"So are you going to give up to your father's demand?" I heard my friend who was quite comfortable on my bed while I was doing the last touch of my make up for the torture that was going to come.
"I told you before and I'm telling you again, for the last time.." I glared in her direction. "Arranged Marriage is not my thing. Arranged marriages are boring and I'm far from boring. Just because he is some hot-shot businessman and Papa thinks he will be the 'best' for me I should marry him. I'm not doing arranged marriage." I explained, making myself clear for the last time.

"He is a looker no doubt." My friend drooled over the picture of the man I was suppose to meet. Of all the things I have said the hot-shot line was the one which caught her attention. Only she can does that.
"Not a reason enough I should marry him." I rolled my eyes. He was handsome. I would give him that but isn't marriage more than just marrying the most handsome and richest you could fetch. At least to me it was more than just that. Love, care and mutual understanding were some of the things on my priority list.

"You should meet him once. Get to know him. May be he isn't as bad as your assuming him to be. After all your dad chose him for you and he always do what's best for you." She reasoned my father's decision.

She was right about my father deciding always the best for me. My father loves me dearly and do what is best for me. In my twenty five years of existence on this earth my father took most of the decisions for me and I was okay with that but for once I would beg to differ. For the first time I would like to take matters in my own hand.

Reading fairy tales in childhood, teen fiction and romance while growing up I have some expectation from my life partner and would not let a arrange marriage jeopardize that notion I had grown up with. 

Yeah, I know twenty five years and still no love life yet I'm dreaming of all the ideas which are too unrealistic for me. I'm a lost cause but still a girl gotta dream what she wanna dream.

Will he take me out on dates which just do not consist of candlelight dinners in some posh restaurant? Will he find my fangirl-ing over a fictional character weird and annoying? I want some one to get jealous with a fictional character because at moments I loved that character more than him but deep inside that should be one of the things he love about me. Will he climb up my window at midnight just because he was missing me? Will he bend down on his knees to ask me to marry him?

Definitely no. Why will he try to woo me when he already knows I'm gonna marry him nevertheless.

"What else do you think I'm doing. I'm going to meet him because that's what papa wants but I'm telling you beforehand this is not going to work."
"What's going in that pretty mind of yours." She questioned, narrowing her brows. She knows me so well that at times it get irritating. I can't hide anything from this girl. She find it some way or the other. God! Can't I have secrets of my own.

"I have a plan." I winked at her direction. "But you can just call it '101 ways to make a guy reject you' ." I simply smirked.

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I paid the cab and made my way inside the posh restaurant we were suppose to meet. His choice of restaurant, may I add. Showoff.

I looked around to have a glimpse of Mister Riche Rich so that I don't have to go that snobby receptionist who was shooting daggers in my direction, only if looks could kill, but to my dismay I had no such luck and with no other option left I made my way to the lady behind the counter.

"Hi!" I put on my sweetest smile as I greeted her.
"How may I help you?" She questioned me in a bored tone, not even trying to hide the disgust in her voice. Damn! What was her problem? I know I'm looking little out of place with everyone dressed elegantly  but blame that obnoxious man to choose a place like this.

If someone would had asked me, a small cozy cafe would had been my choice. The place was so not me. It was beautiful but cold, lacking that welcoming feel.

"There is a reservation under Aditya Mittal.."
"Yes," She interrupted me before I could complete my sentence. "Sir is waiting for you from past fifteen minutes."

Sir. He was freaking sir and I get a disgusted look. Talk about woman helping a woman.

"Which table?" I asked with a sigh. She was not going to lead the way that was clear in her stance. Fine. I'll help myself.

"Go straight, take right. Fifth table from your left."
"Thank you." Let her be rude, I'll have my courtesy.

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Following the direction I finally reached the table. There he was busy with his phone and a frown on his face. He was dressed in a business attire, a black pant and white shirt with a tie and a coat. As if we were going to meet for a business deal. People like him make the place overrated.

"Hi." I greeted gaining his attention.

His eyes glanced my appearance. The frown on his face getting deeper. Of course a skinny ripped jeans and a crop top was not something he was expecting me in. That was not something a Indian girl wear to meet her husband to be. But alas! I surpass all the expectations. Step one complete. I mentally patted my back.

The frown was quickly turn into a sly smirk, "You are late."

Fashionably late, I was eager to correct him but refrained myself from saying because I knew my humor will lost on him. He didn't seem like a guy who go around making jokes.

"Sorry, got struck in the traffic." I smiled apologetically, taking my seat in front of him. The traffic excuse always work. If you are late because of traffic nobody can blame you. It wasn't your fault. End of decision.

"It's okay." He smiled. A genuine one. In that moment he looked handsome. He should smile more often. Smile definitely suit him more than the frown I was welcomed with.

"I haven't order anything yet. I don't know what you like." Of course how could he. We haven't met before or we were some long time friends. "And I thought you would like to order for yourself."

The gesture itself was sweet and thoughtful. I don't like men who orders on other people behalf just to show who is the boss. There are some things I like to be in control of and my food is in one of those few things.

"Thank you." I smiled picking up the menu and scanned the dish I could order from the vast option I have in front of me.

The problem with places like this is they like to complicate things. A easy dish will be named so complicated that the person like me had to get confuse. If you judge half the dishes from its names, it will sound as some exotic and gourmet dishes but when you actually order them you get to see its true color or ingredients in this case.

Now calling pumpkin something else is not going to change its taste. Its still going to taste gross. No offence to those who love that vegetable.

I thoroughly read the menu to read some familiar names. I would rather take time to order than to be served by food I'm not willing to swallow. Thank you. I have learnt my lesson well.

Finally after giving my order I kept the menu aside just to find Aditya curiously gazing in my direction.

"Do I have something on my face?" I asked with a frown.
"No." He shook his head. Then stop looking I was tempted to say. I find it extremely irritating when people stare at me.
"Then what are you looking?" I asked instead. That sounded more polite than my previous statement.
"Just observing." He shrugged casually. As if I was some science experiment. Nerve of that man.

Soon our food arrived and we indulged ourselves in food and conversation. He was the only child of his parents. Though being a single child has its perks but he would had done with a sibling or two. Being the only child eventually he has to take up his father's business and for that he was currently in a training period.

We talked about friends, hobbies, career and everything but our expectations from the marriage. Seems like for both of us the topic wasn't the cake walk.

He was a nice guy. Much better than the first expression he gave me of himself. Interesting and knows how to hold  a conversation but the idea of arranged marriage was so revolting that all I was seeking for any fault. I need some reasons as to why I don't like the guy or give him some why he didn't liked me.

"I can't cook." I blurted out.
"Okay.."
"See.." I sighed. "I know none of us want to touch that marriage topic but it was the reason we were set up to meet. I would like to get over with that thing as soon as possible and tell our parents what we actually want."
"Okay.." Again OK. He has some serious issues.

"I can't cook." I repeated. Apparently cooking was top on the list in 'what bride should know'.
"I can't cook either." He casually shrugged. "We both can learn how to cook but if you want me to do all the cooking I'm sorry I disagree. I'm a working man and I know you are a working woman too I can't expect you to cook all the time. We can share. We can have turns. We can help each other. Not just in cooking but in every other household activities. I'm willing to participate in everything and expect same from you. We might be rich but my mother taught me to be self reliant except from cooking because I'm just horrible in kitchen." He chuckled making me smile too.

"I want to work even after we get married." I asked. It wasn't supposed to come out like that. I wasn't going to marry him then why I used the words like 'we' and 'married.'
"Yes you wish." He again shrugged. That annoying shrugging habit of his.

"And by that I means I would like to continue my job in the company I'm currently working."
"What you thought? Just because you will be my wife we will let you work in my company. We have some expectations to match." He smirked cockily but the playfulness was evident in his tone. He was just teasing me. I'm not going to lie and say I didn't liked the sound of 'his wife.'

"I don't like candle light dinners." I pouted.
"I can't promise you to take out for dinners and movies every week but I can promise you that when I'll be free there will be lot of foods, movie marathon and cuddles." Cuddles. Tempting.

"At times I would love a fictional character more than you." Where this conversation was going I had no idea. Love? From where the hell that  come.
"At time some actress will have my attention more than you. Deal with it."

"Will you go down on your knees and ask me to marry you?" I whispered.
"Only if you promise to say yes." He smiled, a full blown grin.

Men hate rejection as much as we women do.

"I'll say yes." I smiled back in response.

"You know..." He leaned forward, his hot breath tickling my face. "You are more than stubborn and feisty."
"You are also more than just rich and arrogant." I murmured.

He wasn't a prince charming from a fairytale but  a real life man who know how to look out for a woman. His woman.

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