Arjun's POV:
After a tiresome day at work and college, I entered the vicinity of my home. I enter my house and move towards the home library, knowing I will find my dad there. I enter and see my dad sitting on a couch chair and reading one of my mom's favorite book. After mom passed away few years ago, it has always been my dad and I. We are each other's back support. I have never seen my dad as broken as he was when mom died. Wiping away the stray tear that fell from my eye, I move forward.
"Hey, dad. What are you reading?"
"Nothing, just some book." Mom is still a touchy subject and so I know better than to approach the subject.
"So, Arjun, how was your day?" Dad asks.
"Tired and hectic."
"Did you have your dinner?"
"No, not yet."
"Come, I will reheat the food for you, and we will then talk. You go and freshen up till then."
"Where are the servants?"
"Well, they are also humans and deserve a day off."
"You don't have to reheat the food, I will do it for myself. Don't worry." Saying this I move towards my room to freshen up.
After that I make my way downstairs to the kitchen to see my dad getting my food ready.
"I asked you not to over exert yourself dad."
"Well, I have to look after my only son, now, don't I?"
"Really, such a drama queen."
"Now sit down and eat or else it will get cold and all my hard work will go down the drain." He says dramatically.
"Yeah, yeah, putting the food in microwave is such a hard task." I say followed by a 'tch' sound.
We both sit on the dining table and I start eating my food while we keep on discussing random business related things and my graduation and the college. Dad is the trustee of college which is more of a reason why I am so highlighted, and people look at me and pay me too much attention, apart from that I am also in football team so yeah, the unwanted attention is sometimes too much to handle.
"So, I was thinking something."
"Okay? Should I be scared?" I joke.
"Shut up! You know I will never decide anything which is not good for you, right?" He turns serious making me divert my full attention to him.
"What did you do dad?"
"Ifixedyourmarriagetomyfriendsdaughter." He says it in such a rushed manner that it was hard for me to even grasp it.
"Repeat please and slower this time."
"I fixed your marriage to my friend's daughter."
"What?"
"Yes, I mean you know I am getting old now-"
"Dad that's not a good enough reason to get me married. Hell, I am just 22, I haven't done anything in life yet. You cannot do that dad. Please tell me this is all a joke."
"Cut down the drama Arjun, you know it's not that big of a deal, your mom and I got married-"
"I know you guys got married young but that was because it was normal in those days and I am not ready to take up such a huge responsibility dad, please." I try making him understand.
"I have already given my word to my friend and I hope I can trust you to trust me on this decision as you have on the rest."
"But why have you given your words even without discussing it with me first?" I ask exasperatedly.
"Arjun, my friend just suffered a heart attack and the next one might be fatal to him and he wants to see his little girl settled before that happens. The girl is the best choice for you and I want you to marry her, and so I gave my word."
"Do I not even have a say about the girl I can marry now?"
"You can meet the girl tomorrow and decide. I am sure you won't be able to reject her. She is everything you can ever want. I have seen her before, and she even reminds me of your mother sometimes."
"Dad this is emotional blackmail now."
"I am just saying what I think. I hope you will agree to this marriage. Please Arjun for my sake and your mom's do it. She wanted to see you settle before she left us but we knew the time wasn't right but it is now. Please do it."
"Whatever you say dad!" I say tired of putting up with all his blackmails and his requests before putting forth my condition.
"I am not going to meet the girl tomorrow, I have an important meeting."
"But-"
"No buts dad, I will meet her some other day, you can go alone to meet her. Also, since you are choosing the girl, do I have a say in the kind of wedding I want?"
"Of course." He says excitedly, now that I have agreed.
"I want it to be a simple court marriage dad and no huge announcement, I want to keep it a private affair, at least till I do not graduate."
"Don't you think the girl should also have a say in this?"
"Well, it's either a close knitted affair or no marriage at all." Knowing how adamant I can be, dad lets out a sigh. I know you must be thinking if I am so adamant why can I not say no to him. Well, the thing is when mom was unwell, she wanted to see me get settled but they knew that it wasn't possible then. This is the first time after mom's passing away that this topic is brought and I just cannot say no to this.
"So, you can come with me tomorrow and meet the girl and discuss it with her only. After all, it's you both who are getting married."
"Still you are the one taking decision for me."
"Arjun Kapoor, don't forget I am your father and you don't get to be sarcastic to me." He reminds me sternly.
"I am full, I am gonna go and sleep."
"Be ready at 11 tomorrow, we will go to meet the girl's family."
"Good night dad!"
I move to my room upstairs, thinking how I will manage such a huge responsibility. am I really ready for this?
_____
The next morning, I get up and try venting out all my emotions on my workouts. After dripping with sweat, I make me to my shower and dress casually for the day. I wear black jeans with a tucked in white shirt and black converse. I take my aviators with me and exit my room to find dad. After having breakfast together, we make our way to the girl's house.
Maybe she is a mean girl, and I will be able to reject her. Maybe she is marrying me just because of our reputation and wealth or maybe she likes someone else. I am going to try and find something to reject the girl somehow, and then I am sure dad will calm down with all this marriage talks.
"Arjun, please be on your best behavior, this friend of mine is really special."
"Am I a child, dad? Who is he by the way?"
"Well, you certainly act like one. He is the owner of Khanna industries, Mr. Rupesh Khanna."
Well, this girl certainly isn't after money, because Khannas are hefty rich. Now what can be the other reason for this proposal? Before I can dwell much onto the question, we reach a white bungalow, much like ours, but smaller and cozier. We make our way out of the car and stand outside the door. Before we can press the bell, the door is opened by a girl who is mumbling something under her breath but on realizing she has company stops and moves back.
"Yes?" Before we can reply we hear a commotion behind.
"Oh, Rajesh you are here. Come, come on in. I see you have already met Samyra."
I stare at the hazel eyed girl, and see her eyes going wide like saucers. She is wearing a simple blue straight cut kurti paired with white pants and her hair in a fish braid with few strands left free to shield her face. She has her glasses on and pushes them up as they were resting low on her nose bridge.
We enter the house and are made to sit on the sofa.
"Rupesh, if you don't mind, I was thinking we should let the kids go and talk and get to know each other."
"Sure, sure. Samyra, take Arjun to the terrace, I will send tea and snacks there only." She gives her dad a nod, before looking at me, as if asking me to follow before moving ahead. I follow Samyra and soon we reach the terrace and take place on the small seating arrangement present.
We both are sitting there, lost in our own thoughts, thinking what to talk about. I was about to open my mouth when she beat me to it.
"If you don't mind can we just have a simple court marriage, I don't want a big fat Indian wedding. I mean I don't want people to know I am getting married. I mean-" she was about to justify herself when I interrupted her.
"I want the same thing. I am so glad we are on the same page." She lets out a sigh.
"I want to study after marriage, I hope it won't be a problem."
"No, in fact I am also yet to complete my masters. So, what are you studying?"
"I am in my second year of BBA, I am doing it from St. Xavier's College. What are you studying?" I am shocked to know she goes to my college and still doesn't know who I am or maybe she does and is pretending to be all innocent.
"Oh, I am doing MBA and I have one more year before I graduate." I deliberately keep the information of going to same college to myself.
"So, you said you are from St. Xavier's so you must be knowing Arjun Kapoor then?" I question her.
"No, I don't know him. I mean I have heard his name, but I haven't seen him ever."
"Ohhh, what have you heard about him then?" It will be good to know what people think of me.
"Well, I have pretty much heard how he is rude and arrogant but talented, nonetheless. He is obviously a playboy kinda guy whom every girl wants, other than that I don't know much."
"Oh, so you believe these things?"
"Well, since I haven't met him yet how can I say if he is rude and arrogant or not. I mean behind his nature, there might be a reason also, right? We cannot judge anyone based on others comments now and belonging from a well-known family, being an athlete and as heard handsome, one is bound to get attention and maybe he gets so overwhelmed that he just snaps. But why are we discussing Arjun anyways? I hope he isn't a friend or anything of yours. OMG! I didn't mean to be offensive about him." She is looking at me worriedly and I am amazed by the wisdom she holds. She doesn't even know me and thinks, I might be the way I am, due to some reason or it might all be just rumors.
"Relax, Samyra, I am not a friend of Arjun's."
I smile inwardly knowing my next line will get me a reaction worth recording, so I slyly open the video camera on my phone and press the record button before continuing.
"I am Arjun Kapoor." She turns pale and the looks of horror on her face tells me she is scared to shit.
"What!?" her mouth is literally hanging, and I forward my hand and push it up, but it again falls open.
"Why was I so stupid to not ask for his name beforehand?" She mumbles in her mouth, but I hear it. I burst out laughing at her cute-embarrassed expression.
"I am sorry if you felt offended by anything I said." Once I stop laughing and am able to calm myself, I turn to her.
"It's okay, don't worry. You didn't say anything offensive. In fact, I am amazed to hear such amazing views people have about me." I say in a light sarcastic tone.
"I hope that you don't like anyone else and aren't getting forced into this."
"Oh, no, I don't like anyone. I hope it's the same for you." She says tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and looking at her hands settled on her lap.
"Yeah." I further continue. "Don't you want to know if the rumours about me are correct?"
"Well, it's not like I have an option of saying no. What's the use of knowing if they were true or not?" She mumbles it slowly making me have to strain my ears.
"But I can say no if you don't want this to happen." I tell her knowing I cannot actually reject this unless I have a good reason to which I don't as of now.
"No, my dad is adamant about this marriage, I just wanna get done with it now, I guess. I don't wanna stress him out."
We both talk about here and there, our likes and dislikes before its time for us to leave. After coming to know who I am and apologizing profusely multiple times, it was me doing all the talking while Samyra just responded when asked a question, probably not wanting to be embarrassed further. she is really cute though.
We are sitting in car on our way back home.
"So, young man, what do you think?"
"Dad, you are going to get me married to her anyways so why even ask."
"It means you didn't get a reason to reject her. I told you." My dad is doing his happy dance and I am still shocked that I said yes for marriage. I liked my meeting with Samyra today and I am very excited to meet her again.
***