2 months later:

"Maa, I cannot believe you are making me do this! You know I'm against this all then why?" Nandini questioned her mother.

"Bachaa please try to understand, you have to do this for Amms and Dadu! You know how excited they are for you to meet them. So please do it for them." She tried to explain her stubborn daughter.

"Maa I love Amms and Dadu dearly but this I cannot do." She said with frustration.

"Nandini beta please... please just meet the boy for Amms. You don't have to be forced into saying yes. Just meet him, what is the harm?" Shreya stated.

"Maa no! I can't!" Nandini exclaimed.

"Nandini they're coming this evening to see you and that's final." Shreya said sternly.

"Maa this is not done. First of all, you cannot tell me right now that this evening some guy and his family are coming to see me for a marriage proposal which I will not in a million years approve to! Why didn't you tell me beforehand? And secondly, you know how I feel about Shaadi! Then why?" Nandini questioned.

"Because I know you would've made one excuse or the other. Sunday's are your days off from work but I know you would've made some excuse to escape so I told you on the day. And Nandini beta please atleast see the boy. He's the grandson of Amms and Dadu's friends. And according to Amms they are a very reputed family." Shreya tried to explain Nandini.

"Maa I don't care if he is from a reputed family or not, I don't want to get married! You guys cannot force me! I'm an adult for goodness sake!" Nandini said as she sat on her bed and ran her hands through her hair. She was frustrated and how!

"Princess nobody is forcing you, remember that! It's just Amms is worried for you that's all. Navya got married at the age of 21 and you're 25 and still not married. Of course me and your mum don't have an issue with that but Amms and Dadu do. We understand your viewpoint, but they want to see you happily settled." Arjun said as he walked inside the room and sat next to his daughter. He patted her head in order to calm her down.

"Dad I don't want to be happily settled. I don't want to marry anyone! I don't need a guy to keep me happy! How can you expect me to meet some random individual and decide that I want to spend my life with him. It doesn't make sense to me! And about Navya di then she wanted to get married. She loved jiju and they got married. They're undoubtedly happy together but me and di are different. Marriage just isn't something I want right now!" Nandini said irritatedly. She did not want to fight with her parents like this, but they were simply not ready to listen to her.

"Listen Nandini, What is the harm in meeting the boy atleast? Just meet him and if you don't like him just say no. Amms wants you to get married but she will never force you to marry a guy you do not like. You aren't making any effort in finding boys and that's why Amms is just trying to help you out." Shreya said once again in an attempt to convince her daughter.

"Maa it doesn't matter if the guy is super handsome, or super rich, or super polite, or super cute, it won't make a difference to me because I don't want to get married. I know I'm going to say no so what's the point? I'm just going to be wasting my time and everyone else's time!" Nandini said firmly.

"But you're my shona beti naa, please..." Shreya tried to speak but was interrupted by her husband.

"Shreya it's okay. We can't force her. She's an adult and she is allowed to make her own decisions. It would be wrong of us to force her into doing anything." Arjun said softly. He was right indeed, both Arjun and Shreya had never differentiated between their three kids. They made sure that whilst growing up, neither child felt pressurised into doing anything. They wanted their children to be comfortable around them.

"Force her to do what?" A voice came from the door.

"Amms, aap?" Nandini questioned.

"Can I not come to my granddaughters room?" The lady said sternly.

"Of course you can Amms, please come and Dadu aap bhi!" Nandini said with a slight smile.

"Nandini beta I hope you are prepared for this evening. I have brought this dress for you, please wear this only!" Amms said to Nandini.

"But Amms, I.. I..." Nandini hesitated to speak. How would she tell her Amms that she does not want to get married! Not to the guy she was going to introduce her to and not to anybody else either!

"Nandini beta I know you will never say no to me. The boys family are very reputed people. Gayatri and Alok are our very good friends and when they suggested that you and their grandson should meet, I was more than happy." Amms said with delight.

"Your Amms is right, Nandu beta I'm so happy that you're meeting their family. I promise that you won't regret this decision." Dadu too said with a big smile as he caressed his granddaughters hair.

"But Amms, Dadu, I.. I..." Nandini once again tried to muster up the courage to speak to her grandparents but she simply could not.

"You what?" Amms asked.

"Urm Nothing! I'm... I'm looking forward to this evening." Nandini said as she plastered a fake smile.

"Thank you beta. Thank you so much! Shreya let's go now, we have lots of preparations to do. Nandu, Navya will be coming soon and she will help you get ready. I have called Alya too, she will help you as well!" Amms said as she started to walk out of the room and mum followed her. Before walking out of the room, Nandini's mum came up to her and caressed her cheeks and whispered a thank you. Was she thanking her because she agreed to see this guy? Was she thanking her for not hurting her grandparents feelings? Was she thanking her for not arguing back? She didn't know. She really didn't know.

"Ji Amms!" Nandini said softly. Her dad and Dadu too walked out as they patted her head and she was left all alone. She did not want to do this, She really didn't! But she couldn't upset her grandparents either. She didn't care what happened, She was not saying yes to this proposal. She couldn't! She was meeting the boy for her grandparents sake and that was it.

An hour later, Nandini was sat in her room contemplating life. Why wasn't she like other girls who were excited to get married? Why did she not like the idea of having a happily ever after with her perfect man? All her life, Nandini had been around such positive people and she had seen happy relationships in front of her eyes. Her grandparents, her parents, her di and jiju, her uncles and aunties, her cousins, her friends, they were all very happy in their married lives. Then why did Nandini fear marriage? Was there somebody out there who could change her views on marriage?

She was lost in her thoughts when she heard a little scream.

"Masi!!!!" Shouted a little boy as he ran up to Nandini with a soft toy in his hand. He looked at his masi with a sad pout.

"Abeer! My baby! Come here give masi huggy!" Nandini said as soon as she saw the little boy.

"Will my huggy make you feel better?" He asked innocently.

"What do you mean baby?" Nandini questioned.

"Masi, you look so sad and lost. Abeer doesn't like to see his masi sad. He likes to see masi happy! I love your big smile!" Abeer said cutely and to this Nandini gave a big smile and hugged him.

"Abeer beta, masi is just tried. You go play with Rishab mamu! Okay!" Navya said to her little one.

"Okay mommy!" He said with a nod and left the room.

"Nandu what's happened?" Navya said as she sat next to her and placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Di you know what's happened!" Nandini said with a sigh.

"Nandini why did you agree in the first place?" Alya questioned.

"Alya it's not as easy as it sounds! I can't just tell my grandparents I don't want to get married. I tried to tell them but they were just so happy I didn't want to hurt them. I'm simply meeting the boys family for the sake of it, I'm going to make it clear to him that I'm not interested in him or any other guy for that matter!" Nandini explained the situation to Alya.

"Nandu don't word it like that please!" Navya said immediately.

"Why?" Nandini questioned.

"Because it sounds like you're not interested in boys but are interested in girls!" She said with a giggle.

"Di! Not funny!" Nandini said with a stern look.

"Okay baba I'm joking! You've made the decision to meet them so atleast make an effort to get ready for Amms sake!" Navya said.

"Yeahh I know!" Nandini mumbled.

"Yay! I can't wait to do your make up! I'm so excited!" Alya said with excitement.

"Seriously Aloo! Here I'm so stressed out and you care about make up!" Nandini said with a frown.

"Listen Nans, make up can help a girl feel good!" Alya said.

"Well it doesn't help me!" Nandini exclaimed.

"Yeah I forgot that you aren't like us girls. Pataa nahi which planet you're from!" Alya said.

"Whatever! I don't care!" Nandini said with a frown!

"Stop fighting you two! And let's get you ready!" Navya said.

It was around 5 in the evening now and the guests were to arrive soon. Nandini was pacing up and down in her room, clearly stressed out. Just then her jiju walked in. Navya had sent him to cheer Nandini up!

"Why is aloo puri so upset today?" Cabir said as he walked in.

"Jiju don't call me that!" She said with a frown.

"I can't help it! So.... excited to meet the boy?" He questioned.

"Jiju! You know how I feel about all this!" She exclaimed.

"Nandini, nobody is asking you to marry him! Just meet him for Amms sake and that's it!" He explained.

"I know Jiju, I know. That's exactly what I'm doing but it's not easy. And what if the guy doesn't understand me? What if he turns out to be like a chipku? Then?" Nandini addressed her worries.

"Nandini I promise you I will support you in all your decisions. And don't worry about that, I'll handle him!" He said with a smirk.

"And me!" A voice came from near the door.

"Rishu!!!" Nandini exclaimed.

"I've got your back di!" Rishab said proudly.

"Me too! Masi I am with you too!" Another cute little voice came from near the door. It was Abeer. He didn't know what was happening but he knew his masi was upset and he would do anything to see her smile.

"Awhh my babies! Which girl needs to worry when they have such cute and caring boys backing her up?"  Nandini said with a smile.

"Exactly! By the way di, you look so pretty!" Rishab said as he pulled Nandini's cheeks.

(Literally what my brother does to me every time I put nice make up for a wedding/festival/or any other occasion. Girls, who else's brother teases them like this? Surely, I can't be the only one! 🙊😂)

"Rishu don't do that! Alya will go crazy if my make up is ruined. She's spent an entire hour doing it!" Nandini said as she checked herself in the mirror. Despite spending an hour on the make up, Nandini had warned Alya to keep it simple and elegant. Nandini was not a fan of loud make up and Alya respected that. Her hair was also curled on to the side and she wore a pair of heavy jhumkas to compliment the outfit. She indeed looked stunning!

"He's right though Nandu! You look beautiful! The boy is gonna be bowled over by your beauty!" Cabir said with a smirk in an attempt to tease Nandini.

"Jiju! Not funny!" Nandini said angrily.

"Calm down hulk!" He exclaimed.

"Dad don't call masi hulk. Call her princess, she looks like a cute princess." Abeer said trying to defend his masi.

"Awhhh Abeer sirf tum hi ho mere!" Nandini said dramatically to which Abeer giggled.

Just then Navya and Alya came up and informed Nandini the boys family was here. Nandini took a deep breath and prepared to go down.

"I can't believe I'm doing this!" Nandini muttered to herself. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and walked down the stairs. As soon as she got down the stairs, her mum quickly came and handed her a tray of tea and some snacks.

"Maa! No! I'm not doing this!" As soon as her mum placed the tray in her hands, she knew what was coming up. She had seen her sister, her cousins, and some of her friends do it. In fact, she had seen it on the numerous indian dramas her mum used to watch too. She was not prepared to walk to greet the boys family with a tray full of tea and act all shy. That was not Nandini! She was not the one to be all shy! Unlike any other girl, the thoughts going through Nandini's mind was that what if she dropped it and ended up burning someone? She would have to treat them too. It was a safety hazard thought Nandini. But her mum wasn't going to have any of it. She forced Nandini to walk towards the living room with a tray of hot drinks. She tried her best to make sure she didn't trip or spilt the tea anywhere. Her Amms had already made her wear a long indian attire and Nandini feared that she may trip over it. Her hands were shaking, no it wasn't due to the nervousness inside her of meeting the boy. It was due to the pressure of holding the tray of hot drinks! Or was it? Nandini tried to put her focus on the tray of the drinks and when she walked inside the room, she didn't even bother to look up at the guests. Her family and the guests assumed she was shy of meeting them and hence was looking down. But the reality was that Nandini was actually concentrating her attention on the tray so nothing spilt anywhere. Slowly, she walked towards the table which was placed in the centre and put the tray down. Navya and Alya too put down the trays of snacks. Nandini then took a sigh of relief as she had managed to bring the tea without any spillage. She looked at the tray with a big smile and then realised her surroundings. She quickly composed herself and looked at the guests for the first time. Next to her Amms, an elderly lady was sat. She looked like she was around Amms age. And next to them was Dadu and an elderly man. She assumed they were her grandparents friends. She smiled at them and greeted them.

"Namaste!" She said softly to them both.

"Namaste puttar! Jeeti raho!" The old lady said with a smile as she placed her hand on Nandini's head to bless her and the elderly man greeted her too.

She then turned around to greet the rest. She saw a beautiful lady sat with a well dressed man. She assumed they were the parents of the guy. She then looked at them again and felt that she had seen them before. They were looking at her with confused eyes. Did we know each other? My eyes then made their way to the young girl sat next to them with a beautiful smile, she looked around the age of 20. There was a couple sat next to her with a little girl. There was also a boy sat there on one of the chairs. Was he the boy I was supposed to be marrying? Some of these people looked so familiar but I couldn't figure out exactly who they were. But that cute little girl, was she? Shoots! I quickly scanned my eyes for him! He wasn't there. I took a sigh of relief, but the stares I was getting made me worry again. I was just about to say something when I heard a voice at the door. A very familiar one!

"Sorry it was an important call related to work! I had to take it!" He said softly and I decided to turn around to see the source of the voice. Oh lord, what if it's him? Please don't be him, please! I slowly turned around with my eyes shut. Once I had fully turned, I heard a voice!

"Tum?" I heard. I quickly opened my eyes and saw the shock on his face.

"Aap?" The words jumped right out of my mouth as I saw him. My fears came true!

"People don't just meet again and again for no apparent reason, it's universe's way of telling them they're meant to be!"

~Me 💕

A/N: Chapter 5 updated! Hope you all liked it! A super long update for you all. 🙈 Do let me know what you thought of the update! What was your favourite moment? I also want to say a huge thank you to everyone for voting and leaving your feedback on my previous chapters. ☺️Your comments make me smile, it shows that my story is being appreciated and loved. 😊 If there's anything you guys think needs improving then do feel free to tell me. 🙈 Have a lovely weekend. Lots of love xxx