Chapter 2 Embraced the Courage

27th August, Umbro Technologies

Dressed in a white high neck sleeveless top paired up with tan wide-legged pants and a blazer with matching block heels, her hair flowing freely reaching her swaying hips hugged her curves, and her deep black eyes with dimpled cheeks and sharp nose gave an exquisite glow of confidence.

Seated at the round black table surrounded by empty chairs in the brown-colored chamber set with the classic ambiance, she sifted through her notes. "Where were they?" Tanvi looked around, there was no trace of them.

Her twirling fingers brushed across the nameplate and a contented smile settled on her face as she gazed at her designation, Program Analyst and Design Engineer.

With the delay, she got bored and opened her drafts to work on her designs. Soon she's styling and sketching them on the blue chart absorbed in ink and movement while losing herself in the world of her passion.

"If I proceed at this pace, I'll soon establish my fashion brand. Woah!!!" She dabbed her shoulder with a proud smile.

Soon enough, her colleague Marina came into the room, "Come on, Tanvi. It's already 05:00 PM."

Tanvi stared at her and her deep black eyes rolled onto her fossil watch. "Oops. I didn't check it." She tapped her forehead while giving her usual dazzling smile.

Another voice from behind said, "Ms. Workaholic. Wrap it up." Tanvi gave a helpless smile, and the three started going out.

On the way down the office, viewing the empty floor, "Everybody left?" Tanvi arched one brow questioningly.

"It's happy hour today, so they all left." She nodded.

"Let's have a mocha?" Catherine asked while involved on her phone.

"Yeah. I need it the most."

"Um. I need to wave goodbye, my boyfriend is waiting," said Marina while waving to her faraway boyfriend dramatically making them giggle at her antics.

Glancing at each other, they added, "enjoy."

Their tracks stopped nearby Starbucks, which was full of customers. The chattering and laughter, in addition to the caffeine, eased her. They occupied an open two-seater table and began sipping their mocha.

While keeping her hands on her cheeks, glancing at the beautiful sky with the orange-red shade, Tanvi stated, "The climate looks good today."

"Yeah. You look a little, umm... distracted maybe?"

Her lips pressed into a thin line and an irritated look occupied her once cheery face, "Mm. The same old marriage story."

"Ugh. Are they still pressuring you?"

"Uh-huh. I'm in my late twenties, and all my relatives were pestering my parents about this marriage thing."

"I can imagine. Before I got married, it's the same situation in my home as well." Catherine drifted to those days, and an annoying grunt escaped her lips.

"These relatives... except focusing on them, they keep on gossiping about other family issues."

"I agree." They exchanged hi-fi while laughing.

...

"Today was exhausting!" Tanvi mumbled as she reached home, relaxing as she shoved open the weathered door of her apartment. The wide hallway welcomed her, painted in blue, gave her a familiar warmth.

Dragged herself onto the couch, her eyes closed involuntarily. After resting for a while, she remembered her mother, Radha's text and dialed her.

"Hi Mom, How're you doing?" Tanvi asked in her chirpy tone.

"I'm good, sweetie. You know what I heard today?" Her mother queried as excitement danced in her voice.

Curiosity kicked in her mind and she blurted almost immediately, "What?"

"Your cousin, Neethu's engagement got fixed." Her mother added in a happy yet dejected tone and she couldn't help but frown, yet pushed it aside and muttered, "Wow!! That's great news, mom."

"Hm. They all are asking about your marriage because you are the oldest?" Her mother pouted dramatically making her cringe by just thinking of marriage, "Please, not again, mom." Tanvi sighed.

"Listen to me, sweetie. You are already 27, and we were becoming old too. We want you to get settled, so we can be at peace." Her mother's trembled voice made her realize the seriousness of the issue and she remained numb for a second and added with a smirk, "I'm well-settled, and my paycheck is pretty high too. You can relax."

"Don't divert it, I know how you managed to spoil all your blind dates previously." Her mother said with disappointment and she hung her head low in shame, "Ahem..." She fake coughed to hide her embarrassment.

"You know that your dad is a heart patient, and he is always stressing about your marriage. I'm feeling bad about it, sweetie."

"I know mom." She bit her lips while her head went down.

"How many more years you're going to avoid it? I'm not forcing you, but try to understand, honey." A tired huff escaped Radha's lips as she couldn't make her stubborn daughter agree to get married over the years.

"Hmm..." Tanvi trailed off as she didn't have anything to retort and thought of avoiding it would do her some good.

"We love you, honey."

"I love you too..." Tanvi mumbled, disappointed at herself for the situation she was in.

"Why are you always trying to dodge getting married?" Her mother hit her right on the spot and the walls she created invisibly cracked in her heart.

Hearing that, her mood dampened, "What else would be? I didn't feel like doing it. That's it."

"Can't you agree to our last wish and stop making us worry?"

Silence danced on her rosy lips and she punched the pillow.

"We're doing this for your own good."

"Ugh! I'm a little busy, mom. Bye." Frustration filled in, and she stomped her foot.

...

"Huh! These days, whenever I speak with Mom and Dad, they're always asking me to marry. How do you marry someone without love? Never mind. Forget about love! I didn't even know the man." Tanvi ruminated while settling on the couch.

She switched on the television, while the earthy smell occupied her house, and a warm feeling surged in her. Tanvi strode to the window, slid it open, and leaned her hands and face out, playing with the raindrops as they slipped through her fingers. It's an old childhood habit she still enjoys.

Meanwhile, a delicious aroma wafted over from her neighbor's kitchen, and her stomach started to growl. Deep in thought, she almost missed a Beep, Beep!

Tanvi looked down at her mobile. A smiling picture of her and Ameera in a hug posing as the dumbest girls. She burst into laughter remembering that day, their convocation six years ago. They'd been best friends ever since.

"Hey, Babe! Let's play a prank on Advik about Stella??" Ameera screamed with joy while imagining the scene.

"What? With Stella!!!" exclaimed Tanvi, "He might die of a heart attack." They both erupt with laughter holding their stomach.

"He's bugging me to set him up."

"If you set him up with Stella, he'll ditch us. Poor Advik, I never forgot that day he proposed to her, and she took Advik to her boyfriend." Tanvi tried to hold her laugh, but they burst out giggling hard.

"Haha! Advik's face! He was horrified. It was worth it."

"You know babe, my mom and dad are nagging me to get married. This thing is really getting on my nerve."

"Um... What are you planning to do then?"

"I had already managed to escape all these years, but I guess it's high time to agree now." Tanvi hugged her knees in defeat.

"Are you serious?"

"Uh-huh. I need to, at least for my parent's sake."

"Then did you try matrimony sites? These days they are becoming popular in arranging marriages."

"Nope."

"Check it once. Even my elder cousin, Divyanka got married like that. They are in love now."

"Oh, seriously?"

"Yep. You might find your dream man there." Ameera teased.

"Screw you."

...

Tanvi opened her laptop and googled, "How am I supposed to answer all this?" She exclaimed as she scrolled through.

She sighed before accepting the sites were a necessary evil? "Why not? I've already tried everything else. I might as well try my luck. Who knows? It could work." Excitement shot through her at the idea.

"It's asking about my entire bio-data, Huh!!!! What do I say? I'm a sluggish person. How to provide this many details?" She bit her lower lip in disappointment.

After giving it a second thought, "This is my last shot. I should make an effort." In an hour, she submitted her details in almost ten different matrimony sites. At last, she left with only one.

"Finally," She sighed with a sense of accomplishment and hit the Submit button.

"Uh, No! My Wifi! Shit!! I lost power." Tanvi shouted with frustration when her hand threw a punch onto the couch.

Snatching her phone, she began using her mobile hotspot. There she saw an ad saying, click it to get your details. "Please don't be lost, please don't be lost!"

She bit her nails while her forehead creased, making her breath pause. Tanvi clicked the link and got all the details she entered. She hit the submit button and received two confirmation emails.

"Why did they send me two emails? Whatever, I'm going to sleep," she muttered as she tossed her phone on the nightstand. Happy that she registered with these matrimony sites. She slowly gets into her dreamy la la land.

...

28th August

Sun kissed her cheeks as she lay beneath the quilt. Her alarm began echoing around the room, but she curled under the covers until, on the last ring, she gave up and got ready.

"I'm not late, and today is Friday. Yay!!" Tanvi smiled. On the way to her office, she took out her mobile to check on her two duffers. In all the time from their university days onward, they'd never been separated.

"Hi, Guys!!!!" Her screen instantly lit in response to Advik's reply. "Hey, How are you guys doing?"

"Hey, Dude!!! I'm doing great." Ameera replied with a joyful emoji.

"I'm on my way to the office. Any plans tonight?"

"Not yet! What about you?" Ameera inquired.

"Nope!! Let's hang out tonight. What do you guys say??" Advik asked with enthusiasm.

"Sure, Dude!!" Tanvi said excitedly.

"Sure, guys. I'm just at work. Catch you guys later tonight. Let's meet at our favorite spot? Bye!!!!" Ameera left the chat.

"Yes, babe, carry on."

"Sure, babe. I'm going to work. Bye, Tanvi." Advik replied.

"Bye!!!"

...