"It's not like that mom." I got up before both of them crushed me in between them
"So you like him?" Dad asked following me to the dining table
"It's not like that dad. It's just..... Its just he seems to be interesting. But I need time to think about it." I said lifting the jug to my mouth
"Really?! Oh...oh... ok take how much ever time you want. But not too long ok?" Mom said jumping up and down while dad took the jug from my hand and handed me a glass after pouring water into it
"Let me just inform Sara. I hope Edwin also gave a positive result over there!" Mom hugged me tight and gave a kiss to my forehead before literally running off to get her phone
Dad too hugged me and left me to help mom in the phone hunt. I finished the whole jug of water to help me racing heart and then locked myself in the room as I didn't want to answer any more questions.
Now that was the master plan Edwin and I came up with to buy some time. Act as if we were interested in each other but not that interest also. So almost instantly my mom rang up Edwin's mom Sara who was about to call here to announce what Edwin had told them. Which was the same exact words that I used with my parents. (Thankfully they took it as a soulmate thing than a perfectly practiced speech.)Anyhow both of us were granted the time we asked for. But the thing which wasn't a part of our plan was us actually getting to know each other.
Yeah, we kind of exchanged our numbers at the first meeting so that we could keep each other posted on how well our plan worked. But what happened next was frequent texting about everything and anything from home to small things at job. We both told each other all the stuff that happened knowingly or unknowingly. Slowly slowly we started getting the 'I know your dating' stares from our colleagues and friends.
So after a while we started getting pretty comfortable with each other that we started talking about marriage. Actually it wasn't much of a talk. One day like usual he came to pick me up from work because it was too late. (This was a method my mom had found to make us bond.)
Some times I really want to open her head so I can see how her wheels turns.
Well at first it was so awkward and I was so embarrassed that we wouldn't talk at all during the ride. But eventually it became our routine and he would even take me out for lunch or movie at times.
And so during one such ride home he asked me whether I was willing to marry him and I said yes, with out even thinking. Maybe it was the rain that made me so distracted or maybe it was him. I just felt so comfortable with him. And just like that in the matter of 3 weeks we were a happily engaged couple. Too happy I guess for the real earthquake only came then.
From the moment my parents brought up the idea of marriage I thought I was solving troubles after trouble but nothing compared to what was waiting. And that's the moment I realized I was just warming up for the real round until now.
I still remember how I woke up that day all to happy. After having continues night shifts for a while I got my 2 day leave and was all refreshed to go to work that morning. The climate was also good. It had been a while since I enjoyed the sun because usually I'll be sleeping when the sun's out and only wakes up when it goes down. That day I took my time getting ready as if I had all the time in the world and ended up rushing off without eating breakfast. Luckily Eddie had a Nutella bread saved for me. (Yes Edwin likes me to call him 'Eddie'. Ha ha ha.)
After he dropped me off at the entrance I received a call from Neha's mother complaining about how unhygienic she looked (Yes Neha still has not come to a compromise with her mother. And so she has sacrificed washing her self. Even on my engagement day I had to beg her to come but even after coming through out the event she was so stressed that she left the DEN unprotected.)
"Jia you have to talk to that girl. I'm really scared she'll go back in evolution and turn back into an ape or a monkey!!"
"Ha ha ha ha .... Aunty that's scientifically impossible."
"No you have not seen that girl! Her eyes are all red form working on that computer. Her hair is sticking out in all directions possible cause she neither washes or combs it. And she smells like fertilizers!!"
"Aunty it can happen to anyone. Maybe she just lacks sleep due to her work. Even I look like zombie after a week of night shifts."
"Jia you don't understand I really think she's going wild. Yesterday night I found her under the table eating leftover chapatti with ice cream. When she saw me she ran away on all four!"
"Hmm...…. I'll talk with her aunty you don't worry." I rub my forehead thinking about the long debate section I'll have to go through to convince Neha into taking a shower
"Jia..!" Someone calls me from behind breaking my chain of thoughts
"Aunty I'll call you later. Someone is calling me." Cutting the call I turn towards the person who had called me
That was the moment when everything went haywire. Behind me was the person who had called out to me. Our HR head Mr. Kishore Yadav and along with him my worst nightmare, Krishna my ex. In the differences of mere seconds my beautiful morning changed into a not so beautiful one.