Chapter 6 JUST MARRY ME

"Anything left from last night that you're here to say." She said flatly.

"Yes." He said in the same tone. "Marry me."

Roshni looked into his eyes and said, "No" sternly.

Flashback

half hour ago

'Ram calls Roshni.

Roshni picks up the call and Ram says, "Now listen carefully Roshni, Abhishek is coming to you."

"So what?"

"He will ask you to marry him. And you have to say No."

Roshni was shocked. "Uncle, it was you who made me sign the contract of our marriage right. Then-"

"Ya, I remember, but listen, he's, my son. I know him better than anyone else. if he's marrying you under my pressure, then even though, he'll say yes now, but he'll make some plan later to call off this wedding. But if you say no to him, it'll hurt his ego, and you'll become his obsession. Then, he'll go 'head over heels' to marry you. Also, if you agree to marry him, just like that, he'll think you are after his money. Say no at first but remember don't take it too far. OK"

Roshni smiles.'

Flashback ends

He looked at her unbelievably. "Don't you know who I am? Girls die for a look of mine and here I am offering you to marry me and you're saying no?"

"Then go and marry any of them. I'm not interested." She said flatly. She had to act uninterested but this man was really getting on her nerves.

"Look you have to marry me OK. It's important. I'll lose a very important project if you don't?" He said getting louder and grabbing her by shoulders.

'Both father son duo is the same.' She thought.

"OK what do you want? I can give you anything just blo*dy marry me. Even if it's just a fuc**ng contract marriage or for a show-off for a few months until this deal is signed, I don't care. For now, just. Marry. Me." He shouted desperately and Roshni cringed at his language.

She realised some one really needs to show him earth. "OK I'll marry you. But I have a condition."

He smirked. "OK whatever. I accept."

"Don't you want to listen what I want?"

"No." He said removing his check book.

He tore a blank cheque and placed it in her hands. "Whatever you want, buy it yourself."

'He really needs treatment.' She thought.

Roshni looked at him with deplore eyes. He turned around to leave. But Roshni came in front and blocked his way angrily.

She took his palm and slapped the cheque on it. "Why don't you give this cheque to someone who can teach you to say sorry."

"What?"

"Ya if you want me to marry you, apologize to me for your behaviour last night." She said casually.

He was taken aback. He could never imagine she would ask something like that. That second broke his notion about women. He thought all of them were the same and she was one of them.

It took some time for her words to sink in. 'Don't fall in her trap. All of them are the same. She's no different.' His mind told him.

"Look. you -"

"Now if you are about to say that I've lost my mind, or I should ask something else, then your choice. I'll marry you only on this condition that you apologize to me. That's it. If you can't, then leave."

It was nothing like he had ever done before. She was nothing he has ever met before. " You don't know what you're asking. Let's not push it." He said in a dangerously low voice. Roshni was scared for a second but covered it. Now she was adamant on making him apologize.

"OK then, I don't think your company is bigger than your ego." She said calmly and was about to leave when he pulled her by her wrist and rotated her and said, "sorry" lower than a whisper. Their faces were inches apart and Roshni could feel his breath on her face. Roshni was totally lost into him. She couldn't understand this sensation or figure out why this man's closeness affects her so much.

"Now, will you marry me?" His deep voice broke her trance.

She just nodded still not breaking eye contact.

"Good." He said and left from there.

As soon as she left, Roshni called Ram and told him everything. He was beyond happy.

-Same Night-

Abhishek is at home thinking about Roshni. He is standing near the window and thinking how in just a moment, a simple, plain girl broke his pride, made him apologize. "Is she really different or is she just pretending? Like all others do? Is she really good? No Abhishek, don't do the same mistake again. Don't give anyone an important place in your life cause betrayal never comes from enemies, it comes from close ones and you had it once, no not once again and again."

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around to see Ram smiling.

"You talked to Roshni?"

"Ya. She... agreed."

"That's great news. At least now, be happy son. you're deal is safe." He spoke.

"Yes, dad I'm happy. you know Dad, today when I met her, I realized that she is indeed not after money. Then why is she marrying me? What do you think?"

This question was dreaded by Ram cause is if Abhishek came to know that he had chosen Roshni for his treatment, Roshni would face hell.

He tried to reason with him, "first thing is that I asked her to marry you, and the second thing, I don't think you gave her any other option. I mean the way you barged into her house and asked her to marry you." But Abhishek didn't find it any convincing answer. He decided to investigate about it later.

"And yes Dad, please make sure this 'so called marriage' takes place before the end of next week. I don't want to give that Johnson any chance of saying 'no'."

Ram was beyond happy. "Abhishek thank you for agreeing beta."

"Tell me one thing Dad. Why were you so obsessed with my marriage this time?"

"First thing is that, if I would have listened to you, then you would have grown old all alone. After once lose all your charms, no girl would have married you."

Abhishek rolled his eyes. "And second?"

"Second is that... I wanted someone to take care of you. I don't think there are many days left in my life now-"

"Dad. Stop that melodrama OK." He almost shouted to hide his pain on hearing such words. "I don't think you're leaving me anytime soon. you are just going to trouble me for coming 10 to 20 years."

Both had some talk and Ram left while Abhishek kept thinking about her.

While leaving Ram said, "Abhishek do think about your future."

He Left leaving Abhishek in deep thoughts.

***

-In the Office-

"Laksh, I want you to handle all this. Will you?"

"Off course uncle, it's my best friend's wedding. I will check everything personally. It'll be the best event till date. Just how you want it to be."

"Thank you Laksh. And this is the guest list. I've invited all our business associates and friends. you go and ask Roshni to call her family members also." And Ram kept on explaining everything to Laksh while Abhishek was least interested. He was doing it as a charade for his business.

Laksh went to Roshni's house and asked her about her choice in food, decorations everything.

"Hey, Roshni why don't you call your family. Wouldn't they wanted to be a part of this?" He asked.

She became sad. "Actually Laksh, my parents died in a car accident when I was eight. I... I was brought up in an orphanage after that. I don't even remember their faces properly." She said looking at her fingers and silent tears in her eyes.

"Hey, I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry." He said holding her hands.

"No. you didn't hurt me. It's the truth." She said frankly.

"Roshni, Uncle told me everything about ... you know everything. I wanted to ask you something. Are you happy?"

The question really stuck her. Was she happy? Was she doing this by her own will?

She simply nodded.

"OK I should leave now." He said while leaving. "OK see you later, Mrs. Roshni Abhishek Malhotra." He said and it created a strange feeling of Bliss and satisfaction inside Roshni.

All her life, she had lived without her father's name or a surname and she had always longed for it.

Since school time, all her documents didn't have a surname. It was just Roshni. People looked down upon her, spoke ill about her but she never cared. She worked hard, studied through scholarship and became a doctor and then moved out of the orphanage.

'Mrs. Roshni Abhishek Malhotra ', It sounded so perfect. Moreover, it sounded complete. She felt like repeating it again and again in her head. And every time it gave the same happiness.