Author's POV

The sun's rays peeked through the curtain on his face as the alarm rang on the bedside table. His head turned towards the phone, snoozing it, and he shoved his head into the pillow, groaning.

He turned and faced the ceiling with closed eyes, letting out a sigh. Today was going to be a tiring day. He got up and headed to the bathroom for his morning routine.

He looked in the mirror in deep thought. Grabbing his toothbrush and setting his toothpaste. His mind wandered off to what his mother had said to him yesterday...

"Beta, Mujhe pata hai ki tum iss shadi ke liye taiyaar nahi ho," (Son, I know you are not ready for this marriage) she said, playing with her son's hair, his head in her lap. "Toh phir kyu maa?" (Then why are you saying this Mother?)

She sighed, "Mujhe bhi nahi pata beta, par Akshita mai kuch toh hai beta, vo bas..." (I too don't know, son, but Akshita has something...something I cannot describe. She's just...) his mother said, her eyes scattering around in search of words.

"Mujhe mere bete ko ek acchi understanding biwi deni hai, aur Akshita vaise hi he, Agar tum deer karoge toh uski bua uska haat kisi aur ko de degi, aur mujhe vo nahi chahiye..." (I want to give my son an understanding wife, and Akshita is just like that. If you take time, then her aunt will give her hand for marriage to someone else and I don't want that...)

"Mene Anu, uski bua, ko bola hai, ki mere beete ko ek ar dekh lei..." (I have told Anu, her aunt, to meet you once...) His curiosity gets the best of him as he questions, "Bua? Uske Maa Baap?" (Aunt? What about her mother and father?) he asks, looking up at his mom.

"Jab vo das (10) saal ki thi, vo gusar gaye..." (When she was 10, they died.)

She sighs heavily "Beta, dekho, mujhe pata hai ki kuch hi saal ho gaye tumhara divorce ho kar aur mujhe ye bhi pata hai ki tumne pach (5) saal tak kuch nahi bola tha, par bas 1 saal baki hai na... " (Son, See, I know that only a few years have passed since your divorce, and I also know that you asked me to not talk about marriage for the next 5 years, but only 1 year is left...) she starts again.

"Tumhe ek dum pasand nahi ayi to chod de mai force karna nahi chahti hu par... Par agar tumhe kuch bhi laga na toh please use meri beti bana de..." (If you don't like her at all, then leave it off. I don't want to force you but...but if you think that you both could be something, then please make her my daughter...)

He rises from her lap and looks at her, nodding, "Thik hai maa," (Okay, Mother) he says, a small smile on his lips. She kissed his forehead.

The beeping sound of his alarm brings him back as he walks over to his bedside table to his phone after rinsing his mouth. 

The door opens with a grinning Abhimaan. Ekansh rolls his eyes, knowing the teasing look on his face all too well.

"Tohhhh, bhabhi ke liye konsa joda phehnoge app?" (Sooo, which outfit will you wear to meet my Sister-In-Law?) he asks, dragging the word bhabhi to tease him.

"Abhi, esa kuch nahi hai, mujhe unko dekhne to do na? Mulakaat ke phehle hi bhabhi banale raheho." (Abhi, there is nothing like that. Let me meet her at least. You are making her your sister-in-law before we have even met.) Ekansh says, shaking his head at his cousin.

"Bhaiya, mujhe aap ki mulakaat ka intazaar nahi hai, mujhe pata hai ki aap unhe dekh ke hi varmala dundane lagonge." (Bhaiya-Elder Brother; I don't have to wait till you both meet each other. I know the moment you'll see her you will be searching for the Varmala- A flower garland, which is a part of the wedding rituals.) He says lying on Ekansh's bed staring at the ceiling, remembering his meeting with his soon-to-be bhabhi.

He remembered the visits to their house with the youngsters for their parents' business meetings. His baadi maa and Anumita aunty were the best of friends. He remembers how they would talk and talk for hours while Akshita and her brother talked with the Malhotra kids.

Ekansh, deciding on his outfit for the day, asked, "Esa kyu?" (Why so?) "Hmm?" Abhimaan asks, coming out of his thought, "Esa kyu, Devar ji ki apko hamari mulakaat ke phele he yah gnan prapt hua?" (Why so, Mr. Brother-in-law, that you acquired this knowledge before we both have even met?) he asks continuing in a teasing tone.

"Bhabhi main kuch toh hai, mai ese keh nahi sakta..." (There is something in her, I can't explain it...) Ekansh groans at the answer. His mother had said the same thing, making him agitated.

"Ye kesa javab hai Abhi? Kese dikhti hai toh bolo?" (What kind of answer is this Abhi? At least tell me how she looks?) he asks, looking at different combinations of traditional wear in his walk-in closet.

"Accha-" Abhimaan starts, sitting upright on the bed with a jolt, "-Toh phehle hi mai warning deta hua, ki bhabhii, bahut kubhsoorat hai... (Okay-First of all I am warning you that she is very beautiful) She had a sharp jawline, round face, black medium-length hair, and those beautiful cat eyes thingy..." he says remembering their conversations.

"Cat eyes?" Ekansh asks, "Haan bhaiya, jab hum us din unke ghar gaye the to vo explain kar rahi thi ki unko central heterochromia hai matlab ki unke ankho mai do colors hai, yellow aur green. Ese..." (Yes brother when we visited her house the other day she was explaining how she has central heterochromia, meaning she has 2 colors in both her eyes, yellow and green, like...) Abhimaan replies, trying his best to recall the information and making weird spike hand gestures to get the point across. "Hmm..." Ekansh hums, selecting a yellow kurta and grabbing a towel to shower.

"Accha-" (Okay-) he says grabbing his cousin's shoulders and pushing him to the door, "-Thank you for the information Abhi, ab ja mai ready-" (Thank you for the information Abhi, now I am getting ready-)

"2 gante mai ready hona hai Bhaiya, Acche se taiyaar hona Dulhe Raja-" (You should be ready in 2 hours brother, Dress up nicely Mr groom-) Ekansh shuts the door on Abhimaan's face shaking his head at his brother's antics.

He walks towards his shower, but his head itches at the thought, "Central heterochromia, matlab ki unke ankho mai do colors hai, yellow aur green. Ese..." He turned back and searched it up on Google 'Central Heterochromia'.

"Central heterochromia is a condition in which the inner ring of your iris (the section closest to your pupil) has a different coloration from the outer ring of your iris (area along the edge of your iris). This condition usually affects both eyes." [

Another search was 'Central Heterochromia in green and yellow eyes'. He sees some very close-up shots of random peoples' eyes and it creeps him out, so he sets the phone on the table and heads to the shower.

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The Malhotra Men were extremely joyful and were very excited about the day. Aadhirath and Satyajeeth were the founders of the Malhotra Business. The Company, however, was passed down to Aadhirath and Sharani's son, Ekansh.

Currently, Ekansh was the CEO, and Abhimaan, his younger cousin, was promoted to COO a year after his marriage. He had a Love Marriage with Dushala Singh Chauhan, who was also a lady of power.

The Business collaboration between the Rais and the Malhotras started because of the everlasting friendship between Anumita, Akshita's Bua, and Sharani, Ekansh's Mother.

They met at a party to which both Aadhirath and Jashith, i.e. Ekansh's father and Akshita's fufa, were invited. Both the ladies talked with each other talking about how things were so different after they graduated.

Both the men, however, noticing their wives, thought it would be best to engage in small talk, but the more they talked, the more they bonded.

They shared similar interests. They both were the founders of their family business and as the years passed, the families came closer, and soon they were business partners; the Malhotras helping the Rais. After 2 or 3 years of alliance, the rais would occasionally call the Malhotra over for dinners. Anumita and Akshita cooked the best South-Indian food the Malhotras had ever tasted.

Soon the whole Malhotra family (Aadhirath, Sharani, Mridhula. Satyajeeth, Chahna, and their son Abhimaan and his wife Dushala) were familiar with them, except for the workaholic son of Aadhirath and Sharani; Ekansh.

Ekansh divorced his ex-fiance, Nidhima Ahuja, and had cut off all social meetings and gatherings except his official business meeting while he was in therapy for 2 years.

His mother did not pressure him with marriage and accepted his condition that she would not be in search of her Daughter-in-law till he was 28. 5 years after his divorce.

Sharani's eyes, however, were set on Akshita. She noticed the way she would talk to the guests, her sister-in-law, her bua and fufa, and her understanding nature.

- 1,552 Words 

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Hello, my lovely readers!

How was the first chapter? Do let me know...

Please comment on you're opinions because this is my first draft and no one has read this except you all and me so you could say I am pretty nervous. 

This chapter was just an introduction and I hope you will enjoy the craziness that will unfold 😁

Please @ me and mention any spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes under the specific text, will surely edit them ASAP.

Please comment your thoughts, Share the story with your friends, and most importantly VOTE! As a chronic reader, I know that sometimes we get so into the story we forget to vote [Totally not guilty of that 👀] 

Hope you have a great day/night lovelies <3

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~ 1,676 Words