Chapter 17

Hey guys, next update. A bit of a twist in this one!

Chapter 16:

The change in Navin's behaviour in just one hour was so extreme, that Raj remained a little scared. Now instead of constantly frowning and glaring at him, Navin couldn't stop grinning at him instead. In fact it seemed as if Navin was constantly having to stop himself from hugging Raj, since he kept making motions as if he wanted to and then sitting down again.

"What on earth did you say to him?" Raj asked Alekh before going to bed, he definitely preferred the new Navin to the old one, but it was freaking him out a bit.

"I pointed out to him that you'd given your ring to Naina, which meant that you were obviously serious about her." Alekh told him in a very no nonsense way with a shrug.

Raj just stared at him, "How did you know that I…"

"Just because you don't tell me something, it doesn't mean that I won't notice." Alekh warned Raj, trying to hide a smile, "Just be glad that Navin is in a good mood again. After all, I didn't need to lie to him did I?" Alekh's eyes twinkled at this, and Raj wondered whether he should tell his friend the truth about his feelings. However he decided that it was still far too early to do so, especially when he didn't know if Naina felt the same way or if she was just trying to make their mission a success.

So Raj stayed silent for the time being, and headed off to his room where a grinning Navin wished him good night very cheerfully before turning out the light.

Raj needn't have worried, Alekh already knew perfectly well what was in his heart.



**

Naina had just gotten the photos from Republic Day developed and had picked them up on the way to college. Sitting with her friends at lunch time she flicked through them, smiling when she found the one she had been looking for. Raj stood with her with his arm around her shoulders as they both smiled. She had asked Neelu to take it, thinking at the time that it would be the perfect photo for Navin to notice when she sent him a copy of the prints.

Now Naina stared down at the photo somewhat dreamily, before glancing at the ring which was still on her finger. The only time she removed it was when she needed to bathe, the rest of the time it remained there even though it was clearly a man's ring and didn't really suit her hand at all.

"Hey Naina, what are you looking at?" Her friend Maya greeted her as she came to sit with her on the grass.

"Photos from Republic Day." Naina told her, "I went to my brother's academy for the ceremony there, it was fantastic."

"Well hand them over," Maya told her, "I don't mind seeing pictures of cute army cadets."

Reluctantly Naina handed the photos over, slipping the one of her and Raj back into the pile.

Maya had been a friend of Naina's ever since high school, so she recognised Navin and commented on how cute he still was, giving Naina a strange sense of pride.

"Who's this girl?" she asked when she reached a picture of Navin and Tanu together, Navin's arm around Tanu's waist.

"That's my future sister-in-law Tanisha," Naina told Maya proudly, "Don't they make a cute couple?"

Maya sighed melodramatically, "All the good ones are always taken." She complained, "There go my hopes for your brother."

Naina just laughed, knowing that Maya wasn't really serious.

They went through the rest of the photos and Naina pointed out Raj, Alekh, Neelu, Yudi, Abhimanyu and all of the rest to Maya as her friend exclaimed about how cute army guys were and how she wished Naina had invited her to the Republic Day ceremony as well. Naina certainly wasn't going to disagree with her about the cuteness.

It was when they reached the photo of Raj and Naina together that Maya really became interested.

"And who is this and why does he have his arm around you?" Maya asked her, "His name was Raj, right?"

"Yes," Naina confirmed, "That's Raj and he's my…" she suddenly blushed, not sure why she was feeling so embarrassed and what she should actually be introducing him as.

"Ooooo, so that's what's been going on," Maya teased her, "Well I must admit that he's cute, and he looks like a nice guy too, you've made a good choice, Naina."

Naina just smiled, but didn't correct her. After all, what harm was there in Maya thinking that Raj was her actual boyfriend?

However the thought nagged at her all day throughout her classes and as she walked home. Why hadn't she corrected her friend? Why had she felt so proud at the thought of him as her boyfriend? Had she gotten so caught up in this mission that she had begun to believe that the lie was the truth?

However Naina didn't have much time to ponder these things, or work out what her answer was, because as soon as she reached home a nasty surprise was waiting for her.

She stepped in the door, took one look at the person sitting on the couch and exclaimed, "What are you doing here?" in quite a rude tone of voice.

"Naina beti, that's no way to speak to guests." Her mother told her, indicating the two people in their lounge room. "Why don't you go and change into something nice and then come down and join us."

It suddenly became very obvious to Naina exactly what they were doing there, and why her mother was sending her to get changed into something 'nice'. Well she wasn't about to play this game, especially not when she had already put so much effort into her own plans.

"Actually Ma, I think what I'm wearing is perfectly fine." She told her, and sat down on the chair opposite. "And you still haven't told me what our 'guests' are doing here."

She took the opportunity to glare at the boy sitting in front of her, hoping that he seriously regretted coming here at all.

However he just grinned at her, obviously not realising exactly how unwanted he really was.

"Naina, would you come with me to the kitchen for a minute?" her mother asked her and Naina knew that it wasn't a request. She got up and followed her in, standing expectantly until her mother said what she wanted to.

"Naina," her mother whispered to her fiercely, "Don't be so rude, Amardeep and his mummy have come here to make a proposal for you. You can at least be polite and consider it."

"But Ma, I…"

"No buts, we'll listen to what they say and then we'll make a decision, now go upstairs and put on something nice."

Glaring at her mother this time, Naina went upstairs and selected one of her most unflattering and old salwar kameezes, one which she had been planning to throw out for a long time. She certainly wasn't going to encourage any of them in this idiocy.

Sitting back down on the couch beside her mother, Naina tried not to slump too much in her seat. She had never thought that this idiot could do something like this, she thought she had scared him off. She just wished that when Navin had set up his plan he had told her mother so that these mix ups wouldn't happen. Naina found herself thinking that if only Raj was here this wouldn't have happened, he would've figured something out, made a plan to get her out of this situation. Instead she had to sit here with this stupid farm boy and his mummy while they made a proposal for her.

"So as I was saying, Mrs Ahluwalia," Huda's mummy continued, "Our Amardeep is such a smart boy, such a good boy, and so helpful too. When he's not studying at his college he's always helping out on our farm. He's the best son that anybody could wish for."

Naina felt like rolling her eyes and barely resisted. Of course she hadn't mentioned the fact that he was extremely annoying, and liked to follow girls around when he was very much unwanted. Of course this didn't make it into Amardeep's list of extraordinary achievements as the perfect son and future son-in-law.

"And he's coming second in his year at the moment, I'm sure he would be topping it if he was able to give more time to his studies, but he spends so much time helping us that he has less time to study."

Either that or he spends far too much time flirting with girls and stalking them…

"Ever since he came back from his holidays here, our Amardeep hasn't been able to stop talking about your Naina. He told me, 'Mummyji, that's the girl I want to marry and no other, please go and talk to her parents as soon as possible', and I really agree with him, what a sweet girl, what a good pair they make." She smiled at Naina and Naina tried to smile back, but it came out as more of a grimace.

"And Naina will be very comfortable with us," Huda's mummy continued, "We have a large house, two factories, a farm and ten buffaloes. We'll give her everything she could possibly want, she'll be like our own daughter."

Great, this was it. Naina was going to be spending the rest of her life milking buffaloes and making lassi. All of her dreams of doing her MBA, having a career, everything was about to be ruined.

And Raj… she couldn't even finish that thought she was so upset.

Naina glanced over at her mother and could see that she was quite impressed. After all, it wasn't everyday that somebody with two factories and ten buffaloes came to propose. Naina supposed that this was the most impressive proposal that she had ever gotten. Her chances at escaping were quickly slipping away.

"Well why don't we let the children have some time alone and talk about it amongst themselves, Naina, go and show Amardeep the garden."

Naina got up from her seat on the couch and without waiting for him, stomped out to the garden. She only waited a second after he arrived, and shut the door behind him to begin speaking.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked angrily, "Did I ever give you any sign that I wanted to get married to you? Because I don't want to get married to you! What made you think that I would ever accept this proposal?"

"Because it's not you that has to accept the proposal," he told her with a smirk, "It's your parents and I don't think there'll be any problem from them. Give in, Nainaji, we'll have a happy life together, I'll give you everything that you could ever want."

"And have you forgotten that I have a boyfriend already who I love very much?" Naina asked him, "How could you be so shameless as to think I'd just leave him?"

"Stop pretending, Nainaji." Huda told her, perfectly relaxed. "I know that he's not your boyfriend, my cousin Mahi goes to your college, she told me that he's not your boyfriend at all, just one of your brother's friends who came to visit."

That's it, Mahi was dead. Naina was going to kill her slowly and painfully, the traitor.

"I don't want to get married," Naina told him, "And especially not to you. I want to finish my education and then I want to get a job, maybe even start my own business. Being your wife is not the kind of life that I want."

"Of course you can have a job," Huda told her cheerfully, "We're not an old fashioned family, with your education you can definitely manage one of our factories."

"Just what I always wanted…" Naina muttered, this was going from bad to worse.

"Well now that it's all sorted out, shall we go back inside, Nainaji?" Huda suggested.

"No, it's not all…" Naina started to say, but he had already walked back inside.

Nobody was prepared to listen to her and things just kept going from bad to worse. If Raj was here, or if Navin was here, or even if Alekh was here…

But they weren't, she would have to somehow handle this by herself.

Going back inside reluctantly, Naina sat back down on the couch with her mother, resolutely staring at her feet. She didn't even want to see his face right now she was so angry.

"Well we'll be going then," Huda's mummy announced cheerfully, "Please let us know what you decide, and I hope that soon our relationship will be much closer."

Naina's mother walked them to the door while Naina kicked the coffee table in frustration and then winced as she hurt her toe.

Her mother came back in, in a very good mood. "What an excellent proposal," she told Naina, "I never would've expected it. The boy is young and handsome and smart and the family is good too, I don't think we can pass this up."

Naina was horrified, it looked like her mother had already made her decision.

"But Ma, I don't want to marry him!" she exclaimed, "I would be miserable with him, our personalities completely clash. And I don't want to live on a farm and milk buffaloes!"

"Don't be silly, Naina." Her mother told her cheerfully, "His mother was saying that you could work in their business, so your education won't be going to waste. And you'll get used to each other after awhile. I know you don't want to get married yet but you have to eventually, after all we have to arrange Navin and Tanu's marriage soon too."

"So that's it, you've decided to get rid of me." Naina announced melodramatically, hoping that emotional blackmail was the best way to stop this, "A daughter is such a burden that you'll give me away to the first stranger who asks."

"Naina, don't be so filmy." Her mother told her sternly, "They're hardly the first ones who have asked. We've already rejected six proposals for you, but this is the best one so far, I don't know if an opportunity like this will come again."

"But what about what Baba wants?" Naina asked her desperately.

"Your Baba will agree too, I'm sure of it." Her mother told her confidently.

"What about Navin? Please Ma, just ask him once, shouldn't my older brother help to make the decision too?" This was Naina's last chance, Navin was the only one who could save her now. She was sure that he wouldn't want all his planning ruined. And surely he would much rather Raj as a brother in law than this stupid Huda.

"Navin will respect whatever decision we make, there's no need to ask him." Her mother told her calmly, as if reassuring a child. "I'm sure that he will agree with us that this is the best possible proposal that you could get."

"But Ma, I…"

"No more buts, Naina, we'll discuss it with your father and make a decision. I don't know why you're so against the idea."

"Because I can't get married to him! I just can't!" Naina wailed, wanting to stamp her foot for extra emphasis but deciding that it wouldn't be very mature.

"And why not, Naina?" Her mother asked her, "Is there something that you're not telling me?"

Naina panicked. She had to stop this marriage one way or another, no matter what it took.

"Because I'm in love with someone else!" she blurted out.

Her mother just stared at her, and for a moment Naina was worried, but then she smiled. "Well why didn't you tell me, Beti? We're not against love marriages. Who's the boy?"

"I'm in love with Navin's friend Raj," Naina said all in one breath, "And we were planning to get married after he graduates."

Naina couldn't believe what she had just done. She had been so panicked that she hadn't even been able to ask Raj for help or tell him about this, and now she had just announced that they wanted to get married.

This was soooooooooooooooooooo not the plan.

"Well you should've told us earlier, Naina!" her mother exclaimed, utterly delighted, "He's such a lovely boy, how could we object to a son-in-law like that? I'll have to talk to his parents as soon as possible and…" her mother walked off, listing a hundred tasks she would have to complete now that Naina had chosen a boy to get married to.

Naina just stood there in shock, unable to believe that this had all happened so fast within one afternoon.

She had just sabotaged her own plan to avoid marriage.

And she had involved Raj without even asking him. She had no idea how he would react to the fact she'd just announced they were planning to get married.

As Naina slumped down on the couch with her head in her hands, only one thought went through her mind.

Navin and Tanu were going to be so happy.

Operation Marriage had finally turned out to be a success.