’s trail of thoughts were disturbed by a knock. She sighed tiredly before getting up and open the door to welcome Abhoy, with two mugs of hot coffee in his hand.
“I thought if we can spend a little time having a chat. I hope you are not tired.”, Abhoy asked and Aarohi nodded in no with smile.
“So, how is everything going on in your life?, I mean are you happy there? Advaith is not misbehaving with you, right?”, Abhoy asked all concerned as he took a sip of coffee from his mug.
Currently they were sitting on swing in their garden in backyard with their respective mug of coffee in their hands under the dark sky and chill breeze.
“Actually, all this was so sudden that it will take time for both of us to settle but we are trying. And moreover, he is a nice guy.He didn’t say anything or blame me for anything.”, Aarohi said with a small smile while sipping her coffee, whereas Abhoy nodded in understanding though he was sure that Aarohi was lying.
Aarohi and Abhoy were never like siblings, rather they were always like best friends to each-other who listen the later one when he/she wants to share something.
“That’s good. Anyways, never feel that you are alone because we all are there for you. We won’t let you suffer ever. So you know you can come to us and share anything and anytime, right?”, Abhoy comforted her sincerely to which she nodded with a small smile.
“I guess we should go and sleep now. Tomorrow morning I need to wake up early.”, Aarohi said while getting up and walking inside their house with their empty mugs, followed by Abhoy.
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“Advaith, is this time you come home. And where is Aarohi?”, Abhiraj who was sitting in the living room with his family and chatting after dinner, asked Advaith as soon as he saw him entering the house.
“Dad, I was stuck in a meeting so I got late.”, Advaith said while sitting beside Priya.
“Which meeting you are talking about? As far as I know there was no meeting in your schedule for today evening?”, Abhiraj asked frowning as he clearly remember about asking Advaith’s secretary to keep his schedule free for today evening as he was supposed to go to Aarohi’s place.
“Oh god dad!! Sudden meeting came up. And I am not a child to report you for every small thing.”, Advaith chided with his father’s much intervention in his personal life specially after the ‘forced’ marriage decision.
“Abhiraj, he just came from office. Please talk to him little politely. So Advaith, where is Aarohi? You didn’t go to pick her from her house?”, Priya controlled the tensing atmosphere and asked about Aarohi while loving caressing Advaith’s hairs.
“Mom I forgot and then it was already late so I thought she might have already slept and that is why I directly came home. And I didn’t had her mobile number as well, otherwise I would have informed her.”, Advaith covered up expertly making everyone believe at him.
“But bhai (brother) you could have asked me for her number and I would have messaged you. Who knows she might be still waiting for you.”, Aashi said suggestively, only to get cursed by Advaith in his mind.
“I didn’t knew that you had her number. Next time I will inform you so that you can inform her.”, Advaith said with a forced smile and Aashi frowned at his hissing tone but chucked it.
“Now enough of talking and get back to your rooms. Advaith ,get Aarohi’s contact details from Aashi and call her and tell her that you will be picking her up tomorrow early morning. It is a ritual of our family that always husband goes to pick up his wife from her place after paghphera rasam”, Abhiraj declared making Advaith more and more pissed-off by each passing second.
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Aarohi’s Room:
After having a good sibling time with Abhoy, Aarohi entered her room and locked the door. She came and lay down on bed thinking something when her cellphone rang with an unknown number.
“Hello, Aarohi!?”, frowning received the call only to hear a dead-cold voice from other side, to which she replied, “yes?”
“Tomorrow morning be ready at eight o’clock. I will come to pick you up.”, Advaith said curtly before disconnecting the call, not giving her a chance to reply and all Aarohi could do was to huff at his coldness.
Aarohi kept the alarm of five in the morning before finally closing her eyes and welcoming sleep to engulf her.
