CHAPTER- 7

Ketu

Me, Preeti, bhanu, gokul..... Were speaking how beautiful is the house.... And then finally dad, mom, uncle ram, sesh, varun came.... Everybody looked tired...but can't pinpoint the expression when the saw me .... They all showed me a blank face....

As they came near us... sesh and uncle welcomed every one of us...and we greeted them.... uncle said me ...he missed me...and I too said him....I missed him...and went to have dinner.... Uncle ram said... to take food to yash ... as he is in his office to someone ... and said us sorry he wouldn't meet us today....as he has to deal with some issue..... And we all started to have dinner ... the table was big...can withhold about twenty peoples .... It was a rectangular table...with uncle in head chair and to his right dad and to his left sesh..... Next to dad to is mom then me then preeti and then bhanu..Next to sesh is varun then nadan and gokul..

The food tasted good .... With many varieties... seriously why this much of varieties .... Chicken sweet corn soup and fish fry is too yummy and other dish too but I like these two dishes better..... In dinner uncle ram asked about what my cousin were doing and same formal question they ask to a young people they first see.... And I actually zoomed out of the conversation ...enjoying the flavor of the foods...

After dinner we came to living room and canceled the tour to the house as we were tired and full.... Even though we were full... we can't say no to ice cream... and so we are now currently eating ice cream ... dad, mom and uncle are speaking about something.... They are little far from me and also at back of us.... so..... I can't hear..... We are sitting in a circle in the ground leaning in something with leg extended..... I am leaning in the sofa ..... To my right nadan who is texting to his friend.... And across me is varun and sesh .... They are speaking with themselves.... Gokul and preeti were sitting between varun and nadan.. and they were speaking to themselves about their work... bhanu is between me and sesh... and she is currently speaking with her fiancé Praveen... and blushing about something he said... and I am staring at her now...... and after few minutes she kept the phone and we are teasing her now.... Suddenly

Sesh-"ketu.... Say us about your dream man...?" that's it everyone was staring at me... my cheeks started heating... OMG....

Bhanu-"ketu... is blushing...blushing like crazy crazy..... Girl "stupid girl... smirking cockily at me ...this is what I sung when she kept the phone...

nadan-"ketu.... u are now blushing way more crazily than bhanu.... "And that made us both me and bhanu to say shut his mouth....

Preeti-"ketu.... U have to control... I think u will have heart attack even if your husband just speaks with you...."

Me-"shut up guys..."

Varun-"fine .... Say us about your dream man..?"

Me-"I don't know..."

Preeti-"what ...say you would have dreamt to have some qualities in your husband right..?"

Me-"fine ..... First u say..."

Preeti-"okay..... U know... I have my fiancé chandu ..... And he is what is dreamt for?"... Ok.... She is to engaged like bhanu.... She is getting married on May while bhanu is getting married on April....I know her fiancé from my childhood.... He is my dad's friends son Chandrasekhar or chand......he is a senior to Nadan.. He also done his UG in my college.... He is a good bro to us even before the arranged marriage....He is a orthopedist... Yearning well ... Now working in Bangalore....

And we all teased her ..but right now I am tensed and praying to god that they should not ask me ....

Sesh-" now say us about yours ketu...?" great

Me-"He should be taller than me... should not be dark ...... really I don't know....... I have always thought my marriage is going to be arranged marriage...... and I always thought my family knows to pick me a guy who is good for me ...that he and his family will take care of me well..... " and sighed..

Sesh and varun... had some look on their face... and others just stared at me....knowing my uneasiness nadan changed the topic.... Even though we are like tom and jerry..we always have each others back..

Nadan-" I am feeling sleepy... I didn't sleep for about 36 hrs..."

Everyone said how they too feeling tired..And we decided to go to bed... and I asked sesh to give us tour of the house tomorrow .. and he said okay.... And showed everyone's room and we bided our good nights and all left to our rooms .... Except nadan..... because nadan wants to speak with varun....

The room is big... with cream color paint and there is a queen sized wooden bed in the center with.. white bed cover and the was a night stand beside it with a night lamp and to the right there is two cupboard and to the left there is bathroom.. went and opened the bathroom which had bath tub to it.... Great I am taking bath in it tomorrow and brushed my teeth .. and washed my face and emptied my bladder and came out of the bathroom ..... and checked the time 11.30p.m and was about to change into night dress and get to bed...when I heard someone knocking the door... and opened the door to see

my parents, uncle ram, varun, sesh, nadan...

Me-" hmm... what happened ..?" asked unsure..

Dad-"can we talk?"

Me-"hmm .... Yes"

Dad-" come with us" he said and we all went to the lobby in the floor and all sat in the sofas....

Uncle-"ketu"

Me -"s uncle" and he started saying me

That a girl named chandini, has ran away with someone... who is the girl that they selected for his son yash..... and they selected her because... my dad didn't like to send me to my in-laws house in near future but I was the his and his wife's choice to be their son's bride and as he was upset and broken that he wouldn't select a good bride for his son... he said okay to give my hand in yashs hand... and he said even though he loves to have me as his daughter in law.... he wants my acceptance ..... if you say okay... the engagement and marriage continues with you being yash's bride.... If not it's ok.. We call off the arrangements... and he left... Saying to take a good decision for me.....and he will respect and support it no matter what it is......

My dad said sorry and said no matter whatever my decision he will support me... and asked me to forgive him...and left...

My mom... said sorry.... And said me to take a decision that I won't regret ... and she will be there for me always and left....

Me-" I am going to my room" and excused myself to my room and locked it before anyone else say me anything......

What am I supposed to say..... how am I supposed to decided by morning...... is it good to say yes to marry a person I haven't even seen...... will I regret if I say no.... will I regret saying yes....what am I supposed to say god.... I said myself to cool down as I am panicking..... then after I cool down... I started thinking ...what I know about him.....

I have heard... he looks handsome.... And he is 5 years older than me...that is he is now 24 years old .... he is a good man... my parents like him....my brother says he is a trust worthy good friend..... his family members are good....uncle likes me that I know before..... and I know sesh likes me too ... I too like uncle and sesh..they care for me.....

How is my father even accepted to give my hand in yash's hand.... From When my dad become a great supporter of inter-cast marriages..... S... He said that while his friend is broken... Can I adjust with their culture.. If I marry him..?

But I don't still know should I say yes or no......

My father gave word.... He has never back stepped from his word.... Wat if I say no... and that affects his pride...will he hates me...no, he said he will support my decision no matter what...... what should I say now god........... felt thirsty .... and went out of the room to have water..... and saw sesh in the lobby..

Sesh-"ketu...?'

Me-"hmmm...... sesh...."

Sesh-" are you okay....?"

Me-"don't know..."

Me-"sesh.. can you give me water....?"

Sesh-"hmmm....follow me to kitchen" and I followed him....wat he doing here...without sleeping ...isn't his room in the floor above us.... Was he waiting for my answer..... would he like me to be his sister -in -law or hate me if I saw no ....oh my god.... We reached the kitchen and he gave me a water bottle and I opened it and drunk the water

Me-" thanks sesh.."

Sesh-"welcome"

Me-" why are u there .... Not sleeping?"

Sesh-" Nadan and varun was also here.... They just left ...... Because Nadan got a severe headache ..... As there is not a stock of tablet in the house ... And not knowing where the milk and other things to put coffee is.... And not want to wake the maids as it is 2:15a.m.... Varun took Nadan buy him coffee and tablets..."

Me-" why are you guys awake..?"

Sesh-" because we are worried about you..." And I sighed and stopped him from continuing

Me-" what do you people want me to say....... If u want me to say yes...then you arrange it..... If you want me to say no.... Then....cancel it........ What do you expect from me to say....?"

Sesh- " your opinion about your life's future...... We can't decide your life ketu...... We can only support and advice you..ketu...." And sighed....and he to sighed and hugged me... And made me to sit in the counter....

Sesh-" we understand it's difficult to make decision ..... U know you are a very good girl.....U just accepted me as your brother as soon as I asked you....I know that it's not that easy to accept a man to be your life partner in a second and also when you haven't seen him or spoken with him...... And if you think he liked chandini to accept her as his wife .... Then my answer is NO.... He just accepted because of me and my dad's pressure..... I like u so much as my sister..... But we are not really related..... I love to have you as my sister- in- law.... As you will become my sister for real...... But even if you won't be my real sister ... I will love you as a real brother..... So ... Don't worry that I hate... You said your thoughts out loud when you thought that" oh my god and I started laughing thinking about my stupidity.... And sesh to joined with me to laugh....

Sesh-" U look good when you are laughing...so, u smile always... Don't be sad....it's been years hearing a out loud laughing in this house... But today we experienced it as soon as you entered the house............"

Me-" I think you will allow me inside your house even if I say no to your brother?"

Sesh-"will" and smiled genuinely and then I got a idea...

Me- " sesh do you think your brother slept....?"

Sesh-"don't think so.....I saw the lights are on in his room before 10 minutes we came here .... Why?"

Me-" I want to speak with him?" Would I speak with him..... What would I speak with.. Him...

Sesh-"oh.....what?"

Me-" don't know..... But want to speak with him.... I don't think .... I can speak with him in direct....?"

Sesh-" 'I don't know ?.... ' ... You can speak with him in phone... I will call and give you " he took the intercom and started pressing some digits...And don't know what to speak with him .....

So I stopped him

Me-" no just give me the number...... I will call him.... After I get courage to speak with him and after I find what to speak with him...."

Sesh -" ok ... As you say..... Give me your mobile.... I will type and give you.... I don't have mobile with me to send you ...

Me-"mine is in the room..."

Sesh-" ok come... I will give and you can store it to... And call him...when you find what to ask and COURAGE..." And we both laughed

When we reached the room.... I found my mobile in the night stand ... And took it and opened the screen lock and gave him my phone and he started typing the phone

Sesh-" don't call&cut the call as he will call again as you are calling in the night.... So call when you get courage ok..." And I nodded and saw him pressing the call button .... And I scratched the phone out of his hand And ended the call before yash could attend...

Me-" why did you do that? ..... What will I say him if he call me back sesh....?" Asked him angrily....

Sesh-" I know .... U know what you want to ask and hear from him to make your decision deep inside you.......But you don't have the courage to call him...... And how to ask your question ...So I helped you.... " my phone started vibrating flashing yash number...."attend the call and ask those questions and hear the answers..... I will leave you alone... Bye... But attend.." And he left .... Closing my door......

Should I attend or not?