Chapter 1

Chapter one 

You say you love me, I say you're crazy

We're nothing more than friends! 

It took me quite sometime to process what I heard. Did he mean what it sounded like? It went something like, 

"Prerna Sharma, will you marry me?" 

OH! My! God! And all the ones I have been praying to. Anurag wants to marry me? Is he crazy or what? Or have I gone crazy? But why would he like to marry me? We don't know each other well even after knowing about each other and we don't even love each other. So why? 

One second. Human brains are freaking amazing. In one second it can storm millions of questions at the same time answering by it ownself trying to justify that action. 

In a second or two my brain had processed Anurag's question and given possiblities of the result. "Come on, its not that bad" my heart thud against my chest. After all he was Anurag. He was cute, sweet and a nice guy. And what good looking babies would we make! 

"I am sorry that came out wrong." Anurag quickly replied noticing the red blush that had spread against my cheek. "I meant act finance, marriage.. fake" 

Fake! Act?? Okay hold the train of babies thought for a sec missy. 

"Can we talk somewhere private?" Anurag continued. I finally looked around us and saw that every single person had their eye on us. I slowly nodded my head agreeing that if I wanted to think about making babies... marriage I mean.. more precisely fake marriage then I rather want us to be alone and not under the eyes of hundreds of people who's inspecting glare could put C.I.D 's glare into shame. 

And as we walked out of the corridor, the glare and glaze followed. Our each steps marked by everyone. Hushed whispers followed around us and the way the girls looked at me trust me they would be charged with physical assault through eyes charge. If such things exist. It should thou cause they were literally killing me with their eyes. 

...

Four eyes narrowed at the photograph burning holes through it. 

"Stop staring at the picture so much. Woh bichara ladka tasbeer mein hi na ghabra jaye!" Came a voice that starlted the two older individuals who finally reverted their gaze from the the picture to their younger son. 

"He looks quite good. What do you say Prerna's baba?" Veena finally said. She sat next to their husband, and started peeling her boiled potatoes. "He would be good for our Prerna, isn't it?" 

"I am not sure Veena. We can not really know about him properly from a photograph." Rajeev replied.

"Really? The way you both were staring at the photograph, I thought you probably had figured out his janam kundli too." Their youngest son joked. 

"We can not trust Madhu either. " Rajeev continued ignoring his son. "I mean we do know her well but this is her business and she will try to sell us more and more groom even if it is at the cost of telling lies. "

"Now when you talk like that, you sound like you both are into human trafficking. Buying grooms, Madhu aunty selling them..Prerna Di paying the price and..."

"Chup kar ja!" Veena interrupted her son looking sternly at him. "We should maybe interrogate."

"Thats a fantastic idea Veena. Why didn't it cross my brain. If it wasn't for my smart wife!" Veena blushed as Rajeev complimented her.

"The groom's mother and me share the same yoga classes. Maybe I can befriend her?" Veena suggested. 

"Yes you do that. I just pray to God, that this time we get the right person for our daughter and we marry her soon. " Rajeev wished not knowing that God was on the mood of fulfilling wishes that day. 

..

"Go on" I urged Anurag to speak and he let out a nervous chuckle.

"You know how dad had got an heart attack last month." Anurag started and I just nodded along. Kaka babu had gotten a sudden heart attack and he had been hospitalised for a week. It had been a difficult time. Baba was always in the hospital looking after Kaka Babu even though Mohini aunty didn't even let him go in and visit kaka Babu once. It must have been hard for Anurag. But we never got to talk about it cause well we aren't that close and all. Why was he bringing this now? 

"Even though Dad is as fit as a fiddle, he has this unnecessary fear that he may die someday soon." I noticed how Anurag gritted his teeth at the word death. He really did love his dad. "So a week before he shared this desire of his that he wants me to get married. Or at least find a girl and get settled."

"I want a favour from you Prerna. Would be please act as my finance? Its just to please my dad." 

I understood his turmoil. He wanted a favour from me for his dad. 

"Why me?" I asked both fearing and anticipating his answer. 

"Cause you are my friend" 

Oh boy! He proposed me in a moment and friendzoned me in the next. 

"I know you well like no other girl. Our families know each other, our fathers are good friends and my dad adores you. Beside your the type of girl every guy would be proud to introduce his parents too." Anurag said as I thought over it. 

"I am going crazy looking at all the girls my mother has been searching for me. If nothing then this act will at least haul her search for a while." 

The man's got a point! I too am fed of my parents searching for groom every day. As if the moment I give my finals they will marry off to some random guy. 

"I know I am asking a lot from you. Our families will be involved and its a big thing. We can go along with the flow and once everything settles around or if one of us fall for someone else then we can always get out of this play. We will tell them it didn't work out for us. " he continued. 

"What if they marry us away?" I expressed my worry to which I earned a small laugh. 

"They wouldn't. Not until the finals so we have like three months and if somehow the play goes on we can tell them that we want to wait until we find ourselves jobs or get settled etc etc" 

"Anurag, I don't know.. I.." 

"Its alright Prerna. Take your time." Anurag interuppted my ramble. "Think over the night. And you can always reject the proposal. " 

I raised my eyebrow to that. I could always reject. Should I think over it or just say no right away.

"Looks like you are going to be the first girl to reject my proposal" Anurag joked. His voice showing a tinge of worry that I wouldn't agree and a tinge of pride over the fact that he had never been rejected by any girl. 

"I will think about it" I replied quickly and mentally slapped myself. Damn only if my mind and mouth worked together in sync. 

Anurag gave a relieved smile. He searched his back pocket and took a small black box out. As slowly opened my eyes got treated by the sight of a beautiful diamond ring that lay in there. 

He handed the ring to me saying,

"If your answer is yes then I will get to see this ring on your hand tomorrow if not then throw it from the Howrah bridge for it was never made to worn by anyone" 

I clutched the ring tightly, all while thinking, 

What should I do next? 

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