marry me my, Prince Charming

“Love is knowing that you know there is no use in taking care but still keeping track of them about their condition!”

[*****]

Loud horn flinched Ojaswi and made her come back to reality. When she heard the car starting. She remembered that she had to have a conversation with Shishir.

“No, no, Oja, you cannot show your tears to him. You cannot show how weak you are. You need to stand tall. Everything you did has its own importance. It was a compulsion to do you knew that, you cannot step back now.”

Wiping her tears away, she stood on her feet. She adjusted herself, cleared her throat, wiped every drop of tears from her eyes, then turned around. She paced towards his car, trying her best not to let him think that she was weak.

Little did she know that Shishir had already seen her breaking down and had already guessed her weakness. He purposefully had blown the horn and started the engine to remind her that they needed to leave.

Ojaswi bent and looking through the window said, “now we are married and I have given my freedom to you. You need to do what you have promised me to…”

“Get in the car,” interrupting in her mid-sentence, Shishir ordered looking towards the road.

“What?” Ojaswi was shocked.

Shishir glanced at Ojaswi with his cold piercing eyes without saying anything yet, it gave the answer to Ojaswi's question.

“I… I have to go with you?” Ojaswi was not able to understand.  “I thought we were just getting married… without commitments.”

Shishir rolled his eyes and glaring at her said, “This is not my commitment. You are married to me so you are going with me.”

“But…”

“Do you have anywhere to go after your parents dumped you?" Shishir questioned.

Ojaswi tried to speak out but no words came out.

"Just forget it…” Shishir muttered feeling irritated and drove the car away.

“No, wait… you need to…” before she could speak out the complete sentence, the car was already away.

Ojaswi looked around and then at herself. Her life had changed entirely and the one who was always so fearless now had started fearing. She was always well prepared for whatever came but this sudden change in her life made her feel hopeless as she was not prepared for it.

The thought of having no place to go made her feel so hopeless. But still, she walked towards her home clutching the box close to her heart. She was not sure if her parents would forgive her or not when asked for forgiveness.

“How is my life going to be now? What about my dream? What am I supposed to do now?’

One after another question was popping out in her mind. But she was not able to answer any of it. It felt like she was in the toughest exam of all time and its answer was not written in any of the books she read. Tears were streaming down her eyes.

[*****]

Before One month…

"Boss, you need to be there. Mr. Mendes wants to see you," Akash said standing behind Shishir.

Shishir stood by the wide glass panel, glancing at the city which was glowing in night lights. His hands were tucked inside his pocket and he was lost deep in thought until Akash, his secretary called out. He didn’t reply anything and turned around before walking away. 

But as he was about to reach the door, Akash said out again, “he told that to bring Miss. Scarlett along with you. He wants to see her as well.”

Turning towards him, Shishir in a cold voice replied, “You knew very well that I was taking Scarlett on a date and still…”

“I’m sorry, boss. Mr. Mendes left me no other option,” lowering his head, Akash asserted.

As Shishir was glaring at Akash and was about to explode on him suddenly his cell phone rang. He fetched his phone and glancing at the number pressed the answer button.

As soon as he pressed his cell phone against his ear, the person on the other side said out, “Hello, sweetheart, I am waiting. Where are you taking me?”

Glaring at Akash, he replied, “to the photography exhibition.”

“What? Exhibition? You know very well I don't like such…”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he interrupted, “dad, wants to meet us both.”

“What? Um… why? Are you going to talk about our marriage?” Scarlett questioned in an excited tone.

“I will be there in a minute,” Shishir said and disconnected the call.

He then glanced at Akash and roared, “are you taking out the car or I should get it on my own?”

Akash hastily rushed out of the office fetching the key from his pocket.

The car halted outside the residence building and Shishir sent a text to Scarlett, “I am waiting outside the building.”

Shishir waited for fifteen minutes but Scarlett didn’t show up. Losing his temper, he ordered in a cold tone, "drive away.”

Akash hesitated, “But Miss Scarlett has…”

“She is wasting my time and making me wait. You know very well I don’t like to wait. So start the engine and drive away. If she wants she will come on her own.”

Akash nodded his head and drove the car away. From the wing mirror, Shishir saw Scarlett hurrying out of the gate and waving her hand. But he didn’t care and looked away.

Akash who too saw Scarlett said out, “sir, Miss Scarlett is at the gate.”

“Let her be. She will come on her own,” replied Shishir and suddenly his cell phone rang.

As he glanced at the number, he found out that it was from Scarlett. Rolling his eyes, he answered it.

“Why did you drive away? I had just reached the gate,” Scarlett said in a disappointed tone.

“Then keep on standing at the gate. You know very well that I don't like waiting for anyone. And you dared to make me wait, which I definitely don’t like,” Shishir said in a cold tone.

“I was on a call with the producer, discussing the new project and…”

 Shishir, growing furious interrupted, “I don’t care.”

“Okay, fine sorry. What am I supposed to do now?” Scarlett questioned in an irritated tone.

“Do whatever you want…” replied Shishir and as he was about to hang up, Scarlett hastily said, “we were going on a date, what about that?”

“If you wanna go then come by yourself. I don’t prefer picking up the person who procrastinates.” Shishir hung up the call and threw his phone aside. He glanced outside the window. 

The feeling of emptiness that used to occupy him was emerging again. That emptiness was not filled by anything. He even got himself a girlfriend but that emptiness was still not filled by her as well and this was driving him crazy.

When the car came to halt in front of the tall building, Akash got down and opened the door for him. Shishir laid his leg on the red carpet and as he got down from the car, girls started to scream out like insane.

“I love you, my prince charming…” 

“Please, marry me, prince charming…”

“I can give you my life, my Prince charming, please make me your wife…”

“Please make me yours…” 

Ignoring all of them, Shishir with his cold appearance walked inside the building. He walked through the hallway where different photo frames were hung starting from the door itself. He gave no closer look at them and walked to the hall where many people were looking around the amazing photo frame hung on white walls.

“There you are,” Steven approached Shishir and hugged him. “How are you, my boy?”

“I am good, dad. Why did you call me?” questioned Shishir getting straight to his topic.

“Um… where is Scarlett? She was coming with you, isn’t it?” Steven questioned looking around.

“She didn’t…”

“Here I am…” Scarlett suddenly appeared behind them. 

As they turned towards her, Steven took her hand and kissing it said, “Oh! Hi… Scarlett, nice meeting you…”

“Thank you, Mr. Mendes,” Scarlett replied, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Um… Mr. Mendes?” Steven said in a disappointed tone and added with a witty smile on his face, “you better start calling me dad…”

Shishir rolled his eyes and said, “dad, will you please stop that and tell me why you called me?”

“To talk about your marriage with her…” Steven replied.

“What?” Scarlett and Shishir said at once one in an excited tone and another in total shock.

“Yeah, you both better get married...”

“I am just 25, dad. I have a lot more to do…” Shishir said in irritation.

“You can still do it after marriage. You love her, isn't it? So, what is there in getting married?” question Steven raising his eyebrows.

“I…” As Shishir was about to say something suddenly from behind Scarlett called out.

“Excuse me, ma’am.” 

Scarlett with pride turned around thinking it might be one of her fans to take selfies with her and said, “no, selfies, dear only auto…”

But before she could complete her sentence, a girl who seemed to be in her late teens interrupted her, “I… I am sorry to interven. I just want to pass through as you were standing on the way.”

Seeing her innocent, yet beautiful face, Shishir was so moved. He suddenly had a feeling that he was just waiting for her all this time. He wanted to claim her and make her his for eternal. He was not able to take his eyes off her.