Chapter-3

"Marraige" was it this easy.

I don't even knew this human and they have fixed this wedding just some seconds back. Thinking this, I lifted my eyes to see the reason of my all pain and problems; the guiltless dark human.

My eyes turned towards him and found his eyes fixated at his mobile phone. Awestruckly , was either acting dumb or was either really a mysterious character.

"With all seriousness he was typing and reading through some message over his mobile phone, doing some unreadable calculations in calculator. Is he for real? He seems to be so involved in some work and seems to be least interested in marriage. But, if he is not all interested in mararige alike me why did he resonated to arrive here to discuss this affair. Probably he is also forced by his family to attend this useless discussion and be a part of this life threatning trade." I was all puzzled and was boggling over different thoughts.

"This is my grandson- Manav. He has this bad habit of taking this electronic keypad everywhere he goes, nothing more than a big man with with very much loved toy, which he denies to get apart from" Saying this grandpa giggled wholeheartedly.

"His stern colourless face now looked like to be sprinkled with a tint of red. Keeping aside his mobile phone he looked upwwards at us and tried to fake a smile."

"He just loves to crack some pun about me." Mr Manav spoke while gritting his teeth and looking at grandfather in a silly yet affectionate way.

"Grandpa, I was taking care of a very important consignment. There are lot of meeting pop ups and I need to rush through the work. Please complete the conversation for which we are here and then I need to go back to work.. " He broke the silence finally. these are the first few lines Iistened from him.

"Are you Ok with our marraige." unexpectedly he spoke aloud with his eyes pointed towards me while I was still bewildered and was pondering if he is connoting me.

Why so desperate? I thought bewildered. His speech caught me stunned and sitting over there I was pondering over his way of putting up things. From his stern and expressionless face it seems as if he did'nt minded all whatever he has spoken a while back.

"Ummmh" I struggled to speak while he stood over there and gawked at me with eagle like eyes. With stern face, and a trace of zero emotions he kept staring at me that too with a sense of emergency. As if he is in a deadly rush for this answer.

Is it this easy for him?( I was extremely puzzled)

"Sheril; child speak. Don't you think this will be the perfect match and I am so happy for you. You are so lucky. They are very good people. I know them very well, this family will keep you like a princess. You will be very happy." Dad spoke in a go. As if he has already made his mind to get me married to him and now he least cares what I am thinking. It is just a yes that he wants to listen.

"But..." I was about to speak when dad interrupted.

"Don't you remember who these people are, to which royalty you are going to be associated with.

Don't you remember Sanjay uncle. Your favourite uncle."

"You use to play all time in their garden, you would spend more time into Sanjay's home playing with Arjun.." The moment he took name of Arjun all past memories seems to get through my mind; How could I even forget. He was my best friend. We were inseprable. He was my go to person and my closest friend. That childhood friendship is something I still miss the most. I have never got to have any other bond stronger than the one we used to have. When he left unannounced I felt so betrayed; I was left with no friend. There was no one whom I could consider as a true friend. No one would have ever protected me the way like he used to do. We played, laughed, cried, dreamt together. We use to plan of setting up a cafe and sell all our favourite things like Chocolate milk shake, watermelon shake, a lot of junk food, candy's, a lot of candy's bubblegums, and yummy pancakes.

But when he left, I felt there is nothing like friendship, all people are meant to leave you one day. That was a very big lesson a that teenage. After that, I could never made up my mind to let anyone enter that space, become a friend, share all joys and laughter. He has left a void unfilled.

"I remember Sanjay uncle very well, he was the most amazing person I have ever known." I spoke with a heavy voice. All of a sudden everything was becoming too much unmanagable. Life is entangled and entwined, I was all confident about cancelling this prospective marraige but it is now becoming more of an emotional affair and something I can't handle or avoid.

"Arjun, where is he now." Like my puzzled thoughts, my words were also uttered in puzzled form. Not sure what my heart wanted to know and hear. I put up an out of context question.

But, I did wanted to know about him, atleast some details. Since the day he left unannounced along with his parents I have never heard about him.

"Arjun, he is....he is no longer living with us. He was a rebellion. Pure rebellion. He never used to comply to Sanjay's wishes or listen to him, he was a reebellion since starting. But when his Sanjay shifted from here and took him forcefully along with him to altogether new place, where he has no friend. He was not happy. Sanjay did a big task by giving him a roof over his head, he was just an orphan , but Sanjay not just gave him a place to live but took care of him like his own son. He was always given the same things as Arjun had, Sanjay was never biased towards him. But, when Sanjay died he fled from the scene. He stole all the property papers and gave us a huge betrayal. I also used to love him a lot but now I hate e him the most " Grandpa spoke with a tint of grief and anger in his eyes. I was unable to believe any of the word.

How could it be even possible. This was something my heart could never believe. I knew he was never like this. He could never do such a deed. He was a pure soul.

"Arjun was not....."

"Stop talking about Arjun" I was interrupted in between before I could complete my sentance. Dad spoke in a harsh voice, as if forcefully trying to stop all my reasoning.

My mind was still puzzled and heart was unconscious so anyway I was not even in state of reasoning anything. It was in total a lot of information as a whole to process.

"Why are we talking about Arjun in that case, let's come to the main topic."

"About Sanjay and Sheril's wedding. Why to spoil everyone's mood." Dad spoke in a considerate voice and picked up mine and Sanjay's hands. Bringing both of ours hands close , kept mine palm over his and pressed ligthly. As, if reassuring our marriage.

"Say, yes to this marraige child. " Dad repeated. He has literally left me with no option. I don't even know Sanjay a lot, although I did meet him sometimes during childhood time.

He was very arrogant and rude . But, I could never know him very well, he used to study in boarding school. "

"Now all of a sudden I am asked to marry him; now only God can save me from this." I sanked in grief and prayed for some hope of getting away from this situation with eyes closed.

"I..."

"Let both the childern speak in private and have some thought, some talks over this, instead of directly demanding a answer. After all both of them need to know each other a little bit. " I was about to speak some illicit words when Grandpa's saviour words interrupted.

Atleast he sought to gave me some space. I will surely work out something meanwhile.

"Hummm ..Ok..We can let both of them talk. " Dad spoke with a tint of disappointed voice.

"I will make sure to make him run away along with his idea of marrying me " I re-went through my promise.

I took a deep breath and took a resolve to make him forget about this marraige idea at any cost.