Chapter-8

His eyes held love. Love that can never be described in words, her eyes looked into his, as if telling him that she will be with him. No matter what!

He took the ring that he bought her for from his savings. It is a beautiful gold ring, with a diamond adorning it in the middle.

He bent to his knees, held the ring between his fingers. He took a deep breath "Will you marry me Aarohi Ramaswamy?" He asked.

She bent to his level and kissed his forehead before accepting ring on her finger. "I will..." She said grinning ear to ear.

Things are moving fast with life. Both families accepted their love and everything is going fine. Aarohi is happy, content and is loving where her life is leading her to.

That day, it's the day the haldi was over. They secretly shared their pictures of eachother since they are not allowed to meet or see eachother.

The evening was Aarohi's Mehandi. The whole house was busting with chattering, people giving the typical Indian wedding vibes.

She was made to sit on the centre of the home on a small bed on the ground. Clad in a lavender sleeveless dress. Her hair is tied in a braid. Her face glowing even without makeup.

Her both hands are getting filled with Mehandi. "WHAT?" she heard her father's scream. A terrified look on his face made a frown appear on her face too. She is confused as of what had happened that made her father tense. Even her mother is tensed.

Her mother is sobbing her heart out. Chandini got up from her side went to her parents only to be seen as shocked and she saw the breakdown of her little sister there.

That's when her mother's eyes met her and her mother finally broke down into huge cries. "HE IS DEAD AAROHI.. YOUR SOON TO BE HUSBAND... VISHAL IS DEAD. His plane crashed..they are not able to find his dead body too.."

Aarohi's POV:-

The memory felt like a slap on my face. Isn't fate cruel? He is my first love, I was his everything. He was my solace. It was hard... To watch him burn to the ashes. That day, not just him... Even Aarohi Ramaswamy died. I was dead. The me who always had been happy... The girl who enjoyed socialising, the girl who believed in love... She is dead.

"Wear the sky blue saree. That plain silk one. You will look great. And! Pair  it with designer blouse of the same colour. Your sister has it." I heard my mom and looked down.

Do you know what is it in the Indian parents? They have an ultimate arm called emotions. First they will ask you nicely, they will try to convince you and when things won't work, they blackmail you emotionally.

They are worried. I am sure they are! But my heart.... How could I give it someone? I stopped feeling since that day.

My mother is looking at me. But I didn't. "And last thing. Dare you reject him. I know he likes you." This made me look at her. " He is a great man Aarohi Ramaswamy. If you by any chance don't marry him... You will receive my dead body." She threatened me and my eyes widened at her statement. Having no choice. I left to my room to get ready for the so called date, that is planned today.

Abhimanyu's POV:-

The sky looked like a dark blue saree that has diamonds adorned on it. The moon shined brighter.

I reserved in an open restaurant, she always loved stars....

Suddenly her smiling face flashed infront my eyes and I immediately closed my eyes. Feeling the cool wind against my skin....

I can feel my eyes blurring and I gripped the table hard. I spent years... Dreaming this... I always imagined her and me together... I dreamt everything.. proposing her,   holding her hands as we walk, cuddling her, taking care of her, pampering her... Making love to her, taking our babies in my hands for the first time, growing old together... Everything.. but she left me broken. I sighed and looked at my watch. It's past 8:30pm. She is supposed to come here by 8.

5 more minutes, then I will call her family. I thought looking at my watch again. I looked up and that's when I saw her making her way from people.

Her hair set free, she looked beautiful and elegant in her blue saree. She walked like a boss, making her hair bounce against her delicate shoulders.

She has this fire in her eyes in which I want to burn. She came and sat infront of me and avoided looking at me for good two minutes. "You know I hate people who are not punctual." I said maintaining my cold face.

" And you know I hate you. Do you see me complain?" She said and I gulped down my feelings and maintained a blank posture.

"Then why marry me? Go after your so called prince charming." I spatted. "Oh! So you want to rub it on my face that my prince charming is... Is dead." She mumbled the last part and I instantly regretted opening my mouth.

"See Aarohi, you probably don't like me and marriage is not a game for me. I hope you tell to your par-" "If I had got a choice I wouldn't even have been here Abhimanyu Varma. So don't really think that I have given a choice. I am forced into this shit." She cut me off and glared at me.

"Even I am stuck, my mother is at my neck to marry you. " I said honestly when I heard her laugh.

I watched as she laughed mesmerisingly I couldn't look away even if I want to. Such that the scene infront of me is.

"You sure do know how to joke. I know this is all your plan to get me. Since even now Vishal won't be there to stop you." I heard her making me snort. "Trust me sweetheart, even he wouldn't have been able to stop me if I wanted to take you away. I never wanted to force you. I still don't want to. But this time I am myself is forced to marry you. So I can't do anything. My mother made me promise to her that I won't reject you. She said she know you since childhood and you will be good for me. I don't have the choice too you know. We are sailing the same boat here so tone that attitude of yours." I said looking at her and she huffed at me.

"I still love him." She said looking dead in my eyes. My heart clenched at her determination. " I could care less about what you love and what you don't, whom you choose and whom you won't but just don't make choices you will regret later." I said strongly and was about to leave when she called me. I looked at her and raised my brows at her. She stood up and came infront me.

"Do you still love me?" She mumbled in a low voice. If I wasn't close enough I wouldn't even have heard it. I just looked at her and closed my eyes, heaving a big sigh I motioned her to follow me.

We reached parking lot in silence. The dinner is long forgotten, forget dinner we haven't even had water since she came. This was supposed to be a date for us. But we ended up arguing about marriage even forgetting to eat!

I was about to open the door when she pushed herself between the passenger door side and me. She looked dead into my eye.

"I asked you something. Do you still love me?" She asked and I looked away.

"Abhimanyu." She called for me. "Since when did you started caring about my feelings and me Aarohi? Forget it Aarohi. Don't dig past unnecessarily." I said and asked her to sit in the car.

The car ride is a silent one, an uncomfortable silence if I might add. We reached her place and she got down. Without saying anything she left. I waited until her mother opened the door and she entered inside. Her mother looked at me and waved at me to which I waved back with a smile.

I don't want you, at the same time I need you in my life. Only you have the power to bring the best and worst out of me. I hope you stay away from me if you don't want me Aarohi because once we marry, it will become hard for me not to love you... The feeling which is only giving me pain from past 15 years.

How are you all?

So... What do you guys think would happen next?

Do tell me.

Love-Anya ❤️