11. Ladki hai, landscape nahi. Ghurna band karo. (She's a girl, not a landscape. Stop staring so much.)

•°•

To know she has bought this farmhouse with her own earnings at such a young age is almost unbelievable. Not for the fact that it's a big, two-storied house, but also the locality it is situated in. Considering the bus stand and railway station were within a walking distance, the house has to be priced above the normal range.

The moment we walked in, the place gave us a feeling of a European household. It was warm, cosy, and had wall-length elliptical windows. I looked at my parents, gauging their reactions. Dad appeared impressed and mom was openly gawking at the interiors.

"This is so beautiful, Mahesh Ji," Dad complimented with a smile.

Mr. Upadhyay smiled back. "All the credit goes to our Priya, Rajveer Ji. Her father, Jeevan Jiju had bought this land when he was young. It was their only belonging that wasn't claimed by the bank to pay off the debts. She built this farmhouse a year ago in their memory."

"You're absolutely a gem, darling," Dad looked at Priya proudly.

She smiled back, her gaze descending to the floor.

"Mahesh Sahab, saaman, (Mahesh Sir, your belongings.)" The caretaker announced softly, catching everyone's attention.

"Thank you, Dilip." Mahesh uncle smiled and told him to serve everyone tea and snacks. In the meanwhile, we decided on rooms.

The house had three rooms in total. Mahesh uncle and Dad decided to share a room since both of them have back problems and can't sleep on hard surfaces. I thought it would be awkward but witnessing the smiles on their faces, they looked happy with the arrangements. Dad seems to have found a best friend in my future in-laws. We boys were told to occupy one room while the ladies will adjust in another. Sixteen-year-old Saransh looked at his mother with betrayed expression, clearly not happy with the sleeping arrangements. His mother shot him a glare and told him to take us to the room. He huffed out a sigh, storming off upstairs with his suitcase. Bhai and I followed quickly.

The room was bigger than I had back home so I found no problem sharing it with my brother and a teenager.

"I'm taking the bed!" He declared, throwing his suitcase on top of it before heading out of the room.

Bhai clenched his jaw, glaring at the open door. "I despise kids."

I chuckled.

We both unpacked in silence, taking out only the necessary stuff. Like night clothes and toiletries. The bathroom was spotlessly clean so I heaved a relieved sigh. I can adjust anywhere as long as the toilets are clean.

"The bed is big enough for two," I mumbled thoughtfully. "You should share the bed with him," I said to Bhai.

"I would rather sleep on the terrace." He snorted, busy on his laptop. It's not even an hour that we've found time to relax and he is already working.

"You know you're not fitting on that couch," I pointed out.

He observed the place where he sat. "I'll adjust."

"How? You get cramps when you sleep in a fetal position. Stop throwing tantrums and take the bed. I'll make do with the couch." I plugged in my charger. My phone battery was below ten percent.

"Fine," he put the laptop aside. "I need to change."

I decided to leave the room since watching him work was putting me in unnecessary guilt of not being productive enough.

Just as I stepped out of the room, Priya slammed into me. She was propelled back so I held her wrist, yanking her to my chest. She looked up in surprise. "Do you not watch where you go?"

"I do," I smiled. But thank God I didn't this time. Such beautiful accidents shall kill me and I wouldn't say a word.

She rolled her eyes and stepped back, putting distance between us. "I came to call you both down. Tea and snacks are ready."

I nodded. "Lead the way, Miss. Mathur."

"You can figure out your own, Mr. Shrivastava. I need to inform your brother as well." She replied, falling in the step beside me. I leaned back, halting her abruptly.

"Well, too bad, my brother doesn't fancy tea."

"Dilip Kaka has also prepared coffee." She shot back.

"Alright, I'll bring him down."

"You should head first. I'll inform him."

"Sure." I shrugged and moved aside. "Only if you're prepared to see a man changing his clothes," I added teasingly.

She turned right back around and walked past me, descending the stairs hurriedly. I laughed harder, shaking my head at her. Who knew there will come a time when I'll enjoy teasing and flirting with this woman? She is good for my confidence.

I returned to our temporary room and informed Bhai about the coffee. He waved his hand dismissively, rejecting the offer right away. I shrugged, pulling the door close to go back downstairs. When I reached the living room, Priya and Ketaki were serving everyone beverages and snacks. I occupied the empty sofa chair, next in the queue for the tea that she was handing out. She bent, almost shoving the tray at my mouth. I leaned back, picking up the only teacup and saucer left. "Thank you."

"Welcome," she mumbled, heading back inside the kitchen. When she returned, she had her own coffee mug in her hands. I watched as she sat beside the girls, quietly sipping on her coffee. When our eyes accidentally met, she narrowed hers before looking down.

I got up to put my empty cup in the kitchen when Ketaki interrupted and offered to do it for me. I thanked her, holding out the empty cup for her to take.

"Priya," I called out, startling her so hard she flinched.

Everyone turned to look at me.

She cleared her throat. "Yeah?"

"I want to take a look around,"

She nibbled on her lower lip, her knuckles curled around the mug handle almost whitened. "Mama?"

"Go, show him around." He permitted.

She reluctantly placed her mug down and got up. "Come, Preeti,"

I frowned.

"Mera kya kaam? Tum ghumake lao apne hone waale pati ko. (Why am I needed? You show your future husband around.)" She said nonchalantly. "This one," her words directed at my sister, both of them concentrated on their phone screens.

I waited patiently, hiding the smile of amusement as Priya glared at the top of her sister's head. "Shall we?" I asked boldly.

She sighed and walked through the narrow path provided between the table and couches, purposefully stepping on her sister's toes on her way out. Preeti yelped, pulling her leg up and rubbing where it hurt.

I chuckled before following Priya out of the house. I had honestly thought she realised that all I wanted to do was spend some time with her. But the moment we got out, she started a geography lecture on this place and I wasn't prepared for it. When we shifted to the history, I unkindly interrupted her. "That's more than enough."

She stilled in the mid of her sentence.

Now, how do I tell her while I enjoy watching her, the Wikipedia side of her needs to return because it was boring the fuck out of me.

"Is there anything close by to see?" I asked her softly.

"There's a temple," she murmured. "There's also a sunset spot but it's slightly far. We'll miss the sunset by the time we reach there."

"Take me to the temple," I requested.

She nodded, falling in the step beside me and we began to amble in silence. I would ask her questions about the place randomly, like how old is this post office, or what's popular in local markets. She would answer me almost immediately, as though she was preparing an interview for a tourist guide.

"I like the climate here," I commented looking up at the watery grey skies. "Do you think it'll rain?"

She followed my gaze. "I don't know. Let me check the weather forecast." She fished out her phone from her jeans pockets. "Ugh, my battery is so low." She grunted softly. "No, it won't rain. But we should hurry up." She put her phone back in its place.

"Where's your temple though?" I asked in confusion.

She pursed her lips, taking a careful look around. "It should be here somewhere." With that, she walked to the nearby street vendor. "Bhaiya, yeh shiv mandir aur kitni dur hai? (Sir, how far is the Shiv Temple from here?)"

"Bas thoda aur. Paanch minute ka raasta hai. (Just a little bit more. It's a five minutes walk.)" He answered, focusing back on packing his stuff for the day.

She looked at me and I nodded. We both resumed walking, this time our footsteps a little faster than a usual stroll. I spotted the temple's dome first, pointing at it to capture her attention. "Oh thank God, I was wondering how far it is." She sighed in relief.

We climbed the stairs of the deserted temple. There was no one around. Well, except for a stray dog. I bent to touch the first stair of the main pavilion before stepping inside to ring the bell. She stopped beside me, rising on her tiptoes to do the same. Her feet tripped just as she managed to ring the bell. My hands encompassed around her waist in order to steady her while the sound echoed in the vicinity. "Careful," I whispered.

She moved away from my hold. "Thanks,"

We walked deeper inside, standing in front of the enclosed deity to pray. I joined my hands and bowed my head, closing my eyes to make the wish. I waited after I was done since she still had her eyes closed.

The smell of petrichor was so intense. I walked to the entrance of the temple in time to see the rain come down with a force to hit the ground. Hearing the sound of rushed footsteps behind me, I looked over my shoulder, taking in the worried expression on her face. "It's raining."

She looked at me with a deadpanned face. "I can see that."

"Your weather forecast predicted wrong." I jabbed.

"My? Blame Google."

I sighed and slid down to sit by the entrance. The rain didn't look like it was stopping anytime soon. A few minutes later, she followed and occupied the spot across from me. "What if it doesn't stop?" She asked worriedly.

"We'll call someone," I answered.

She fished out her phone, slapping it on my thigh. "Mine is out."

"I didn't bring mine," I informed her.

Panic filled her eyes. "What!? And you're not losing it!? We're stuck, Aditya!" She rushed to get up. I watched as she took a step forward in the rain, then pulled back almost immediately. She looked around frantically, ran from one corner to another, looking through almost every window, and panicked more. I wondered what she was searching for. A jet? She came back to me, crouching to my level. "We're really stuck."

"I know."

"Why are you so calm!?" She asked sounding annoyed.

"What did you gain panicking?"

She opened her mouth to retort, falling quiet because she had no answer. "I panicked because I'm normal. Normal people react like this!" She justified, sitting on her previous position with a huff.

"Let's wait until the rain stops," I spoke softly.

"And what if it doesn't stop overnight? Everyone back home will freak out if we don't make it before dark!" She complained.

"Do you fall sick easily?" I asked her.

She shook her head.

I got up, my hand stretched out for her.

"What?" She looked up with a frown.

"Let's go, it's not that far."

Her frown deepened. "But it's raining hard. We'll be drenched." She reasoned.

I sat down. "Then let's wait until the rain stops."

She got up instantly. "No, let's go. I don't want to worry anyone back home."

I stood up with a smile. She held my hand without me needing to offer it to her. We both stepped out in the heavy rain, holding our free hands on top of our heads as a form of shelter, and took off as fast as we could. Halfway through, my lungs begged me to stop because I was on the verge of collapsing. Spotting a shed nearby, I yanked her in the direction of it, startling her heavily.

"What!?" She panted, holding her waist as she bent over to breathe harshly. I was no better, or you could say I was worse.

"I- I'm not a gym person." I shook my head. "You'd have to drag me like a sack if I had forced myself to run any longer." I breathed out, pushing my wet locks back to clear my sight.

"Oh," she whispered, resting against the wall of the closed store. "I'm never trusting weather forecast again."

I chuckled through my short breaths. "And I'm never trusting your distance predictions again. You said the temple was near. A kilometre is not near."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "I was here last year in January. That wasn't for vacation purpose. Spare me if I don't remember the minor details."

I opened my mouth to retaliate, stopping when I realised the rain has slowed down. Leaning in, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her straight. "Let's go before it starts again!" She complied wordlessly, running along with me.

We teetered on the Verandah of the farmhouse clumsily, hand in hand, smiles on our faces that were soon followed by giggles. I left her hand to sit on the staircase, taking deep breaths to calm myself down. She sat beside me, staring ahead at the rain that regained its force.

"Our old house had a verandah like this," she spoke softly. "We used to spread a mattress and enjoy the rain while eating roasted peanuts and pakode. Dad would usually come after five, so I used to hold my breath whenever the clock hit five pm. I knew he would bring something sweet to eat from the market." She reminisced fondly.

"I grew up in a flat system. But I remember begging mom to make me Pakode and Chai whenever it rained. I love monsoon."

"I love rain, but as a watcher."

"I want to drench in it one day." I expressed.

"That's too filmy and you're drenched right now." She snorted.

I turned to look at her, she turned just in time to meet my gaze. "Disclaimer Miss. Mathur, you're marrying a man who fantasizes about fictional scenarios half of the day."

She chuckled, not believing me.

I didn't join and she got the gist.

"No," she stated.

I nodded in response.

"I never thought a man would say something like this to me one day." She looked back to the front.

"Why? Does that make me less attractive?"

"That makes you sound less smart." She shot back.

"But not less attractive?" I smirked.

She snapped her head to look at me.

"Priya," I probed.

She swallowed visibly. "Aditya,"

"Yes, Priya?" My smirk transformed into a smile.

"Stop flirting with me." She commanded and left. I chuckled hearing the main door close. Getting up, I entered the house as well, since there was no reason left to romanticise the rain anymore.

Priya looked over her shoulder at me causing my gait to slow down.

"Why did you come back in rain? You could have called any of us." Mom chastised, ordering Meghna to bring a towel.

"My phone was put to charging."

"And mine was out of battery," Priya added softly.

Mom tsked audibly, snatching the towel from Meghna before dragging me to sit on the couch to dry my hair aggressively. I winced every time she pulled hard at the roots, trying to escape but she yanked me back every time I thought I was sneaky. I heard Priya chuckle and shot her a glare. She scurried upstairs along with her sister. "Mummy, yar, hadh hai! (Mummy, yar, this is a limit!)" I grumbled when it was only us left in the living room. Everyone had left after seeking amusement through my misery.

"Stay put." Mom warned. "You get fever even if you even take a cold shower! How dare you get wet in the rain!? Are you still five!?"

I sneezed.

"Lo! Ho gaya kaand! (There! You've done the job!)" She tossed the towel on my lap. "Stay here and dry your hair. I'll bring you medicine." She left hurriedly.

When she came back, it was with a glass of water and a tablet in her hand that she thrusted in my hands and demanded me to swallow them without any complaints. I obliged, handing the empty glass back to her. She told me to catch some sleep for which I was thankful. I escaped upstairs, changed into fresh pair of warm clothes, and lay on the couch, falling asleep instantly because of the exhaustion.

I was woken up by my brother for dinner. Sitting straight, I rubbed my face and rolled my aching shoulders. Unwillingly, I dragged myself downstairs behind my brother. Everyone was already present in the dining hall. Priya caught my eyes and a frown replaced her blank face upon noticing my condition. I sneezed in my handkerchief, avoiding her eyes. Unfortunately, I had to sit beside her for the dinner.

"When you asked me if I fall sick easily, I thought you must have great immunity." She leaned into my side to whisper.

"I do."

She looked at my face carefully, then rolled her eyes. "I can see." She commented sarcastically.

"Ahem ahem," Meghna cleared her throat. "We've so much time after marriage. Let's eat the dinner first." She said playfully.

I looked at her and leaned in. She shrunk in her chair. "Do you want me to sneeze on you? My germs will love you just as passionately as I hate you."

She scrunched her nose in disgust, shaking her head vehemently.

"Then scoot away." I glared.

Her chair screeched to the side.

I sat back satisfied and began serving myself.

After dinner, everyone gathered around in the wide space in front of the verandah. It was like a front yard. The rain had stopped two hours ago so it was dry again. Saransh and Preeti set out chairs outside for everyone to sit. We all settled down, with me wrapped in a blanket tightly like a burrito.

"Priya Bacche, Aditya ke liye adrak daal ke chai banao. Uske gale ko aaram milega. (Priya darling, prepare ginger tea for Aditya. It'll provide his throat some relief.)" Mahesh uncle said to her.

She nodded and got up, walking back inside the house.

Should I go too?

She is making tea for me when everyone here's enjoying their time. The least I can do is give her company.

Woh chai banane gayi hai, Adi, ugane nahi. (She went to make tea, not grow it.)

I looked over my shoulder at the door, contemplating whether to go with my inner voice or the subconscious. I agreed with my inner voice. "Excuse me," I whispered, getting up to walk back inside. I heard a few giggles come from my sister and her newly made best friend, Preeti. That traitor. I thought she was on my team.

I entered the kitchen, catching Priya's attention who was pouring me tea in a cup. "You didn't have to come. I was done."

I looked around awkwardly, in search of a reason to hide my clinginess. "I- I came to drink water," I said, walking to the refrigerator. I opened the door, grabbing the bottle from the bottle section. Before I could open it, she snatched it from me.

"You have got a cold. Don't drink refrigerated water. Here," she replaced the bottle with the glass of water.

I took a small sip, watching as she put the bottle back in its place before closing the fridge. Then she went back to the kitchen counter, resumed pouring tea for me, and placed the empty pan back on the stove. "Do you want something to eat with it?"

"No," I answered meekly.

"Let's go if you're done." She looked up at me, holding the teacup.

I threw the remaining water in the sink and placed the glass upside down. We walked out of the kitchen, heading outside in the front yard. I grabbed my previous seat, my hands stretched out for the cup of tea. She handed it carefully, going back to sit beside her sister.

Since I had popped in another pill after dinner, with the addition of a tea I was finally feeling much better. Shedding the blanket off my shoulders, I sat more relaxed and enjoyed the tea while listening to the elders' talk. My eyes went to Priya, automatically. I swear I don't do it intentionally. Maybe it's just her. I've read somewhere that some people, when they walk into the room, have an aura so intense it instantly helps them stand out from the crowd. She seems to be one of them.

Going out with her will be so hard. She'll pull attention from everyone around and that's my biggest pet peeve, getting attention. I like to dissolve in the crowd, like one of those lost faces no one cares about. She is different though. Ask me. One glance at her was all it took for me to lose my mind. I wonder how many more minds she has mesmerized just by existing. I would hate to meet them. Especially the men.

I've had to spend my childhood pretending to be mature. Pretending that lack of attention, from my own parents, never did bother me. But I knew from inside, that I was seething. I hated to be the last. The last to ask about my day, the last to ask where I would like to go for vacation because the destinations my siblings suggested were out of budget, the last to buy clothes because my brother's old ones will fit me, the last to spend on, both time and money.

When it comes to my wife, I want to be her first thought, her first person to consider in times of happiness and sadness, and every time in between. I want to be the one she looks for upon entering a room, the only one to seek whenever she wants to share her feelings with someone. And I want it to be Priya.

Whenever I look at her, it feels like she is used to the attention. As if she is used to having people beg for her one glance. She talks less and smiles rarely, yet she is wanted by many people. The comment from that day, when I was compared to a monkey hurt so much because somewhere I know it's true. If one looks at Priya, they'll envision someone like my brother beside her, equally blessed in looks and brains, successful, rich, and self-sufficient. Not someone like me. Not me.

The thought made me furious. The realisation that I don't feel any different than my mother and Vikram about Priya and me being unfit for each other hit me deeper than expected.

If she was made for someone like my brother, fate wouldn't have brought her to me.

"Adi," Mom jerked me harshly. "Stop staring at her. You're making her uncomfortable." She hissed in my ear, grabbing the empty cup from my hand before striding inside. I refocused, realising I was subconsciously staring at Priya the whole time. Thankfully, except for Mom, no one noticed. I looked away, catching Bhai's eyes accidentally. He glanced at Priya and then at me. So he noticed as well.

I fished out my phone and opened the message application.

I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I was thinking of something else, you just happened to be in the line of my vision.
Sent just now.

Her phone in her lap vibrated. She unlocked it, read the message, and looked up at me.

"Sorry," I mouthed softly.

She nodded back with a small smile.

Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I got up, catching the blanket before it could fall. "I'm going to sleep. Goodnight everyone."

Several goodnights returned.

I made my way back inside the house and climbed the stairs to our room.

"Adi," Bhai's voice halted me abruptly.

"Yeah?" I turned around sharply.

"Don't take me wrong, but you need to tone it down." He stated, confusing me even more.

"Sorry?"

"You were creeping her out down there."

My brows shot raised, realising what he was talking about. "I was thinking of something else." I turned to leave.

"Now, don't lie, Adi. I'm your brother. I know you. But you need to stop making your desperation so obvious-"

"Bhai!" I snapped. "Enough," I warned.

He blinked, taken aback. "I- I was just trying to-"

"Don't. I explained my side to her. It's settled. There's no need to make a mountain out of a molehill. It was a stupid mistake!"

"Is there any problem?"

We both turned our heads to find Priya at the top of the stairs, holding a mosquito repellent in her hand.

"No," Bhai and I answered at the same time.

"Mama asked me to give this to you," she reached out to give me. I leaned forward, halting when Bhai took it from her.

"Thanks," he whispered.

She nodded and looked at me. "Take care. Mami has made some ginger soup and stored it in the flask. I'll give it to Saransh. Drink it. It'll help with the runny nose and sore throat." She informed me. I nodded in response. "Goodnight, Aditya."

"Goodnight, Priya." I smiled at her.

She smiled back, looking at my brother with a forced one, and nodded at him before heading back downstairs.

Bhai clutched the mosquito repellent in his hand. I leaned in to take it from him, flinching him from his thoughts.

"If I had made her uncomfortable, she would have said it to my face. I know her enough. So stop drawing your own conclusions." I said to him before striding inside the room. I plugged in the mosquito repellent and turned it on, lying on the couch with my arm draped over my head.

My phone vibrated with a notification. Fishing it out, I unlocked the device.

Priya: It didn't make me uncomfortable. Just awkward? Don't worry about it. Goodnight.

I smiled.

Someone tell me where do I get anywhere door. I need to enter the world of fiction and live my own love story. 💀

Avinash should stop poking his nose in the matters that don't concern him. Poor guy has more haters than fans. 😭

Hope you enjoyed the chapter? Don't forget to vote and comment. Makes my day.