Kabirs pov ~

"Kabir, hurry up! We’re going to be late!" I heard my dad yell as he scrolled through his phone.

Classic dad.

"I’m already here! Where’s Mom?" I replied.

"She’s been getting ready for the past two hours. Who knows what she’s doing up there? Not that I have much say in it—otherwise, I’ll be sleeping on the couch tonight," my dad grumbled, pulling a face.

I couldn't help but chuckle as I spotted Mom standing behind him, hands on her hips and glaring at him.

Looks like Dad will indeed be on the couch tonight.

"What were you saying?" my mom chimed in.

"You look beautiful, Shona," Dad complimented her. And he was right—Mom looked stunning.

"Thank you, but don’t think I’ve forgotten what you just said. You’ll be on the couch tonight," Mom shot back. "Kabir, let’s go! We’re going to be late!" And with that, she stepped outside.

“Shona, wait! I didn’t mean it like that!” Dad called after her.

My family is chaotic, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We're here," Dad announced, getting out of the car to open Mom's door.

Honestly, my parents make me feel more single than anyone else.

They both ambled off, leaving me alone in the car.

Aren’t I the groom? Whose marriage are we discussing?

"What are you waiting for? Let’s go!" Dhruv urged.

"When did you guys arrive?" I asked.

"Just now. Where are your parents?" Akash inquired.

"They left me here," I replied, staring ahead.

Dhruv chuckled, "Let’s get moving, or you'll miss your own wedding."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"OMG Kabir, look at you! My baby has grown into a handsome young man!" Ishi exclaimed as she pulled me into a hug.

Ishi, as in Ishani Agarwal, is Aadhya's mom and my mom's best friend. After Aadhya's dad passed, Ishi took charge of their business.

"You look lovely too, Ishi," I replied. Yes I call her Ishi because that’s what my mom called her when I was little and i also started calling her.

"Seems like you've forgotten your Ishi! No calls, no texts—it’s unfair!" she complained.

"What can I say? My schedule is just so hectic; it’s exhausting," I explained.

"Tell me about it. Now come, sit down," she said, ushering me to sit beside her. "How are you guys doing?" she asked Akash and Dhruv.

"We're great, Ishi Aunty! After all, it’s our brother’s wedding," Dhruv chimed in.

Laughter filled the air as I spotted Aadhya approaching in a stunning black anarkali suit, looking absolutely exquisite.

Aadhya, my Aadhya.

Wow, she’s breathtaking! It almost feels unreal seeing her this close.

Suddenly, Mom interrupted my daydreaming. "Oh my God, dear, why are you carrying that heavy tray?" I snapped back to reality and hurried over to take the tray from her. She smiled at me.

Wait, wait, wait...

She fu**ing smiled at me!,

Oh my God, she looks so lovely when she smiles. I have this strong urge to capture this moment forever.

As she chatted with Mom and Dad, I couldn’t help but admire her.

"So, how’s life, Kabir?" Ishi asked as she sat next to me. I noticed Aadhya looking at me with confusion.

"It’s going well, Ishi," I replied, and Aadhya’s expression made me feel like an alien.

I know it’s been ages since we last met, but have I changed that much?

But I think she’s impressed by my appearance. Just then, I heard Akash say, “I guess bhabhi is impressed with your looks, brother.”

Laughter erupted, and Aadhya quickly looked away, embarrassed.

Idiot, why does he always have to say things like that? I was genuinely enjoying Aadhya's gaze until he ruined it.

"Okay, that’s enough," Mom said, trying to suppress her laughter.

"Hey, bhabhi! I'm Dhruv," he said, shaking her hand.

"And I’m Akash," Akash followed suit, shaking her hand as well.

"Nice to meet you guys," she replied in her sweet angelic voice.

"Alright alright, let’s discuss the reason we're here for," Dad said.

"Ishani, we love your daughter and think she’s the perfect match for Kabir," Mom said, giving Aadhya a side hug.

"Well, I believe Kabir is an excellent choice for Aadhya too," Ishi affirmed, patting my back.

"Now, the most important part: what about the bride and groom?" Dad asked, looking at us.

I was about to express my agreement, but I noticed Aadhya staring down at the floor, seeming lost in her thoughts.

“Would you mind if we speak among ourselves privately before making our decision?” I asked.

"Of course not! Aadhya, take Kabir to the garden," Ishi encouraged, but Aadhya remained rooted to the spot.

She seemed deep in thought, focused on the ground.

Mom gently took Aadhya's hand and asked, "Aadhya beta, what’s wrong?"

"Nothing, aunty," she replied, looking at Mom.

"Aadhya, Kabir wants to speak with you. You should take him to the garden," Ishi urged once more.

"Yes, come on, Kabir," Aadhya said, leading the way to the garden.

Hearing my name on her lips felt heavenly.

Kabir, , you are officially doomed bro, Officially doomed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"It's been ages," Aadhya remarked, causing me to let out a sigh.

"Yeah, how have you been?" I asked, hoping to ease the tension between us.

"Fine, I guess. Ugh, this is so awkward," she confessed, which made me chuckle.

"It was much better when we were kids; at least there wasn't this tension," I replied, and she smiled.

"Absolutely! We used to play and watch movies together without a care in the world," she said, her gaze drifting as if lost in nostalgia. "I really miss my childhood."

"I miss it too… I think most of us do," I agreed.

"But honestly, you've changed a lot; I almost didn't recognize you at first," she pointed out, making me smile.

"By the way, where's Vihaan? I haven't seen him around," I inquired about her brother.

"He'll be back soon; he went to his friends house, I believe."

"Oh," I thought. Now's the time to ask her about the marriage. Come on, Kabir, now or never.

"So, what are your thoughts on the marriage?" I asked her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aadhya's Pov ~

"So, what are your thoughts on the marriage?" Kabir asked me.

Honestly, I've spent the last day trying to come up with polite excuses to reject this marriage proposal, but my mind isn't cooperating.

"Um, could you first share what you think about it?" I replied.

I needed to gauge his views before formulating my own argument.

"Well, our parents arranged it, and having you as my life partner would really be a blessing for me," he said.

"A blessing for you?" I echoed, taken aback.

"Why?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Aadhya, look at yourself. You're the most beautiful, kind, and sweet person I've ever met, and you're really asking me this?" he stated factually.

Well, he knows how to charm someone, but no, I need to find a way to refuse this.

"Thanks for saying that, but Kabir, I’m not sure if I'm ready for marriage right now," I admitted sincerely.

"And why do you feel that way?" he pressed.

There are many reasons, the biggest being that I'm not mentally prepared for a relationship, especially one as serious as marriage. It's no joke.

"Let's just say I'm focusing on my career right now," I replied, which is also true.

"Aadhya, believe me, your career won't be affected at all if you agree to marry me," he insisted. "But if there's something else bothering you, I will never pressure you to marry."

"Kabir, I’m being honest with you. I don’t want to marry simply because it's an arranged marriage. We're basically strangers; we know nothing about each other, and I don’t think that’s going to work."

That sounded reasonable; yes, I managed to say it.

"You won’t know if it works unless you try," he countered.

Ugh, it seems impossible to win against him.

"But it’s a marriage; what if it doesn’t work out? What will we do?" I argued.

"And what if it does work out? Aadhya, I’m being straightforward—I want this marriage, and I would be grateful if you could agree, but ultimately it’s your decision."

I'm trapped; he's ready for marriage, but I'm not.

"I don’t have any qualities of an ideal wife," I confessed, and he laughed.

"Good thing I’m not searching for an ideal wife," he replied.

"I can’t cook properly, I’m incredibly clumsy, I’m rarely home, and I smoke if i am stressed, which wouldn’t be acceptable for a wife or a daughter-in-law," I stated, and he chuckled again.

Has he lost it? Why is he laughing?

"Everything you mentioned is fine; we’ll live separately after marriage, so no one will force you to be home all the time. As for smoking, I’d recommend you stop since it’s harmful, but if you want to keep doing it, that’s your choice too."

He’s kind of sweet, but I still don’t want to marry right now. What am I going to do?

"Look, Aadhya, I’d love to spend my life with you if you feel the same way. Please, just consider it," he said before beginning to leave, then turned back and asked, "What happened to the Aadhya who was against smoking and drinking?"

"She died long ago, I guess," I replied.

"Mmm," he said, and walked away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kabir's pov~

This isn't the Aadhya I know; her attitude, her words, everything has changed. She seems opposed to this marriage, and her continuous efforts to cancel it are evident.

But I’ll be patient—no matter how long it takes, I’ll be there for her.

"So, what have you both decided?" my father asked as soon as I stepped into the living room.

Suddenly, Aadhya interrupted me, saying, "We're ready for this marriage."

What just happened? Is she changing her mind suddenly?

"Congratulations, you two!" my mother exclaimed, hugging Aadhya first and then me.

"Let the celebrations begin!" Akash chimed in, giving me a side hug.

I can’t believe it. Just moments ago, she was trying to find excuses to back out, and now she’s laughing and seemingly eager to get married.

I need to talk to her; this is all so confusing.

"Come on, everyone, we have a wedding to plan!"