Sanam was on her morning rounds at the hospital when she suddenly stopped on catching a glimpse of a very familiar face in one of the rooms as the door was partially open. She back traced and stuck her head in. "Arjun?" He was on the hospital bed with a doctor by his side. His shirt was pushed up as the doctor wrapped bandage around his torso.

The doctor ushered her in, "Shah, about time you get here. I have to check on another patient. Mind finishing this up for me?" He hadn't even given her a chance to accept or deny as he walked around her. He was one of the senior doctors, and such a rushed order from them was expected. They had many patients to oversee and smaller tasks such as bandaging injuries were responsibilities of the interns who were still in the medical program earning their degree.

Sanam walked in, taking her hands out of her lab pockets and raising a brow at him. "What are you doing here?"

He grumbled an answer, very unlike him. "I got into a fight."

She rolled her eyes while taking the edge of the bandage and wrapping it around him again as it had loosened when the doctor had left it. "I'm a med student, so yes, I see that. I'm asking how." When he remained silent, avoiding her gaze, she asked in a warning. "Arjun?"

He huffed, dropping his shoulders. "Okay, fine. I got into a fight with Parth. Happy? The ass bruised my ribs and sprained my wrist. He's not going to talk to me for atleast a week now."

She shook her head finding it unbelievable that two people who were more than best friends fought. She never imagined Arjun to get into these. "And why did you fight?" She questioned amidst cutting the spare bandage roll off and tying it in a secure knot before helping his shirt down. "Arjun." She said his name when he was hesitant in answering again.

"It's nothing." He still refused to give her any answers. "Can I can go see him? I might have pushed him really hard for him to get somewhat of a concussion."

She gasped, "Arjun!" She really wanted to scold him but the guilty look he already held made her think twice. "I'll go check." She eventually gave up on the idea and returned to the nurse's station to check which room Parth was in. 

Finding the name in the room log, she walked over to that room number. She knocked on the door since he was laying on the bed and no one else was inside. He glanced over at her, "Can I come in?"

He nodded to her lab coat as he muttered, "Not like I can stop you."

"Are you okay?" She expressed her concern as she walked further into the room, "What happened?"

He scoffed looking away to stare at the ceiling. "Sanam, you're the last person I want to talk to right now. If Arjun sent you to check on me, then you can tell him to go home and that I don't want to talk to him either. I'll be going back home when I'm discharged. Oh, and he isn't allowed to visit while I come out of this concussion." Sanam tried to open her mouth, question why he sounded so angry at both Arjun and her, when he added. "Congratulations on your engagement by the way and thanks for proving me right."

"Prove you right?" Her brows creased, "What are you talking about?"

He turned his head to her to gauge her expression before he looked away again and answered. Dropping all the sarcasm, he reminded her. "I warned you to not play around with him. Just because I was nice to you over Spring breaks doesn't mean I'm going to let you hurt him."

She tried to convince him, "Parth, I'm not playing around like you think."

His eyes snapped to her in an accusing tone, "Oh, and using him so you don't have to marry the guy your parents pick isn't called playing around? At the end, you're only still thinking about yourself and your career. At the end, you are still going to hurt him."

She read between the lines and understood Arjun must have told him the real reason they were getting engaged. "I'm not hurting him," She countered. "We have an arrangement. We'll..."

"It doesn't matter!" He raised his voice, interrupting. "Whether or not you're hurting him now, you're eventually going to when you pick your career over him! Even if that idiot knows you're only marrying him to get your parents off your back, he's still falling for you!"

"What?" She questioned before chuckling at the preposterous words. "No. That's-that's crazy. He's not... did he tell you that? We're friends!"

He ignored her 'friends' comment, knowing Arjun better. "The fact itself that he hit me for you is enough proof for me. Whether or not he knows it himself, that's what's happening."

Sanam still shook her head not allowing him to mess with her reality and complicate matters. Though a part of her nagged as she recalled all their moments. A whole lot of them had not been for show for others. They had been private moments. And yesterday at his place in the morning... he might have been joking but she couldn't forget the way his gaze had flickered back and forth from her eyes to her lips.

"You're wrong." Sanam went on to deny again, "We're friends. He's helping me out. That's it."

Parth scoffed, "Are you trying to convince me or yourself, Sanam?" He then went on to warn, "Look, I may have warned you off that night over dinner but your response had made me rethink that you might not be like others. And then I learn of this deal you two made? I want to believe that you have pure intentions but even with that, I have a feeling he is going to be hurt – worse than he already has. We've lost him too many times. I don't want that to happen again so if your career is really that important to you, make sure he knows that clearly. He won't say anything even if you hurt him but as his best friend, I'm warning you. Please don't mess with his feelings because he deserves better."

Sanam sighed in confusion. This wasn't the first time she had been warned about Arjun. Even Neha had said something along the lines that had made no sense to her. "Parth, I really don't understand what you mean by him being hurt, losing him and all, but I swear to you. I have never given him the impression that I'm interested in more than this arrangement we have. Since we agreed to this, we haven't even spent all that time together. Just that time during Spring Break. But fine, if it really means that much to you, I'll find a way to let him know this is strictly an arrangement and the most we will ever be is friends."

He kept searching her face for clues of deception but at finding only honesty, he answered in a nod, accepting that.

~

Mrs. Mehta gasped upon seeing Arjun in a hand cast around his sprained wrist and the skin under his eye turning black and blue. "Juno! I thought you were done with those days!" She scolded him with a sharp demand. "Who did you beat up now?"

Arjun grimaced at her tone, "Relax mom. It was just Parth."

Mrs. Mehta slapped his arm for his nonchalant tone, "All the more reason to be mad at you then! He's your best friend. You don't beat up your best friends!" Her gaze flickered past Arjun to Sanam and Parth. She gave Sanam a quick smile and a welcome before speaking to Parth and lightly slapping his head as well. "Hi Sanam, come in. And you, Parth. What's the matter with both of you? You two can't use your words? We've taught you better."

Parth grumbled in defense, "He threw the first punch!"

"After what you said!" Arjun snapped back in defense.

Mrs. Mehta pulled both of their ears and dragged them inside the doorway. "Shut it, both of you. You're 24 but no less than immature teenagers! I'm so disappointed in you. Sit. You both better have solved your issue before we get back." She forced them to sit on the couch and expressing her discontent, ushered Sanam. "Sanam, dear, come. Neha's in the kitchen. We'll talk there."

Neha greeted her friend, "Sanam! You're here earlier than I expected."

Mrs. Mehta offered her a glass of water and Sanam accepted it with a smile, "Thanks, Aunty." She then informed Neha, "Yeah, my evening lecture was canceled so we came straight from the hospital."

"We?"

Mrs. Mehta turned off the stove after checking if the curry was properly cooked. "Arjun and Parth. They've both fought."

Neha gaped, "Seriously? They haven't fought since..."

"Yeah." Mrs. Mehta quickly answered, "Call your dad and Rahul? See if they've left the office yet or not."

Neha nodded, walking off towards the island counter to reach for her phone. Mrs. Mehta used that time to ask Sanam how her studies were going. Sanam engaged in a conversation with her while her eyes occasionally flickered out in the living room where Parth and Arjun kept glaring each other down. She noticed Arjun's discomfort every few minutes which reflected on her face.

Sanam asked eventually, "Aunty, can I get an ice pack?"

Mrs. Mehta suggested, "Don't worry about them, dear. It's just a black eye. They'll be fine."

Sanam cautiously informed, "Actually, Aunty...Arjun. He also has a bruised rib. He didn't take any prescribed meds either for the pain."

Mrs. Mehta paused her causal cooking to glance at her in surprise before muttering and walking towards the freezer. "It's like that boy loves to live in pain or something." 

Sanam didn't know what to take of her comment as his mother retrieved the ice pack and stormed out in the living room to hand it to him after lightly tapping the back of his head and scolding him for not telling her about it and then scolding Parth, questioning what made them fight so violently instead of just a punch and getting it over with.

Neither offered her an answer.

~

Mr. and Mrs. Mehta sat on the six seated black leather sofa with Neha and Rahul on the three seated one at the 90 degree angle while Arjun and Sanam were on the three seated one across from his parents. Arjun cleared his throat at the silence from his parents after he had announced it to them. "Uh... say something?"

Mrs. Mehta blinked as she recovered first. "Let me get this straight. You and Sanam want to get married?"

Arjun nodded trying to look confident, "Well, not right away, but yes. We've gotten to know each other and I know it's only been four months, but when her parents raised the topic of her marriage, I just had to tell her I liked her. You both know, I was supposed to go back to India after Rahul and Neha's wedding. But after meeting her, I felt like staying,"

Mr. Mehta stood up and walked to sit next to his son. Putting his hand on his back, he spoke. "Arjun, we don't mind you've only known each other for four months. I knew your mother for less before our parents had arranged our marriage. If your gut is already telling you that she is the one, than trust that. We don't have any issue with it as long as you are happy." His gaze flickered to Sanam kindly. "And if Sanam makes you happy, then that's that." He raised his other hand to her cheek, "Sanam, I've always liked you since we've met you for Rahul and Neha's wedding. If you like him too, we'd love to meet your parents."

Sanam was surprised with how easily they accepted their decision. She felt extremely guilty in the moment at their kindness. She already knew they were nice people, and what was she doing? She forced her lips into a thin smile.

Mrs. Mehta stood up forwarding her hand, "Sanam, come. I have something for you."

"Okay?" She replied in confusion looking at Arjun for an answer but he seemed confused himself. She stood up and followed his mother to her room.

"Just a second. Sit." Mrs. Mehta said after closing the door and opening the door to her walk in closet that was attached to the grand master bedroom's washroom. She returned with a box and sat on the bed next to Sanam. "Sanam, I only have one question for you. Has Arjun told you about his past?"

Sanam remembered he'd mentioned his ways with the girls in college when they'd met in Canada where she'd asked him to marry her. "You mean his past girlfriends?"

Mrs. Mehta smiled shaking her head. "No, not that. He hasn't made the press lately with his... anyway, I'm not asking about that. I'm talking about something more serious."

She searched her brain and a flash of Arjun having a nightmare freshened her memories. What could be more serious? "Uh, his nightmares?"

Mrs. Mehta looked convinced at that and nodded. "Yes... he used to get them a lot." Sanam didn't fail to notice the past tense she used. She wondered if his mother didn't know he still had them from time to time. Mrs. Mehta inhaled before a smile come on her face, "Well, if he told you about all of that, then I am sure he likes you very much. This..." She opened the box to reveal an ancestral ring. "This was given to me by his grandfather when I'd first came to this family after marriage."

Sanam realized what was happening and politely declined. "Aunty, please. No. I can't accept this." Deceiving them with this pretend-marriage was one thing and playing with their emotions was something she was against.

Mrs. Mehta still forced it into her hands, "Take it, dear. I'd given one to Neha too the first day Rahul brought her home. I've kept this safe all these years thinking I'd give it to J... uh, Arjun's wife. Since that'll be you, it's yours." Sanam noticed her quick change but didn't get a chance to take much of it as she tried to object again but Mrs. Mehta pulled her up and back towards the living room, "Come." Making her sit next to Arjun, she ordered him. "Arjun, she is being too formal and not accepting this. Now you only put it on her."

Arjun accepted it without a second thought and pulled the ring box open. "Nice ring, mom." He complimented taking it out.

"Arjun, no. I can't..."

He silenced her protests by taking her hand and slipping the ring on the ring finger on her right hand.

"We'll have to get it properly sized." Mr. Mehta commented on noticing it was loose.

Arjun pulled it out and slipped it on her second finger instead. "It's fine, dad. Looks much better here." Sanam could only gape at Arjun. She wanted to ask why he wasn't on her side declining his parents when he knew this wasn't real. Her eyes widened further when he lifted her hand and pressed his lips to her fingers.

Neha gushed sitting next to Sanam and nudging her closer to Arjun. "Aww, cute Arjun."

Mrs. Mehta smiled at the two of them before suggesting, "Let's have dinner now."

Everyone was quick to walk towards the dining table. Sanam wrapped her fingers around his wrist when he turned to leave, momentarily forgetting about his sprain. He hissed and she instantly let go. "Sorry! Sorry, I forgot. Are you okay?"

"It's fine." He replied flexing his fingers.

She then carefully whispered to him in a scolding, "Arjun, I can't accept this ring! And what was that..?!"

"You don't know my family, Sanam." He replied casually, "They'd have asked us to kiss. So I did the next best thing. And that ring? It's just a ring. Don't think much of it."

"But..."

He didn't stop to hear her objection, "Now chill out and let's go eat? I'm quite hungry." He walked off to join his family. With a heavy heart, she had to follow. The dining table was filled with talk and laughter, but it did nothing to ease her guilt. The ring on her finger was a constant reminder that she was really going through with this scheme.

~

Sanam's parents arrived the next day and even though Sanam went to pick them up at the airport, neither of them said a word to her. Esha was being used as a medium to talk to her. Esha gave her sister a comforting glance to give her hope that they'll eventually come around. Sanam had eventually texted Neha in the afternoon to see if she'd come over and ease the tension. She needed another person on her side when she knew there was going to be a major fight happening soon. Her parents' silence was a storm just waiting to erupt.

Sanam informed them, "So, Rahul and Arjun are going to come for dinner when they're done with meetings for the day."

Neither her mom nor dad had looked up at her to acknowledge they had heard her. Starting to get tired of how they were treating her in a petty manner, she would have started an argument, but Esha had took her arm and tugged her away to the room. Neha gave her a look that she would handle everything out here.

Esha tried to knock some sense into Sanam, "They're already mad at you. Don't make it worse!"

Sanam sat on the bed, angrily, "Tell that to them, Esha! I'm not the one being petty. Seriously, they're adults. I haven't committed a crime that I should be treated as such."

Esha sympathized with her sister, "They're conservative, and you know that. Just let it go. Besides, I am sure Arjun will charm them away when they meet him and everything will be okay then."

Sanam let out a sigh, "I hope so." And pray she did. She needed this to go well. She was glad Neha, Esha, Rahul, and Arjun were going to be on her side. The odds were good with 5:2 in her favor, but she couldn't let anything jinx it.

When it was evening, her mom spoke, "Neha, Esha, can you leave us alone with Sanam?" Neha and Esha looked at Sanam, silently asking what she wanted, and Sanam nodded. They were finally willing to talk to her, even if it was in silence. She decided to see where it would go.

Once it was just the three of them, her dad made it known verbally, "Sanam, we are really disappointed in you. We didn't raise you to be this person. No one in our family has never disrespected our parents the way you have. We marry the person our parents picked for us. We know what's best for you."

Sanam couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You can't be serious." She lashed out. "This isn't still 1800s, and nor are we still in India, dad."

"The year or place makes no difference. It's our culture!" He raised his voice an octave. "And rich guys like the one you picked are no good for relationships. They are wild and..."

Sanam cut him off, "He has a name, dad. Arjun. And rich guys like him? What's that even supposed to mean? You don't even know him! You haven't even given him a chance and you've already made up an opinion about him. I mean, seriously! And don't forget, you know his brother Rahul. You like him. Why can't you accept Arjun?"

"Yeah, for girls like Neha! Look, I didn't like that girl much anyway. She's wild just like them, but I never thought one day you will start to act just like them. I shouldn't have let you be friends with her. None of this would have happened then."

Let me? Sanam scoffed at his double standards and quickness to change opinions about people, "You can't be serious. Now you don't like Neha either because of something I did? You two doted on her! You know what? Forget it. Say what you want. You can't decide who my friends are any more than you can dictate who I get married to. It's my life!"

Her mom intervened, "What do you know about relationships, hmm, Sanam? You don't know what you are saying."

"I know for a fact I will be much happy with Arjun then you are with dad!" She exclaimed, and her parents looked shocked. She let out a sarcastic laugh, "Yeah, you think I was blind as a child to not know how your relationship was? Unless it was something related to Esha or my school, all you did was fight. You two barely..."

Her dad yelled at her, "That's enough. You don't know a thing."

Sanam stood up raising her voice as well, "Just like you don't know a thing about Arjun!" She heard the doorbell ring and knew it would be them. She let out a sigh and tried to end it, "I'm tired of having this same argument with you, so just, please... stop judging him before you even meet him. If you are so worried about me, let me tell you that you wouldn't find a better husband for me than him."

She then went up to the door, twisted the double lock, and opened it to let them inside. Arjun took one glance at her tensed body and got a hint of how the environment was. "You gonna be okay?" He whispered to her, looking past her at her parents.

She forced a smile and nodded. Sanam took a deep breath. Let the show begin, she muttered under her breath. Then turning, she led them inside. Hearing the doorbell, Neha and Esha had come out of the room as well – no doubt, having heard the argument due to the raised voices.

"Mom, dad... you know Rahul, and this is Arjun."

Arjun went over to them and touched their feet to show sign of respect. They didn't say much when he was straight on his feet and had taken a step back. "Um... it's nice to meet you?"

Rahul went to stand next to Neha and squeezed her hand. He gave her a questioning look, and she shook her head to let him know things weren't going to be smooth. Neha cleared her throat, "You guys must be hungry. The dinner is set. How about we eat first?"

Rahul was in sync with her, "Good idea. I'm starving. I can barely remember what I had for lunch."

"Why don't you two go and wash your hands?" Neha suggested, ushering them out. She then went up to Sanam and pulled her away to the kitchen to get the plates. "It'll be okay. Don't worry."

The girls were just about done setting the plates when the guys returned. Her mom and dad were seated at either corner of the rectangular table. Neha and Rahul sat on one side. Before Arjun sat, he pulled out the chair for Sanam. He wasn't just doing it for her parents to see he was a gentleman. Like he had told Sanam at the end of their date, it's who he was and he didn't plan on changing that. He continuously did that for Sanam, and she had gotten comfortable enough with that to not feel awkward about someone pulling her chair out for her, offering her a hand, or holding doors open.

He then sat in the middle. Sanam was seated closer to her mother while Esha was seated towards her father. A chair had been added in since it had been a six-seated table, and there were currently seven people present.

"So, what do you do, Arjun?" Her dad started the questioning before Arjun even had the chance to eat a morsel, or even drink a sip of water for that matter.

"I work with my dad and Rahul at Mehta enterprises. We have hotels and restaurants around the states, among other things but that's what we are known for."

Her dad took the following message from it, "So you are just his son. You have nothing of your own."

Arjun clenched his jaw before answering, "Sure, like I said. I work with them, meaning I get a fat salary which I saved up to get my own penthouse. I'm sure that counts as my own."

Neha kicked him under the chair. He glared at her, and she glared right back as if to tell him now was not the time to be a smart alec.

Her dad scoffed, "Huh, an Indian guy who already lives on his own, away from his parents. Why, too much of a bother for you? I wonder how you will treat them when they get old. You rich people put them in hospices, isn't it?"

"Dad." Sanam tried to speak, but Arjun put his hand on top of hers, stopping her. Since her hand was on the table, her parents saw that. Neither seemed to like that action, but Arjun didn't let it diminish his confidence.

He forced a smile and answered, "No one is more important to me than my family. If I wanted to get away from them, I would have moved across the country, not in the same city. Like I said, we have hotels around the states. I could have worked the office for any one of them."

Sanam had to bite the inside of her cheek to not smile. It was different to see Arjun in action giving her dad a fitting reply when he was trying to insult Arjun and pick at all the things to prove to Sanam why she had picked the wrong guy.

"So what happens when your parents don't like Sanam? You abandon her?"

"That would never happen, sir. My parents have known her for some time now and they already love her. She is now family too for me and so for them as well."

"How do I know my daughter's future is secured with you? What happens when your dad retires and hands over everything to your brother? After all, he is the older one."

Arjun was about ready to be done and so was Sanam. She felt bad for the way Arjun was being treated when his family had been nothing but nice to her. The man barely gave him a breathing space to eat anything. He didn't particularly like how he kept trying to draw a wedge between him and his family. "And it should rightfully go to him, not because he is older but because he is more experienced. But anyway, you don't have to worry about that. We don't have any sibling rivalry between us, and there won't ever be."

Her father again opened his mouth to speak, but Esha interrupted, "Dad, can we please eat now? I'm hungry. You can ask Jeeju... I mean, Arjun, any questions you want after that."

He didn't look too happy, but he didn't ask any more questions after that till they finished dinner. Sanam was glad her sister had spoken up else dinner would have never finished. Who could eat with that interrogation going on?

Arjun stood up taking Sanam's empty plate when they were done, "Here, I got it."

"Thanks." She said in a small voice as she stood up after him, and he had already started to walk towards the kitchen to place them in the sink.

Her dad didn't spare a second when Arjun returned, "How many relationships have you had?"

Sanam's eyes snapped to her father, "Dad, you have no business asking him that." She then looked at Arjun, knowing how he was on that topic, "You don't have to answer that."

Her father questioned, "Why not? He was born here. I want to know if he'll remain faithful to you or just cheat on you or divorce you when he gets bored with you. It's a very appropriate question to ask."

Sanam wouldn't listen to him, "No, it's..." She stopped when Arjun's palm wrapped around her elbow.

He asked in a very calm voice, "Can you leave us alone?"

"But..." Sanam started to speak, and was silenced at his one glance at her.

He then shifted it to others, "Bhai, bhabhi, Esha, please?" They looked like they didn't want to leave, but no one said a word and they had to listen. Arjun released his hold on Sanam's elbow, letting her know he wanted her to leave too so he could talk to her parents along.

"I'm not leaving you alone with them." She whisper-yelled at him. With the questions her dad had already asked, she didn't trust him to not insult Arjun any more than he already had.

"Sweetheart, please. Trust me." He asked, speaking to her in a soft voice that she couldn't ignore. Her dad fisted his palm, not liking that he had called her 'sweetheart'.

Sanam joined the others in her room, and they looked at her surprised. "What are you doing here?" Neha questioned.

Rahul muttered, "Well, it was nice while it lasted, dear brother."

Neha slapped his shoulder for not having any faith in Arjun and saying something as negative. She then went up to the door and put her ear against it in hopes of being able to catch a few words. Sanam followed because she couldn't just not. Eventually, curiosity got the best of Esha and Rahul as well, and they pushed their way in to eavesdrop as well.

"Are you going to disrespect us now? Huh? Is that why you sent them in? You don't want Sanam to know just what kind of a person you are, huh?" Her dad instigated.

Sanam could just imagine Arjun fisting his palm and the way he would clench and unclench his jaw trying to not lash out when in anger, "No, I sent her in because I need you to know that whatever I am going to say, I am not just saying it for Sanam to know. I'm saying it because I mean every word with everything I've got."

Sanam's brows burrowed, confused as to what he was going to say. There was a brief silence, and she assumed her parents hadn't expected him to say that.

Arjun continued, "Yes, I was born in the States but my parents have taught us a thing or two about our culture. I can't erase my past but I will tell you this: you have a beautiful and a smart daughter, sir. She's intelligent and strong, and yes, she fights back at every turn, but that just makes me fall for her more. I doubt she even knows that herself."

He chuckled, more to himself. Sanam found herself smiling as well for a strange reason. She could imagine him saying this as if she were right in front of him and he was saying it to her, for she knew he wasn't this open to talking about feelings normally.

"I may not be half the man she deserves. I have flaws like every other guy, and you can throw whatever insults you want to throw my way for the rest of my life, but my family is off-limits. I don't let anyone insult my family when they haven't done anything wrong, even if that person happens to be the father of the girl I want to marry. I know I shouldn't be saying this because I should be trying to get you to like me, but I am not going to be fake being someone I am not to manipulate you. You can hate me, but I would never break her trust in me, or be unfaithful to her ever."

"You don't know me, so my words may not mean much to you, but I promise I will never hurt her intentionally. I can't guarantee my future to you, but I can assure you I will always be by her side, rich or poor. I will keep her happy, and as long as I am alive, she will always have everything she's ever wanted. She wouldn't ask it because the little things in life make her happy, but I would bring the world's happiness at her feet if you'd allow me to. I'm sure you care for Sanam even though you won't say it to her, but I won't let you hurt her either just like I wouldn't let anyone else. I was hoping you'd have given me a chance when we met, but that obviously hasn't happened. If you'd like to give me a second chance after the way I've just gone off at you, my parents would love to meet you."

Not a single word was uttered until they heard a door opening and closing, marking Arjun's exit.

Neha started, "Holy..."

Rahul finished, "...Shit."

Esha asked, confused, "What?"

Sanam could only listen, still not out of her shock, as Neha explained, "I don't think I have ever heard him talk that much about feelings."

Rahul shook his head, agreeing with his wife, "No, I've known him all my life. He meant everything he said."

This time, Sanam put in her two cents, "No... you guys are wrong. He was just playing his role to the T."

Neha cocked her head at her best friend, hoping she didn't truly think that, "Sanam, trust me. He did not just say that to impress your parents. Did you not hear it? The words mean nothing if they haven't been said with the right emotions that come straight from the heart."

Rahul scoffed, trying to grasp the fact himself, "Exactly. The boy wouldn't even tell Jiyah he loved her when..." He suddenly stopped and bit his tongue, realizing just what he had let slip by.

"When what?" Sanam found herself asking. The more important question she should have been asking was, who was Jiyah?

Rahul inhaled and deflected, "We should get going. Neha?"

She was quick to nod, "Yes, ofcourse. He's our ride home after all. Sanam, try not to get into any more arguments with your parents for the night. As it is, I'm sure they have nothing to say since Arjun left them a lot to think about. Esha, call us if anything happens, alright?"

Esha nodded, "Yeah, di, I'll handle it. Don't worry."

"Good night." She wished them both with a hug. They couldn't have left fast enough.

They didn't close the door of the room behind them, and Sanam could see her parents. Her mom sat on the couch, lost in thoughts, while her dad was just standing, and unreadable expression on his face. Sanam couldn't tell the impression Arjun had left on them. Forget that, she didn't know what to believe herself... the understanding the two of them had when they made the deal, Arjun's words, or the take on his words that Neha and Sanam held.

~

authors note;

dun-dun-dun! Now you have a name. What do you think of this long chapter? Like I said, filled with parent interactions. We have Arjun's parents who are so warm and welcoming and then the complete opposite for Sanam's parents. Also, a bit on her family dynamics. Parents sometimes don't realize how much they can affect a child's emotional wellbeing! 

Lemme know your thoughts! Anyone who can connect to Sanam or something similar has been a story for you or someone you know? As always, vote & comment please! IDK, I feel down these days so some encouragement would be good... :)

PS: new cover!