Sanjana couldn't fathom what her aunt was asking of her.  She couldn't get married.  She wasn't worth it.  Rohit had agreed however.  He had absolutely no idea what he was getting himself into. 

"I can't." Sanjana said. 

"Okay, whatever you want." Meenakshi didn't look happy, but she said nothing to challenge Sanjana's decision. 

 Sanjana immediately felt bad about her decision.  Her aunt had been nothing but nice, warm, and welcoming to her.  She'd only asked Sanjana for one thing, and Sanjana had refused. 

 "Bua," Sanjana said. 

 "Yes, dear." Meenakshi answered. 

 "I'll marry Rohit." Sanjana replied. 

 "Oh dear! That's wonderful news!" Meenakshi sprung forward and gave Sanjana a brief hug.  "I'll call Sudhir right away.  Don't worry, dear.  You two will have a long engagement, so I can keep you to myself a little longer." 

 She went off to find her phone, leaving Sanjana alone to think about what had just happened.  She was getting married to a man who knew nothing about her!

"Rohit, my son!  Sanjana has agreed!  Meenakshi just called to tell me that Sanjana has agreed to get married.  Meenakshi said on one condition though....you have to have a long engagement.  That's fine with me if that's fine with you." Sudhir burst into the room Rohit occupied when he came to visit his father, without even bothering to knock. 

 "It's fine with me, Dad." Rohit said dismally. 

 "Why the long face?" Sudhir asked. 

 "I'm getting married, you know, losing my freedom and shit." Rohit said with a hint of attitude. 

 "Do you really think I'm going to believe that you're upset over losing your freedom?" Sudhir answered skeptically. 

 "I want to meet Sanjana again before we get engaged." Rohit said seriously. 

 "Well, fine. I'll have Meenakshi arrange a meeting." Sudhir replied calmly, "Is that all?"

 "What if we don't get along?" Rohit finally divulged what had been bothering him.  "What if we don't end up happy?" 

 "Oh so that's what you're worried about." Sudhir understood.  "Rohit, once you get married, you'll understand what you need to do to keep your wife happy and to make your marriage work.  I know it's very difficult to understand Sanjana now, but once you two are married, she's going to have no choice but to confide in you.  You'll be her everything."  Sudhir said. 

 "Her everything?  Dad, I think you're getting a little carried away." Rohit chuckled. 

 "You'll see what I mean." Sudhir smiled, walking away. 

The day had arrived. Sanjana was supposed to meet with Rohit again. Meenakshi had taken Sanjana to work with her, and on her lunch break, the two would go down to Central Park to meet Rohit. Rohit had assured them that he’d have no trouble leaving the hospital for hours to meet with Sanjana. Rohit had late shifts that entire week, so this was the only way he’d be able to see Sanjana.

Sanjana sat patiently in her aunt’s office. After giving her a tour, Meenakshi had suggested that Sanjana go out and explore the city, but Sanjana was reluctant, especially after what had happened last time. Sanjana looked around the office. It was large and very private. Meenakshi’s desk was neat and had a modern design. Besides the chairs opposite her desk, there was a sofa in the corner beside the bookshelves. Sanjana waited there, liking the calmness of the private office as opposed to the haste outside, where the cubicles were.

“Sanjana, dear,” Meenakshi said, “I have to attend a meeting through lunch, but don’t you worry. I’ll walk with you down to Central Park, and you can meet up with Rohit.”

“Alone?”Sanjana asked, clearly concerned.

“Sanjana, you’re marrying the boy! You’re going to have to get used to being alone with him. Don’t fret, dear. It’s a public place.” Meenakshi replied, smiling.

The walk to Central Park wasn’t long at all. They found Rohit already waiting for them when they arrived.

“Hi, Rohit! How are you?” Meenakshi greeted as they walked up.

“I’m great, Meenakshi Aunty.” Rohit replied.

“I actually have a meeting to get to, but I’ll pop over later. See ya soon!”Meenakshi said, rushing back to her office.

As soon as Meenakshi left, Sanjana became nervous. Her pulse quickened, and she started dreading Rohit’s presence beside her.

“Let’s take a walk,” Rohit suggested. Sanjana nodded and followed behind him as he started walked.

Rohit was dressed in blue scrubs and had a white doctor’s coat over it. He really looked like a doctor that day! Sanjana felt overdressed walking beside him. She was dressed in a blue, embroidered salwar kameez.

“How was your day?” Rohit asked.

Sanjana gave him a small smile and tilted her head slightly to the side, indicating her day had been okay. Rohit smiled at her gesture.Her expressions were interesting to read, but he still wished she could be more open with him.

“My day sucked so far. I’m in trauma instead of cardiology today. It’s supposed to be a lot of emergent cases, but it’s actually just a ton of broken legs and head injuries. I like hearts.” Rohit chuckled.

Sanjana understood little of what Rohit meant. She wondered if after marriage he’d continue to talk medicine with her. She really hoped not.

“Here’s an easy yes or no question. Are you vegetarian?” Rohit asked.

Sanjana shook her heard. She used to be, but Arjun had introduced her to chicken, and she never looked back.

“Oh thank God!” Rohit exclaimed, “I love meat, and I would’ve felt bad making you cook it for me if you were a vegetarian.” He said.

“What’s your type?” Rohit asked.

Sanjana gave him a questioning look, not comprehending what he meant.

“What type of guy do you like?” He clarified.

Sanjana thought about it. She honestly didn’t know. She loved Arjun, so maybe he was her type. Now, however, the very thought of him sent cold chills down her spine. She looked back at Rohit and shrugged.

“You have to have a type!” Rohit state, “Okay,” he continued when Sanjana remained silent, “I like Indian girls.”

Sanjana rolled her eyes at him.

“I have tons of Indian friends, who prefer American girls and wouldn’t look twice at an Indian girl.” Rohit laughed. “I’ve only dated career-oriented women, so I guess that’s my type.”

Sanjana looked down. She’d never worked a day in her life. It was inappropriate for women in the village to work when her father or husband was alive. She couldn’t ever dream of having a career.

“I like responsible women, who will take care of me but give me space. I hate clingy women, who feel the need to spend every moment with me.” Rohit explained.

Sanjana was certainly responsible, and she was confident that she could take care of Rohit. She’d taken care of her family back in India effortlessly. She was unsure what he meant by clingy, however. She disliked that Rohit had started this topic. It made her feel even more inferior. Knowing that she couldn’t live up to his expectations.

“I’m a doctor. I work long hours, and some women can’t understand that people in my career field won’t always have time for them.It’s not because we don’t want to. It’s because we can’t because of how the job is. Sanjana, please understand that I can’t spend every moment with you. This isn’t the typical nine-to-five job. I love my job. I put off getting married because I love my job so much.” Rohit explained sincerely.

Sanjana smiled at him briefly. What he said touched he heart. She didn’t know whether the fact that Rohit couldn’t spend time with her after they get married bothered her or not, but she knew she’d never blame Rohit for it. After all, he did save lives for a living!

“So, what’s your type?” Rohit repeated his initial question.

“Kind.”Sanjana said, looking at Rohit. Rohit looked surprised that she’d actually answered him.

“What else?” he prompted.

“Caring.”Sanjana added.

“And?”Rohit prompted again, happy with her response.

Sanjana looked down. A slight blush crept onto her cheeks.

“Doctors.”She said, smiling shyly.

“Kind, caring doctors? Well, it seems like I’m perfect for you.” Chuckled Rohit.

“Have you ever been in a relationship?” Rohit asked. He felt stupid about asking her, knowing that dating was not a common practice in villages in India, but there was something he needed to get off his chest.

Sanjana hesitated. Arjun. Should she tell Rohit everything? Her aunt had advised her no to. She had a clean, new slate here in America, but something about keeping everything from Rohit felt wrong. She turned to Rohit and slowly nodded in response to his question.

Rohit’s eyebrows shot up.

“Really? Sanjana, if you have someone you’d rather marry…” Rohit trailed off.

Sanjana shook her head vehemently, not wanting Rohit to misunderstand.

“What happened between you and him? Rohit asked, very curious about her relationship.

Sanjana quickly looked away, and Rohit got the hint. She obviously didn’t want to talk about it.

“I’ve had two serious relationships. My first was in college. We dated for two years. She wanted to go to business school and get her MBA. Her business school was in California, and my medical school was here in New York. We decided to break it off. I dated my next girlfriend for three years, and we lived together for a year. She was the love of my life….or so I thought.” Rohit paused to see how Sanjana was reacting to the news. She looked concerned, but he decided to continue anyways.

“She cheated on me…many times, and it hurt me a lot.” Rohit said, “I’m only telling you this so you know what you’re getting yourself into. People are going to talk about us and our relationship. You’re going to hear about her at least for a few weeks after we get married.” Rohit said.

Sanjana gave Rohit a reassuring smile. She was glad that he was thoughtful enough to reveal his past to her.

“It seems like you’re okay with all this.” Rohit noticed. “Are you?”

Sanjana nodded. Rohit smiled. It had been worrying him for a while that once they got married, Sanjana would find out about his past relationships from someone else. He didn’t want her to be taken by surprise and decided he needed to tell her himself.

“Sanjana, do you have any expectations from me…as your husband, I mean?” Rohit asked.

Sanjana shook her head.

“No demands for vacations once a month or dinner at a fancy restaurant once a week?” Rohit said jokingly.

Sanjana smiled, shaking her head once again. The two continued walking through Central Park enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.Rohit was the first to break the silence between them.

“Sanjana, I’d like you to continue your education.” Rohit said unexpectedly.

Sanjana looked at him curiously. Why was he talking about education all of a sudden?

“Why?”Sanjana asked genuinely wanting to know the reason.

“Don’t you want to?” Rohit countered, avoiding the question.

Sanjana took a moment to think. She loved school ever since she was a little girl. She even loved college, even though it was quite difficult and very time-consuming. She knew that being a girl in a village and going to college was a rare opportunity. Somehow, however, she didn’t like the thought of juggling school and marriage.

“Not after marriage.” Sanjana answered.

Rohit understood. Being married while being in school was a huge commitment. It was the reason he’d stayed single for so long.After he’d graduated from medical school, there was ample opportunity to get married, but ambition had taken over Rohit and had forced him to put marriage on the backburner.

“I understand. What about before we get married? Maybe you can take one of those ten-week computer courses or whatever else you’re interested in.” Rohit suggested.

Sanjana wondered why Rohit was pressing so hard for her to continue with her education, but she didn’t voice her concerns. She looked down, unsure what to say. Rohit immediately thought he’d offended her.

“I don’t think you’re uneducated.” He said, seriously. “I just want to make sure you have all the opportunities you want. You shouldn’t have any regrets after marriage.” Rohit smiled.

Regrets.  The thought of regretting getting married had always been at the back of Sanjana's mind.  She just hoped Rohit wouldn't regret marrying someone like her. 

Rohit could tell when Sanjana was thinking about something.  She often got lost in her own thoughts when she was with him, but he didn't really mind.  He wished he could read her mind in order to gain a deeper understanding of who Sanjana was.  As they walked through the park, Rohit fought the urge to hold Sanjana's hand.  He knew that Sanjana might not think it appropriate to have any physical contact before marriage.  After marriage, however, would she allow him to touch her, to caress her lovingly?  Rohit tried to control his thoughts as he walked beside Sanjna.  Finally, he decided to start a new topic to distract himself. 

"Do you have any bad habits?" He asked. 

Sanjana didn't look at him at first.  Rohit knew he'd have to be the first to share. 

"One bad habit of mine is that I get extremely rowdy when I'm watching sports." Rohit admitted.  "And I hate to clean."

He noticed Sanjana's expression falter. 

"Don't worry." Rohit added quickly, "I have a maid that comes over once a week, and i send my laundry out.  You won't have to do much housework." 

Sanjana didn't mind if she had chores.  She did all of the cooking and cleaning at her house in India. 

"Let's see...I get extremely emotional about my patients even when I'm not supposed to."  Rohit looked sad for a brief moment but quickly covered it up. 

"I spend a lot of money on things I don't really need, but I guess that's good news for you because I'll spoil you rotten." He said. 

Sanjana smiled.  The two kept walking.  The wind picked up a bit.  Sanjana crossed her arms over her body, quickening her pace ever so slightly.  Rohit easily followed her.  He suddenly stopped.  Sanjana, after noticing that Rohit was no longer beside her, also stopped.  She turned around and gave him a questioning look.  Rohit slowly walked up to her, standing close to her but not touching her. 

"And Sanjana," he said, "When I fall in love, I fall hard." He held her gaze until she looked down. 

Sanjana started walking again without responding to Rohit's comment.  She started looking around for her Aunt, who should have been done with her meeting by now.  Rohit quickly caught up with her. 

"Did I...say something wrong?" He asked, concerned. 

Sanjana shook her head.

"Let's sit down for a minute." Rohit said, pointing to a park bench.  He wondered why Sanjana suddenly seemed like she wanted to run away from him.  Surely, something he'd said made her feel uncomfortable.  He decided to focus on her instead. 

"So, do you have any bad habits or interesting facts about you that I should know about?" Rohit asked casually. 

Sanjana shook her head, barely looking in his direction. 

"None at all? Come on Sanjana, there must be something about you that will annoy the hell out of me.  Nobody is perfect." Rohit said. 

Sanjana finally looked at him, sadness apparent on her face.  Rohit was right.  Nobody's perfect, but Sanjana was the least perfect of them all. 

"Nothing?" Rohit said in disbelief.  "It's okay.  I'll figure it out after we get married." He chuckled.

"Hey! How's it going?  I'm sorry. My meeting just ended." Meenakshi appeared before them.  She walked over to the bench and sat down beside Sanjana.  

"Hello, Meenakshi Aunty."  Rohit greeted.  

"Hi, dear.  So tell me, what's going on?" Meenakshi smiled.  

"We were jsut talking about bad habits.  Sanjana wouldn't tell me any of hers though."  Rohit told Meenakshi, giving Sanjana a smile.  

"Oh dear!  I can't think of a single bad habit Sanjana has.  She's ridiculously quiet, but that's much better than being an awful gossip, I suppose."  Meenakshi mused.  

"Sanjana, dear, why do you look so worried?" Meenakshi whispered to Sanjana, hoping Rohit wouldn't hear her.  

Rohit frowned.  He'd heard what Meenakshi said and hated that he made Sanjana feel so uncomfortable.  

"Sanjana," Meenakshi said, this time loud enough for Rohit to hear as well, "Don't be shy.   Ask Rohit anything you want to know about him."  

Sanjana stayed quiet.   She had no questions for Rohit.  He was already too good for her.  She didn't feel the need to ask him anything.  

"Sanjana, don't be rude.  Talk to Rohit."  Meenakshi said a little more harshly.  

"Aunty, can I ask Sanjana something in private?" Rohit asked.  

"Of course!  I'll just be right over there." Meenakshi replied.  

Sanjana pleaded with her eyes, begging her aunt not to leave her alone, but Meenakshi had already left.  

"Sanjana, do you want to marry me?"  Rohit asked seriously.  

Sanjana nodded a little too eagerly.  

"If you're only agreeing to this to make Meenkshi Aunty happy, you don't have to." Rohit added.  

Sanjana shook her head slightly, knowing that that was her sole intent, but she didn't want Rohit to know that.  

"I don't want to marry someone who isn't comfortable with me.  You just don't seem to like me, Sanjana." Rohit said sadly.  

"I do." Sanjana piped in.  She quickly looked down.  

Truthfully, she wasn't sure whether she liked Rohit the way he wanted her to.  She knew he'd make a good husband, however, and should consider herself lucky to be marrying such a nice, educated man with a great job.  

"It doesn’t seem like." Rohit countered. "Let me take you home." He added quickly before Sanjana had a chance to reply.  

"Meenakshi Aunty, we're heading out.  I'll get Sanjana back home." Rohit called out to Meenakshi, who was seated a few benches away. 

"Oh that's so sweet of you, Rohit!" Meenakshi said. 

She walked up to Sanjana and took her aside

"Talk to him or he won't want to marry you." Meenakshi whispered to Sanjana before saying a quick goodbye and leaving to have a later lunch. 

Too late, Sanjana wanted to say. 

OMG! Rohit doesn’t wanna marry Sanjana! Noooo!  Will he come around? 

Okay, I hope no one thinks Sanjana is being rude by being quiet.  She’s just really uncomfortable with getting to know another man after Arjun. Just needed to clarify this.

Did anyone else think Rohit’s little confessions were cute?! If a doctor told me all this about his past relationships and how emotional he gets with his patients, I’d be like awwww  :P

Anyways, update coming soon! PLEASE tell me what you thought!! I wanna know! 

VOTE AND COMMENT!!!