Laksh’s Pov ~~
Have you ever experienced that feeling of home coming after months after loads of business trips and crashing into your bed straightaway ? Yes.. Your own warm cosy bed. No hotel rooms and no room services. Instead, a meal cooled by your mother. That’s the feeling of true happiness. That’s heaven. And that’s home.
But unfortunately I wasn’t lucky enough to get the experience, one day when I was back from a pretty long and tiring business trip from Sydney. Quite unexpectedly my mother had ordered me to change my clothes and dress up for some kind of meeting. And this had happened the moment, I had just stepped into the house.
“Where are we going ? Will anyone care to tell me ?” I asked buttoning up my shirt. I walked down the stairs to see my mother rushing out of her room. My brother Adarsh was busy fiddling with his phone and his wife Pari was running after my five year old nephew and her own son. Well it was just usual scene in our house.
“Are you done ? Lets go.” Mom said looking up from ground. Her smile soon turned into a frown the moment she laid eyes on me. She was disappointed. Why ? I was confused.
“What are you wearing Laksh ?” She asked eyeing me from top to bottom.
“Its a shirt…jeans…shoes? What ma ?”
“Ugh! Why didn’t you wear anything formal ? Will you go like this to meet a girl? Oh god, Laksh…” She sighed while I looked at her with my jaw dropped.
To meet a girl…?! Really now ? I wondered. That was when I realised what was all the gushing and excitement for. My mother was planning to get me f**king married.
“Wait…what girl?!” I exclaimed in pure shock. I didn’t even have the slightest idea of this. Mom sighed and rolled her eyes.
“C’mon Laksh. You just have to meet her.” She muttered. But no…this clearly wasn’t just a meeting. I could smell something fishy. And my mind warned me to avoid this at any damn cost.
“Nope…not happening…no” I mumbled, shaking my head from side to side. Mom snickered and clung on my arm, dragging me downstairs
“Look Laksh. I have already agreed to this meeting with the Roys. They are our old family friends. And we all are looking forward to having this lunch together.” She said in politest tone ever. Great.. I was being buttered up now.
“Correction, you are looking forward to it. I m not interested in meeting anyone right now. I just want to sleep in my bed and I m going.” I stated like the typical stubborn child I always was.
“Laksh dont be stubborn. And what’s wrong in meeting the girl once ?! Its not like we are going to get you married tomorrow!” She exclaimed.
“Yeah right.” I chuckled with a very sarcastic eye roll. Only I knew how much my mother wanted to see me getting hitched. I had twenty seven proposals in past two moths. That wasn’t normal and clearly indicated my mother wanted another daughter in law.
“Dont you dare roll your eyes at me.” She said.” You are coming to meet the Roys. No one is going to force you to marry her. But you are not cancelling this meeting. And as your mother its my right to tell you that.” She ordered and walked to the door grabbing her hand bag. I groaned internally and followed her with heavy steps. Bhai and Bhabhi trailed back with my little nephew Aryan as we all hopped in the car .
Bhai took to the driving sear whole mom sat beside him giving directions. We were off to meet the Roys… And I had an exact idea of what was going to happen – I was gonna go there, meet the girl, be polite, drink some tea, kindly reject their offer and come back to crash into my bed. That was the plan and there was no wat it was changing.
Way to go, Laksh…Its showtime…
**
The car halted in front of a bungalow. It was massive. Probably as big as ours. A wooden nameplate hung at the gate which read – Roys. A huge lawn spread to my left and I could see some part of swimming pool at the back. As I walked towards the door following my family I felt something tug at my jeans. I looked down to see a little puppy. His cute little bark echoes in my ears as he ran circles around me. Aryan shrieked and hopped into his mother’s arms. I smiled and crouched to the little ones height.
“Hey!” I pampered him a little before my mom snapped me out of my world.
“Laksh! Get up.” She said. I had no option but to get back on my feet with a frown.
“You better be polite to them. And what is this ? Look at your shirt. Its all crumbled. ” she scolded straightening my shirt now. Ugh…. I literally wanted to run away from there.
“Ma what the hell ! I m not Aryan. Please ! I know how to behave” she shook her head probably thinking I couldn’t be changed…eve. She rang the doorbell of the house and the door was immediately opened by a lady.
She was all smiles as she greeted my mother with a hug. I stood at the back with bhai putting on my best fake. “Is that her ?” I whispered. By her I m sure my brother knew which girl I was talking about. But the one at the door. . .she seemed too old for me. What’s wrong with moms choice ? I wondered.
“No dude. That’s her mother, Sumi Aunty.” Bhai nudged hard in the side indirectly sending the message to shut up with my nonsense talks. I don’t know why, but I heaved a sigh of relief after knowing she wasn’t the one. But then. . .Who was she ? Where was she ? I couldn’t help but wonder.
“Arey ! Laksh beta. How are you ? You have grown up to be so handsome and smart.” The lady exclaimed, pulling me into a bone crushing hug. My jaws literally hurt due to smiling wide. Nevertheless I continued with the drama. “I had seen him last when he was… five or six years old little boy !” She laughed. I surely didnt remember seeing her.
I was led in by her and all of us seated ourselves on the sofa and chairs. “Please yourselves at home. I ll call Swara.” The lady said with a polite smile before disappearing upstairs .
Swara…
Now who is that ? Maybe the one for whom I was here.
I thought. I sat flipping through the pages of some sports magazine as I felt something tug at my feet again. I looked down curiously to see the same little puppy again. He was like this little and fluffy white cloud running around house. I smiled and picked him up this time putting him on my lap. Mom snickered from the side.
“Arrey ! He followed you here as well ?!” She exclaimed. She seemed to be grumpy since morning and me, cuddling with a puppy was now adding fuel to the fire.
“Ma. Its just a pup. Like our Rio. Chill.” I said. Rio was mg pet beagle. He was just four and yet the most active and energetic member of our family. Well what they say us true…no love can be compared to a dog’s love. Its priceless and unconditional. Just as mom was about to say something a voice interrupted the conversation snapping me out..
“Looks like he has got a new friend.”
It was a girl’s voice. Melodious and sweet. I looked up only to he stunned by the sight in front of me. It was her. . . If I wasn’t wrong. What was her name. Swara. . .yes. It was Swara. . .maybe. And her eyes. . .lets not start about them. Cause if I do I won’t be able to stop. Her eyes were pitch black. They were unique. . .I think. But to describe in her word. . . she looked like an angel fallen from heaven.
Automatically I rose to my feet without realizing the pup was still in my arms. A smile creeped upto my face as she extended her hand towards me.
“Hi.” She smiled.
I didn’t know what to reply her with. I was nervous. I felt a burning sensation in the pit of my stomach. My heart was beating at an abnormal rate. I swear she could hear it thumping as well.
And for the first time, Laksh Maheshwari was out of words after seeing a girl . . .
****
So they meet. Both have decided to reject each other ? But will they be able to do it ? Keep reading to find out ! And please comment guys however busy you are.
This is my third ff so I need a lot of support 🙂