"Morning," Aditi ringed, feeling the same than normal day, yesterday's discuss about her marriage already had left her brain. Her dad snorted his reaction from behind his newspaper, which he used to read each morning. Her mom kissed on the temple of her head and said as she set down a bread toast and margarine before her.

"Good morning, Aditi," Mrs. Virk replied, turning to hang her apron on the hooks before sitting down. "What are your plans today?"

"Not a lot," Aditi muttered behind a sizable chunk of bread. "I may stay after college for dance rehearsals with Asha, and then we'll probably do something afterwards." Aditi shrugged

"I'll just text you." Aditi proposed.

"Aditi," Mr. Malhotra finally put down his newspaper. "Don't stay out too late. Today, we have invited Malhotra family"

"You must be joking," Aditi said distrustfully. "Papaji, whom did you invite?"

"Malhotras," Mr. Virk answered. Aditi sighed and hurled a murmur. "Ma, what on earth were you considering?" she doubted. "After, yesterday's discussion, I thought you were clear that I will meet him on my terms."

Mrs. Virk looked confounded. "What will happen, in the event that you will meet him today?" She inquired.

"But Ma! --- I" Aditi was interrupted by her father.

"You are not going to college today, stay in and help your mother," Mr. Virk sternly said as he stood up to get into his room. She flinched at her father tone.

Aditi threw her backpack on the couch and went to her room, tears were pouring down her face. Her father had never stopped her to do anything before this. She slammed the door, very hard It made her feel little better. It also made her hands sting. She thought "Papaji, you cannot force me to marry an NRI nerd, I can't imagine pledging my entire life with a stranger."

She lay back down in her bed, curled up under her blankets, shivering. She didn't know what was going on, but she was feeling really sick and cold. She was under her blankets for four hours, lying. There was a knock on her door, but she didn't answer, since knew it was her mother and she was in no mood to talk with her.

Once again Mrs. Virk knocked her door, "sweetheart, I know you don't want to get married and neither have you wanted to meet them, but Beta, for our sake just change into something nice, please?"

"But-"Aditi grumbled from inside.

"Your father has already invited them, and nobody will force you into this marriage, Please beta!" Mrs. Virk requested.

10 minutes later she was sitting staring at her reflection in the mirror while trying to decide what to do with her hair and what to wear. She put her hair into a ponytail and grabbed a pair of jeans and a shirt. While this outfit was not the classiest outfit, she had but she figured she could wear it without looking like rubbish.

"What you did?" Mrs. Virk gasped from behind as she came into her daughter's room.

"What are you wearing? And your hair? Oh for the love of god, please wear some makeup!" Aditi's mother hissed

"No Ma, I don't think so I am looking bad and moreover I am not going to make myself into something that I am not to please that NRI nerd." Aditi frowned.

"Beta, I am not saying that you have to please him, but it will be better if you will wear something traditional like sari, as his parents will also be there"

"Fine," Aditi sighed as she looked in her closet for something traditional.

"you won't be forcing me, right?" She asked, but when she looked around, she found that her mother was already gone.

Aditi finally settled on a Multi Printed Cotton Blend Saree, paired it white colored danglers. She decided to tackle her hair one last time, and finally decided to leave in down so her thick straight black hair falls around her shoulders. She put on some eyeliner and was pleased with her final look, she went downstairs.

"Wow, my daughter is looking like a lady," her father said with teary eyes, but it was the tears of happiness.

"Thank-you Papaji" Aditi hugged her father. Aditi was about to reach her father's feet, to take his blessings, but the bell rang.

"Go beta, open the door" Mr. Virk said to Aditi as she nodded and ushered her out of the hall in the order to open the door. She opened the door to find a young man about the same age or a little older standing at the door, holding flowers.

Aditi didn't move nor did she take a breath. She just stood there, staring into his pair of brown eyes.

He tried to smile, but failed. He was wearing a casual dark blue shirt with contrast colored skinny-fit jeans

Aditi blushed. The thing she wanted to do least. And time Arjun stopped breathing. Standing just outside the door. The wind was biting the back of his exposed neck. The blood that was supposed to be in his brain rerouted to other parts of his body, warming his chest.

Aditi looked nervous as she turned and began to walk inside, but with every step, the warmth in her eyes lightened her face until she was in the hall again.

"Namaste uncle ji and auntie ji" Aditi greeted Mr. and Mrs. Malhotra. And as she turned to Arjun to greet him. He forwarded his hand for a shake and said, "Nice to meet you, I am Arjun.... Arjun Malhotra"

Aditi held his hand and blushed "Aditi Virk, nice to meet you too."

Arjun understood that his parents' description about her was not wrong at all but now he would say it was less. Aditi was perfect- she was beautiful, well literate and very soft talking person.

"Juice?" Aditi asked, as she was serving snacks to all the guests.

"Thanks" Arjun said, took one sip of the juice felt relief.

"Arjun beta would you like talk with Aditi personally." Suddenly, Mrs. Malhotra asked his son.

Arjun replied with a small smile" no, Mom, I heard all the detail about Aditi from you. And that's enough for me"

But there was a new feeling burning in Aditi's heart so she quickly but suddenly said, "I would like to talk personally, if Arjun doesn't mind" with that Ditiya and Dhruv both gave out their mischievous laughter.

Then Aditi looked at Arjun to see his reactionto her speech. His eyes were widened. So, Aditi was about to regret it, butArjun asked "we can meet tomorrow afternoon, if she doesn't have any problem." Andthe room filled with laughter and Aditi got more redden.