Must Marry

Laya went inside the room and checked around. She saw that her Peddananna was waiting for her. His table was oddly full. She noticed there were few land documents, jewelry, and few boxes there. She wondered why they were still lying there instead of being in the locker. She took them into her hands and unlocked his peddananna's locker and kept them inside before sitting in front of him.

"Laya Beta…" he called out.

"Peddananna?" she responded.

"You are a filial child. By the way… why did you lock them there?" he asked her, even though he knew what her thoughts were, he just wanted to listen.

"Peda nanna! You still ask me?! How many times did I say you to lock the documents properly and store your things properly? Hmm? I warned you not to leave the things like this?" Laya fumed at him making him smile at her.

[She is lovely just like before.] he thought to himself.

[But you are not. You are ruining her life.] his subconscious mind replied.

[But… this is for her good. I don't want her to suffer.] he replied to his subconscious mind.

[Don't convince yourself!] his subconscious self snapped at him.

"Dad…" Laya called him.

Raghu snapped back to reality when he heard her voice.

"Beta… get the things you kept in the locker just now," he asked making her knit her brows.

"Dad…" she trailed at him like a whiny cat.

"Do it," he said to her in a softer tone.

Laya took out the things he asked her to do it.

"Do you know Arjun's friend Krishna?" Raghu's Dad asked.

"Yeah… when I was in Chennai I saw him attending Arjun Anna's (Arjun Brother) daughter, Anjali's birthday. But I don't have much impression on him." Laya said as she tried to remember the person whom her father was mentioning to her.

"What about him?" Laya asked asking him to get to the point. She felt something uncomfortable in her chest. She had a gut feeling that whatever she was going to listen to, she wouldn't like it.

[I did this for her. This is for her good. She has no right to question me! That's right!] he thought to himself and took a deep breath.

"Krishna's elder brother is your brother's business partner. They both are planning to start a branch in Chennai. All our businesses in this city were handled by us. So… taking Rahul, Krishna's brother's advice, your brother wanted to start all over there. They became close and became best friends," he said. Laya could feel there was something that was going to happen. She felt she shouldn't listen from now on. Laya felt that… her father was planning something for her.

"So dad? How does this concern me?" Laya asked as she looked at him inquisitively.

"He is not as old as your brother. He is only twenty-seven years old. Rahul saw you in your brother's marriage. After that, whenever there are functions in your brother's house, Rahul used to attend them. He saw you there few times." Raghu continued.

Laya could guess where this was going. She doesn't want to listen.

"Dad, I am sleepy. I will take my leave," Laya tried to flee away.

"Laya! Stop!" he said loudly and sternly making a shiver pass through her spine.

She stood frozen in her position. "Sit," he said to her making her do the things mechanically.

"Rahul is a good guy. You will like him. We arranged a marriage for you with him in a week.  Tomorrow is your engagement with him!" Raghu said.

"Dad… I didn't get a job," she said looking at him with her teary eyes, breaking her heart into pieces.

In fact, in their family, she was the smartest one. He wished she could soar higher, but Rahul was a good guy. But what he didn't know was… if Rahul gets to know they forced Laya was forced into the marriage… he breaks a hell out of this world.

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