The whispers of the crowd as he walked towards her room didn't haunt him less. His father had asked a huge favour from him, and he wasn't sure he would be able to fulfil that wish.

Sachin raised his hand to knock, retreating in doubt. Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand to knock again, yet again taking a step back.

What would he say to her? This was a girl....no,woman- who has just had her respect and dignity stripped down to nothing in front a crowd. There was nothing he could tell her that would get her to agree to this arrangement.

Because he didn't like this arrangement either.

"So convenient for Tejas. Once again!", he muttered, pacing in front of the door. Sachin stared onto the ground, his shoes, the pillars, but nothing seemed to calm him down.

He thought about his father, and how that man had devoted his entire life to ensuring his family was safe and comfortable, only to be treated with harshness and betrayal all his life. Sachin loved his father, and there was nothing on this planet that his father could ask of him and he'd refuse.

Until today.

He closed his eyes, letting his mind flood with all the memories of his father and how he had stood up for him, ever since he was a child. How his father had never let anyone disrespect his son, no matter how bad the taunts became.

And Sachin treated his father the same way, not letting anyone raise a finger at him or question the man he would devote his life to.

It was his father's reputation on the line today.

Taking a deep breath, he fisted his palms.

Rap-rap-rap.

.....

The loud knocks interrupted her memories of her father, and that was something she would not compromise with.

"Chale jaao jo bhi hai! Mujhe kisi se nahi milna." She yelled, choking back on her own tears.

"Mai bhi terese gappe ladane nahi aaya hoon, ladaku vimaan!" A gruff voice replied from behind the door, a voice that she'd recognise any day.

But something was different today. He sounded....mellow. Probably feeling pity for me, Sailee wondered, her thoughts interrupted by the knock again.

"Baat karni hai!" He requested, which somehow made her angrier.

Yanking the door open, she stared at the man that she thought was a drunkard goon, someone who had no other business in life other than his alcohol and his fights.

But maybe, just maybe, her opinion of him has wavered today. This was also the man who saved an unknown woman from the clutches of an obsessive stalker. Not once, but twice. And in her dictionary, that's the definition of a good person.

And she'd be damned if she tried to convince herself otherwise.

"Dekh," Sachin pointed his finger, immediately lowering it in respect, "Mereko andar aake baat karne de, nahi toh mere muh pe darwaza bandh kar de. Aise darwaze pe khade rehke apni moti-moti aankhon se ghoor mat mujhe."

Sailee stared at him, in the same way she stared at him outside the parlor. Get a hold of yourself, Sachin, he shook his head, the door opening wider as Sailee stepped out of the way.

Closing the door behind him, he sat down at the edge of the bed, his back facing her, trying to find the right words.

Sailee sat away from him, not daring to look at him as the silence in the room grew louder. There was no reason to start a conversation, she was very clear from the beginning, and this silence can last for as long as it wanted to because he was the one who wanted to-

"Dekh. Mai tereko koi bhaashan nahi dene aaya hoon," Sachin sighed, staring at the door, "Aisa bhi nahi bolne aaya hoon ki ye shaadi kar le, kya farak padega falana dhimkana."

"Tujhe sacch bolega, mere lalchi bhai ki tarah nahi. Mereko ye shaadi pyaar ka jhamela kabhi samajh nahi aaya hai, aur na hi kabhi samajhna hai. Kyu, ye mai nahi batayega, thoda personal hai." 

"Mai jaanta hai tujhe bhi yeh shaadi nahi karni mere saath," Sachin said, turning towards her, and immediately turning away as their eyes met briefly, "Aur barabar hai tera. Ekdum barabar. Jab baat kisi aur se ki hui thi, toh khilone ki tarah tujhe idhar se udhar nahi pataka sakta hai koi. Maanta hoon."

"Lekin bahar na," He said, his voice not changing its pitch or tone even once, "Mera baba aur teri aai khade hai, apni izzat tere aur mere daav lagakar."

"Mai mere baba se bohot pyaar karta hoon, aur koi unpe ungli uthaaye aur hase, ye mujhe bardaasht nahi. Aur mai jaanta hoon ki tujhe bhi bardaasht nahi hoga tere aai ke baare mein koi kuch kahe."

The energy in the room shifted, as it dawned upon Sailee the repercussions of today's events if they went back from this ceremony the same way they arrived.

Sachin fiddled with the lone thread that made its way from his torn jeans, wondering how to put his next words nicely.

"Mai jaanta hoon ki humari nahi jamti. 36 ka aakda raha hai har baar. Par mai woh nahi hoon jo tune mujhe samjha hai. Itna bura nahi hoon, bas gussa bohot aata hai."

Sailee smiled to herself, catching herself quickly, and knew he didn't have to convince her anymore about him being a good person.

A moment later, Sachin announced what was on his mind since the start.

"Mai ye shaadi ke liye haa nahi bolunga," and that made Sailee's heart drop a beat, "par mai naa bhi nahi bolunga."

She turned to finally look at him properly, as did he. Their eyes met, a sense of emptiness and longing hidden behind those heavy shoulders that held years of burden unknown to each other. A heart that yearned for someone to care for them like they cared for others ; eyes that hid the need to be loved in a way that didn't come from family, but someone who would eventually become family.

"Mai yeh nahi keh raha hoon ki ekdum mast smooth zindagi chalegi. Lekin agar hum dosti kar lenge, toh thokar khaate khaate guzaar lenge saath mein."

Sailee looked at the defeated man in front of her, and knew that he was battling a decision that she was internally battling too.

A decision that would change the course of their lives, not sure if for the better or worse.

"Tera faisla hai. Koi zor zabardasti nahi hai tere pe. Tu aaj agar iss mandap se uthke gayi, toh koi tujhe kabhi kuch nahi bolega. Yeh Sachin ki guarantee hai, angutha lagwale." Sachin raised his thumb in the air, as if sealing an invisible deal.

"Bas teri aai ki baare mein soch le. Aai ki keemat jaanta hoon, aur teri aai bohot acchi hai." Sachin said under his breath softly, thinking Sailee didn't catch it.

But she did.

Placing his palms on his knees, he got up to leave. Reaching for the door knob, he almost stepped outside when a soft voice, that hadn't spoken in so long quipped up.

"Faisla batane se pehle 2 sawaal puchu?" Sailee asked, her hard expressions from before softening.

Sachin nodded, and Sailee took a deep breath.

"Ladki ka chakkar tha?"

Sachin stared at her, before bursting out into a hearty chuckle. Watching him smile made Sailee giggle too, because smiles have always been contagious for her.

"Kyunki jab bhi kisi aadmi ka bharosa pyaar se uthta hai, humesha ladki ka haath hota hai."

Sachin shook his head, still smiling. "Aisa hi kuch samajh le. Lekin woh school ki baat thi."

"Ab koi nahi hai." He glanced at her nervously, shuffling his feet.

Sailee nodded, that single sentence bringing a sort of peace to her mind after everything that transpired today.

"Aur ek baat," She stood directly in front of him, "Agar maine haa kaha, toh shaadi ke baad mujhe mera dukaan chalane doge?"

"Shaadi ke baad tu mereko chipke rehne waali hai kya humesha ke liye?" Sachin asked, making a face, and Sailee stared at him again.

"Toh phir permission kyu maang rahi hai. Shaadi bas humara rishta hoga, insaan toh wahi rahegi na tu."

Sailee nodded, the storm in her mind settling down after what felt like ages as she realised: Sachin was just like her. Maybe not a personality match, but at their cores, they could be the same person. And she believed it is very rare to find someone so alike in life.

Such 'someones' are often known as soulmates.

Sachin took her nod as cue to leave, and just as he was leaving, she called him again.

"Suno!"

"Bol."

"Thank you."

Sachin turned around and found her at peace, not the way she had left the altar a few minutes back.

"Bola na, kisi bhi insaan ko apni zindagi jeene ke liye permission ki zaroorat nahi. Toh ye thank you kai ko bol rahi-"

"Uske liye nahi bol rahi."

Sailee walked over to her purse and pulled out a small buckle, placing it in Sachin's palms and closing them.

Sachin looked at the buckle and realised it was the broken piece from his helmet, when he had fought that goon Sudhakar to save Sailee, just like today.

"Thank you." Sailee said earnestly, a small smile making its way across her cheeks, tinting red.

Sachin stared at her properly, losing himself in her eyes and smile. Almost, until he reeled himself back and cleared his throat.

"Koi baat nahi," he mumbled, hastily leaving the room before he could register his own face warming up.

A few steps down the hallway, he heard a pair of anklets chiming behind him. Sachin turned around and found Sailee standing right behind him, halting in her way.

"Peecha kyu kar rahi hai ab?" He asked, a tinge of irritation in his voice.

"Shaadi nahi karni?"

Sachin whipped his head back faster than lightning, not sure if he heard that right.

But the look on her face told him she didn't have to repeat herself twice, and she had made up her mind; of him as a partner, a friend, someone to spend the rest of her life with.

As they made their way to the altar together, they couldn't help but think:

Maybe everything was going to be just fine.