"Nihal you here, I am sorry to keep you waiting was actually stuck in a meeting but wait a minute as far as I know you were on a holiday right for your wedding?" asked Shivaay Singh Oberoi with a warm smile, the youngest and most successful business tycoon. A complete gentleman and the most eligible bachelor known.

He is a boss every employee dream of. Kind, polite and completely friendly. For him his each employee is his family. Maybe that's why his each and every employ be it a peon or a manager does everything with his/her complete heart to make 'their' company a success . He doesn't work on his employees he works along with his employees!

"Actually sir I just have a small request. Can you grace my wedding with your arrival. What I am today is only because of you. If you wouldn't have looked at my talent leaving degree I would have never reached this height. I am financially stable today just because of you. For me you are nothing less than God, I know it would be hard for you to take time out off your busy schedule but can you just pay a visit." requested Nihal in a desperate voice making Shivaay rub his forehead not able to refuse.

"It would be a bit hard for me considering you are getting married in your village but even if slightly late I will make sure to at least pay a visit." he replied with a smile and Nihal literally touched his feet before Shivaay pulled him in a hug.

"All the best brother, well although no experience with married life but as far as I know it's a necessary evil" Shivaay joked to which Nikhal chuckled.

"On a serious note bro, keep the girl happy forever because she is trusting over you for all her life. Stand by her side with words as well as actions, even though an arrange marriage make sure you keep her as happy as she will be with someone she would love. Be her best friend with whom she can share everything always." He advised in a sincere voice taking the card from him and Nihal nodded in agreement.

"Always remember a good marriage isn't something you find, it's something you make and you have to keep making it" he added before settling down on his chair.

"I'll always remember it sir" Nihal replied before taking a leave and Shivaay once again drowned himself in his work.

He was disturbed by a call and a smile appeared on his lips seeing it from his youngest brother cum child Rudra.

"Bhaiya it's already seven when are you coming back, I am missing you---" Rudra cried over dramatically making Shivaay chuckle at his Oscar winning drama.

"I'm just leaving Rudra, would be there in a while." replied Shivaay as he picked up his keys to leave. Bidding an adieu to all those people who were still working he left for his home.

"Bhaiya---------" Shivaay was engulfed in a hug by Rudra as soon as he entered the house. Laughing he pushed him away before greeting his brother Om.

"I so missed you Bhaiya!" Rudra declared again making Shivaay roll his eyes "Rudra you just went on a college trip of three days."

"Bhaiya three days means 72 hours means-----" he started counting when Shivaay replied "4320 minutes."

"Ya same----I missed you bhaiya" he again hugged Shivaay to which Om smacked his head commenting "You know what you are actually a six year old girl with biceps."

Rudra frowned and was going to reply when Shivaay's phone weant off showing Tia Kapoor. Shivaay excused himself while Rudra cringed "I don't get this lady baba why is she always clinging with Bhaiya?"

"Chillax Rudra she is just a business client and a friend of Shivaay you don't need to get hyper." replied Om but Rudra wasn't giving up "Then why is she always stuck after him like she is his girlfriend."

"Rudra trust me Shivaay would get a perfect Bhabhi for you, who would love you the way Shivaay loves you." Om said smiling at the pouting Rudra who was frowning at Shivaay talking to Tia in a corner.

~~~~~~

"My Annika is looking so pretty." remarked Shanti looking at her daughter dressed in bridal wear all set for her wedding.

"The Groom side is arriving soon, now after her wedding I will be free from all the responsibilities" Harsh Vardhan Trivedi kissed the forehead of his daughter Annika Vardhan Trivedi.

Annika signed in defeat, no matter how much she try she will always be a responsibility they want to be free of, she would never be considered a strength like her brother Sahil.

Looking at the mirror, Annika knew all her dreams are now buried under this red veil her mother was keeping on her head which is far more heavy than it appear.

She looked at her engagement ring which weighed on her soul like anything , a bondage she is gonna carry even after her death.

Only if she was a bit revolting, only if she would have been able to revolt against her parents who dropped her studies to get her married at such an early age of 21, only if she would have been able to revolt against her parents' decision to get her married in yet another orthodox family where Girl education and working is nothing less than a sin.

She had talked to her fiance quite a time but just like any other male chauvinist he was against women working after wedding. He considered it as a question mark on his manhood!

"The Baraat had arrived"  she heard someone's voice and her parents left to welcome them.  She looked at her reflection in the mirror and led out a painful smile.

Now she is gonna smile like nothing happened, pretend like everything's alright, act like it's all perfect even though inside it really hurts.

"Try to understand Vermajii we weren't able to arrange for this much gold in such a short notice but I give you my words I will definitely arrange for this as soon as possible." Annika heard her father's voice and peeked from her room to see what's going on in the hall.

"Look Trivedi jii we have agreed on this particular amount for this relationship. Our son works in Oberoi Industries, we got lot many relationship offers that to from very well to do families. Just because we knew you and your daughter from ages so we decided on you guys but now this betrayal isn't accepted. We can't proceed to this marriage until the prescribed demand isn't fulfilled." he stated in firm tone.

Annika so wanted to come ahead and give a nice one to him for demanding such a huge amount of dowry. Clearly illegal the practice is still so prevalent.

She looked at her fiance who just stood there like a statue without speaking a single word and the thought of living with this inhuman piece of flesh terrified Annika even more.

"Please try to understand Vermajii, we can't arrange it on such a short notice. I promise we will give it after marriage." Annika closed her eyes seeing her father literally joining hands in front of the heartless man.

"Trivedijii I am clearing my point, you arrange for everything or we are taking the baraat back." Annika looked shocked at her hopeful future father in law.

In their village it's still a great deal of shame for the bride if the groom breaks the wedding on the wedding pavilion. No one looks forward to marry a girl who had been left on her wedding day because the society consider it the fault of the girl.

"Please don't say like this Vermajii" Annika eyes teared as her father literally pleaded, she again looked at her fiance who was as usual just sitting silently without a word.

"Give us sometime Vermajii trust me I will pay you all---" Annika had enough as she saw her father begging. She was going to interrupt when her mother who saw her coming dragged her inside.

"What do you think you were going to do?" she scolded and Annika looked at her with slight tears in her eyes "Maa you saw how they are forcing Papa---"

Shanti interrupted Annika "This is how it works here Annika, just pray that they don't break the alliance otherwise for our entire life we would have to deal with this shame and you."

"Maa----" Annika was going to say something but her mother showed her palm declaring the end of the conversation and left where her father was literally begging her fiance's father to not break the alliance.

"Trivedijii the point is we can't do this alliance without the prescribed amount. Now since you can't arrange the amount we aren't interested in this alliance anymore. Let's go son" declared Mr Verma in a determined tone and turned to leave when they heard a voice from inside.

"Neither I am interested to get married to a spineless man who can't take a stand for right in front of his father." Annika said without coming out of her hiding.

A frown appeared on the entire Verma family face while a horrified look came on Mr and Mrs Trivedi's face.

"Is this what you taught your daughter Trivedi, now this alliance can't happen at any cost---" Mr Verma declared and holding the hand of his son left the venue leaving a gloom filled environment for the bride side and a gossip abode for the guests over there.

~~~~~~

Shivaay can't believe what he saw was real, the practice of dowry is still so prevalent. He had just came to congratulate the bride and the groom as per his employee Nihal's wish but what he saw was so not what he expected.

He didn't expect this from Nihal, he had given Nihal a job in Oberoi Industry even though he didn't had the required degree. He gave him the job on basis of his ability but he never thought Nihal would misuse this position to increase his rate in the market of marriage. Was he literally selling himself?

He wanted to react that moment itself but couldn't do so because first he was too shocked with this and secondly he was not a family to interfere. Nihal wasn't even able to see him in the crowd watching the dowry drama.

Anyway he was happy that the girl didn't got married to a spineless man like Nihal, although he haven't seen her she definitely deserves someone better than Nihal and by God grace will definitely get one.

He will see Nihal when he rejoin the office after his leave. With this strong point Shivaay turned to leave when a gossip conversation stopped him.

"What happened?" asked one of the guest who just arrived. The other one replied snickering "The Groom side broke the alliance because Trivedijii couldn't pay the wedding charges."

Shivaay looked at them shocked, how can they refer dowry as a wedding charge.

"Trivedijii should have thought about it right. He himself spoiled the life of his only daughter." the other one commented and Shivaay just couldn't find the logic. Instead of blaming the greedy groom side they are still blaming the bride's father.

"You know what I think it's all a facade otherwise who doesn't arrange beforehand only. I guess there would have been some fault in the girl which they got to know right now only." said the person who had seen everything and Shivaay just couldn't believe his ears. After seeing everything they are still making their own stories.

"Even I think the same, I have heard that the bride has done college that to from city now if they will teach girl this much that to in city she would definitely go out of hand. By guarantee I am saying there must be some affair of the girl they got to know now." the gossip continued and Shivaay had enough.

"Excuse me when you saw everything with your own eyes how can you make stories?" Shivaay asked frowning. The man looked at him cladded in black Armani suit top to bottom before asking "Who are you?"

"That doesn't concern you sir what I am asking is, you yourself saw what happened then how can you make false stories and blame the girl?" he asked in a high pitched voice which drew the attention of all the guest who were till not witnessing Trivedi family gloom.

"Not everything is as it look Mr. It's not me everyone here will believe on this. No-one marries a left over woman." the man replied frowning clearly not pleased with Shivaay's tone for him.

"What do you mean by left over woman? She isn't at fault over all this. She deserve someone better." Shivaay countered and was going to continue when Harsh himself stopped him.

"I don't know you sir and I am really thankful that you take our side but what they are saying is true. No one marries a girl left on her wedding. It's all my fault."  Harsh said in a low voice.

"Then why are you so bend to get her married, there is many things in life to do except getting married." Shivaay countered back "and she definitely deserve someone better, there would be someone who would love to marry your daughter."

"Child all these talks look good in idealistic world only." one of the older man in the crowd said "Are you married?"he asked and Shivaay nodded in negative confused "Can you marry his daughter? You are giving so much lectures on our opinion right. Can you marry a girl left on her wedding day?"

Shivaay looked at them horrified, how can they twist his words like this? Looking here and there for an escape, his eyes fell on the reflection of a girl in a mirror placed on the other side, dressed in a bridal dress peeking from the room and for a minute he was lost. For a minute he forgot where he is standing, what's going on, what he is doing. All he could see are those beautiful brown orbs full of glistening tears with some pearl drops rolling down on her slightly red face.

"Beautiful----" muttered Shivaay to himself. His reverie was broken by a loud pitch question "Answer us can you marry a left over girl? Don't preach until you can't follow. If you are really so worried get married to the girl."

Shivaay looked at the man with a slight frown for breaking his beautiful daze before actually realizing what's going on. "How can I marry her? We don't even know each other." excused Shivaay.

"Huhh excuses, Don't preach until you can't follow Mr.  You also agree that there is some fault in the girl only----" The man was going to continue but Shivaay yelled at him in a high voice "okay enough I will get married to her but first let me talk to her."

The crowd was shell shocked as well as the Trivedi family. Shivaay turned to Harsh and said in polite tone "I know you don't know me sir, My full name is Shivaay Singh Oberoi, owner of Oberoi group of Industries You can access all my details on internet."

This was yet again a shocker for everyone present there.  Avoiding all the looks Shivaay was getting he very politely asked Harsh "Can I once meet your daughter Sir?" Harsh nodded directing one girl to escort Shivaay till Annika's room.

Shivaay walked inside the room with slow steps looking at Annika who was looking down at the floor fiddling with her fingers.

"Annika ummm----that's your name right?" Shivaay was visibly surprised with himself. He had never ever stammered in his life before this.

"I am Shivaay Singh Oberoi---" he introduced coughing a bit due to nervousness when he heard a low whisper from Annika "I know I have read about you in our Business studies books."

"Cool you have anything to ask me?" asked Shivaay but Annika nodded in negative and he just smiled. "Don't mind but what's your age?" Shivaay asked stammering a bit.

That's when Annika looked up in his eyes and Shivaay unconsciously took a deep breath holding it in his lungs.

"21" she replied and Shivaay looked at her wide eyes "Wow you are so small----I mean actually I am eight years older than you." he said rubbing his nape "Hope you don't mind?"

She nodded in negative again looking down.

"Annika I know this is clearly not something you would have expected. You must be having a particular criteria for you future partner in which I don't know I  stand fit or not but I will try my best to make this marriage work. If in future you ever feel like not being in this relationship, feel free to move out and live your life according to your choice. Lastly I hope I could avoid tears in those beautiful orbs and keep a smile on your gorgeous face."

Shivaay added in a courteous voice with a warm smile before leaving the room. He hadn't expected this evening to turn like this. He had just thought of coming, wishing the couple and then leaving for his early morning  meeting with Japanese Delegates.

The unforeseen wedding was soon completed. Shivaay looked as Annika cried in arms of her parents, he promised himself to be her permanent shoulder where she can exhibit all her emotions.

They settled in Shivaay's car all set for their new journey. A journey which had began with an unforeseen wedding and is all set to take various twist or turn!

Republishing this book because someone hacked my account and removed all my followers and books. I got my books back but not my dear followers. If you are reading this book please make sure you follow me on my account to get notifications on new updates!