Chapter 2 - Meeting the mysterious stranger

The home was alive with activity. There were visitors, relatives, and friends who all had a part in the chaos. The sound of dholak and shehnai confirmed that a wedding was taking place. Aarya Mathur's wedding. Aarya and Shashank had spent their entire childhood together. They attended the same high school. Despite of being two years older Shashank was her best friend. Most of their friends assumed they were dating because they were so close. This was not the case. Theirs had always been a platonic friendship.

"Aarya, be cautious, you'll ruin your Mehendi," Asha said, breaking her trance.

Looking at her friend, Aarya grinned.

"Don't worry, Asha, I'll keep an eye on it."

Asha came and sat near her looking at her Heena "Lovely design. Where's the groom's name?"

Aarya laughed "Asha you know I hate these cheesy things."

Asha said "Silly girl! did you see your wedding dress? It arrived from the boutique."

Aarya smiled "Yeah it must be kept somewhere I saw it during the fittings".

Asha fixed her gaze on Aarya.

"Are you pleased with this wedding, Aarya? You appear uninterested …”

Aarya let out a sigh. "I'm alright, Asha; it's just that all of this craziness is wearing me down. I'm exhausted."

Asha said, "For a girl who is getting married to the love of her life you seem extremely disinterested."

" Love of my life!" She laughed. "You know, Asha, sometimes we pine for something so much that it becomes our life's ambition, only to find out later that it wasn't meant for us at all. Something more was in store for us."

Asha was perplexed. "I'm not sure what you're saying, Aarya. What exactly is the problem?"

Aarya remarked "Asha, I am a horrible person. It's not a good idea for me to get married."

Tears welled up in her eyes.

Aarya was hugged by Asha. "You are aware that I am a classmate of yours. Everything used to be shared between us. Tell me what's going on. You can rely on me."

"I have to meet Shashank," Aarya announced abruptly.

"What are you talking about? You will not be able to meet him before the wedding."

"It's crucial. I've already scheduled an appointment with him. All you have to do now is cover up for me."

"What do you intend to do, Aarya?"

"I'm getting rid of my guilt."

"Guilt?"

"You're not going to understand," Aarya remarked.

*******

While waiting for Shashank in a coffee shop, Aarya kept her cool. As he neared her, Shashank noticed her sitting in a corner seat and broke into a smile.

"Hello," he said as he took the seat across from her.

"Hello," she said with a smile.

"What was the rush to meet so close to the wedding?"

"Shashank, there's something you should know before we get married."

"Is that it?"

"This might change your mind regarding our wedding."

"Is it? I am all ears," he smiled.

"I'm not joking, Shashank, this may even ruin my reputation in your eyes, but I needed to get this off my chest." She stated her case.

Shashank's grin had faded. He took her hand in his and spoke.

"Nothing will ruin your image in my eyes. I promise."

She drew in a long breath and began.

"We've been pals since elementary school."

"How is this relevant here?" he responded.

"Are you in love with me?"

He looked away "I don’t believe in these things. I am marrying you because I feel we'll make a good pair, and we are compatible."

She felt a sense of relief. She was terrified of love.

"I used to be like you then Ishan came in my life."

Shashank cocked his head.

"You know I was in Mumbai for my internship in the final year. You had already left for Masters. I was staying with Swati, my friend...."

2 years ago (from Aarya's perspective) -

I looked in the mirror and thought I looked beautiful with a pencil skirt and a smart shirt.

"How do I look?" I asked Swati.

"Wow, Aarya, if I had been a boy, I would have proposed to you right now," Swati whistled.

"And, like any prudent young lady, I would have turned down the offer."

Swati was a close friend of mine who lived in Mumbai. I was staying with her and working on my summer project there.

"Let's go to Phoenix," I suggested, referring to one of the posh new discos.

"How do you know about Phoenix?" Swati asked.

"It's all over on I*******m, every single friend of mine has posted about it" I replied while scrolling through the app.

I'm not much of a party animal, but I do enjoy unwinding every now and then.

"It opened only 6 months ago and is already quite famous," Swati replied.

"Let's go," I said.

Swati said, "Let me contact the gang."

My gang consisted of a bunch of friends, acquaintances, and friends of friends who hung out together on a regular basis. We were all young students or professionals in search of companionship because we were all away from our homes. So, we started a W******p group to coordinate outings, parties, and other activities. Except for Swati, I didn't have a lot of friends.

We were standing at the entrance to "The Phoenix" within one hour.

I ran into some of the gang at the door; a few were already inside, and a few didn't show up. Some of my pals would show up with their other friends, roommates, and so on. As a result, the total number of gang members was continuously fluctuating.

"Hey, Aarya!" My joy evaporated as I turned around to see Ankit.

Ankit was one of those guys that hit on every girl he knew, and even when they said no, he persisted. He was clingy and couldn't stand being told no.

"How are you doing, Ankit?" I pretended to grin at him. He held two beer mugs in his hands, one of which he presented to me.

"I'm not a beer drinker, Ankit, yet you keep going." I smiled brightly at him and mixed with the crowd.

A few hours later, I was having a headache. No, I wasn't drunk. Continuous loud music gives me a headache. I walked out of the club. The night was cool, and I walked towards the parking lot. I was startled by a loud Hello. I turned around to see Ankit grinning at me with his typical goofy grin.

"Hello, what are you doing here?" I asked, a little startled.

He replied "The same question. Why are you here? You left so suddenly...everything all right?"

"Yeah, I am fine. If you don’t mind, please leave me alone for some time."

Ignoring my request, he said "Arya I have wanted to talk to you for so long. I was not getting a chance. I really like you."

I rolled my eyes " Here we go again".

"Ankit, see, I understand and appreciate your feelings, but I'm not interested in all of this right now," I said.

Suddenly he was on his knees holding my hands "Aarya, I know you are a good girl. You won't indulge in all this. I am also a good boy I really really like you. You are my dream girl.... Will you marry me?"

"WHAT!!!" I was on the verge of scream.

"This is getting worse," I reflected.

"Ankit, please get up and stop all this nonsense," I said, resisting the impulse to bust out laughing.

But he was one of those clingy kinds that grabbed my hand. "Please say yes, Aarya. I can't imagine my life without you."

I had a strong urge to burst into laughter, but I composed myself, "Ankit please get up and stop all this nonsense."

He stated "Please say yes, Aarya. I truly adore you “.

"Ankit, you're drunk, we'll talk tomorrow," I murmured as I snatched my hand away.

I took a step away from him. He was just behind me. I came to a halt near a car and yelled at him.

"Ankit stop following me. I said no. Just leave me alone".

"The lady doesn't want to be bothered; don't you get it?" said a voice as the car door behind me opened.

A tall man was suddenly beside me. I had to literally bend backward to catch his face. I could see his chiseled jawline.

I thought to myself, "What a gorgeous profile."

He was dressed in a white shirt, dark slacks, and sunglasses that covered half of his face.

I wondered, "Who wears goggles at night?"

Ankit was visibly afraid, but he stumbled over his words "It's not what you think, as you can see. It's a private thing between us."

I felt sorry for him. He was simply in a tough situation.

I said "Ankit just go away. I dont want to talk".

"Didn't you hear what the lady said?" the stranger said authoritatively, as Ankit persisted.

With a sullen face, Ankit walked away.

"Thanks," I sighed, relieved.

Of course, I could feel him staring at me from behind his sunglasses.

"Parking lots are not very safe," he continued.

For a little moment, I was unable to respond. I was drawn in by his appearance, which was tall, broad-shouldered, and had a chiselled face if only I could see his eyes. He was the epitome of a girl's fantasy saviour. It was scorching!

He was hot in the sense that he could make women's hearts race. Any hot-blooded girl, or even some males, would feel compelled to pin him to the wall, pull his shirt off, and...

"God! why am I thinking all this," I thought?

"I know I just came out for some air and Ankit followed me, "I said.

"Ah! fight with your boyfriend?"

"Hell no! he's not my boyfriend. He is just an acquaintance I barely know him."

"So? Is he troubling you?"

"Not really just proposing marriage!"

The stranger laughed showing a row of perfect white teeth. "Well, that's pretty harmless. Why did you break that poor guy's heart?"

"Dunno, maybe I am commitment-phobic."

He laughed again "I like you."

"I should go now. Thanks for your help" I said.

He said, "If you don’t mind may I accompany you?"

I raised an eyebrow.

He continued "To ward off any other prospective spouse. That guy might still be lurking around."

I shrugged "Ok".

As we walked in silence from the parking lot each moment was crackling with tension. I could feel his eyes constantly following me.

As soon as we were in the club, I turned around to face him and said "Thanks".

He simply smiled and said, "It was my pleasure".

Then he disappeared in the crowd.

To be continued.