Aishwarya: lol, well it would be much easier if his parents died, but they definitely would miss out on seeing the oh so sweet grandchild!

Shalini: Lol, I'm so glad that you've caught up with it!! I just hope that your mum doesn't think you've gone crazy and ban you from reading the fic!

Anita and Amy: Thanks so much guys, and I hope you enjoy the next part!

Chapter Twenty

The next morning Raj went for a very long run around the grounds, trying to make himself less nervous for what lay ahead. This so wasn't going to work, he knew it wasn't. Still he supposed that they had better try a normal way of getting his parents to accept their marriage before they began to scheme properly.

When Raj arrived back, Navin was already dressed and ready to leave, as he and Tanu would be having breakfast with his family and then staying with them throughout the morning. Raj would also be going to see his parents early, he supposed it was his last chance to really be able to convince them.

"Well I'll see you in a couple of hours," Navin told him cheerfully and Raj just nodded silently, unable to echo his friend's optimism.


He made sure that he dressed nicely, even though he knew that there was no need to impress Naina's parents. Obviously Naina would be making an effort with her appearance, so he thought he might as well too.

Deciding that he needed something to calm himself down, Raj headed to the mess to have some chai before going to his parents' hotel. As soon as he arrived there he saw that most of his friends were already gathered, and sitting at the same table. He was sure he knew exactly what they had been discussing.

"Hey Suriji, one cup of very special chai for our future dulha!" Abhimanyu called out, before clapping Raj on the back as he came and sat down beside him. "So how are you feeling?" Abhi asked him, "Nervous?"

"I think I'm going to throw up." Raj told him, only half joking.

"Maybe I shouldn't have ordered you that chai…." Abhimanyu started to say.

"Don't worry Raj, it will be perfectly fine." Nandini reassured him, "Naina is such a sweet girl, I don't know who wouldn't want her for a daughter-in-law."

"And remember," Yudi told Raj from where he sat across the table with Shalini, "There's always poison. When they refuse, just take out a bottle and threaten to drink it. Or maybe a gun would be better…" he started to say, "You know if we could get you a gun from the armoury…"

"Yudi!" Shalini exclaimed loudly, "We are not getting Raj a gun from the armoury!"

"And now I remember why I banned you from making suggestions," Raj told Yudi, glaring slightly.

"Don't worry Rajbhai," Ali told him, "I'm sure that everything will work out in the end. Allah is not so cruel as to separate you from Naina, just don't use hope."

"It's not Allah that I'm worried about, Ali." Raj told him, "It's my parents, they definitely are cruel enough."

He finished drinking his chai and got up to leave. "Well I'm going to go meet my parents, any last suggestions?" he asked.

Aalekh mouthed the word 'pregnant', earning himself a glare from Raj.

"Just go and show them what you're made of!" Pooja told him, "Chak de Raj!"

"Yes," Raj said, feeling a little better. "Chak de!"

"Right guys, now let's give him a proper send off!" Pooja told them, still trying to raise his spirits, "Jo Bole, So Nihal!"

"Sat Sri Akal!" Even Suriji joined in, and Raj had to admit that it had made him feel quite a bit better. If there was one thing he needed right now, then it definitely was a war cry.

He rode his motorbike all the way to his parents' hotel, of course one of the fancier ones in Ambala. They had ended up arriving there late last night, so Raj had decided that it would be best if he waited until the morning to see them.

As soon as he knocked on the door his mother opened it, and he touched her feet quickly before hugging her. It wasn't that he didn't love his parents, really he did love them. It was just that they had rather different opinions about most things.

"Raj, what are they doing to you in the army?" she asked him, "You've become so skinny, and your hair… why have they cut it so short?"

"Ma, it's the army." Raj told her, "We're not there to be fashionable or become fat."

His mother gave him a disappointed look, obviously thinking about the stylish hairstyle that he used to have.

"Hi Dad," Raj walked into the room further and greeted his father, touching his feet and then giving him a hug.

"Hi Raj," his father said, looking him over. "I agree with your mother, your hair is terrible. But at least the army seems to have toughened you up."

"Of course," Raj said, "They make sure that we're fully prepared for our future careers."

"Hmmph, career…" his father remarked, obviously thinking that the army didn't qualify for the title of career.

"Well Dad, Ma, I think we'll need to leave within half an hour to be there on time." He told them anxiously.

"Yes, and then we'll see this girl." His mother said, almost disinterestedly.

"Naina, Ma, her name is Naina." Raj said, becoming more and more desperate. "And I know that she's not what you imagined your daughter-in-law would be, but I really, really love her so please try and have an open mind about this."

"Of course we'll have an open mind, Raj." His father told him, "But we do have to think about your future, which is why we'll be weighing up the pros and cons of the situation."

"Exactly Dad, please think about my future." Raj told him, "Get me married to somebody who I love and who will make me happy."

"Of course Beta, we're only thinking about your happiness." His mother told him quickly, obviously wanting to distract him.

"Just please promise me that you won't be rude with them," Raj said a bit desperately, "Please, please promise me that."

"Of course we won't be rude, Raj!" His mother exclaimed, "What do you think of us?"

Raj knew perfectly well what he thought, but he wasn't about to say it.

**

Meanwhile Naina had been in a state of panic ever since she woke up, preparing to fight a battle that both of them were sure they were going to move.

She had brought five choices of outfits with her, and as soon as Tanu had arrived, and greeted Naina's parents, she had dragged her inside the bedroom to make her help choose what to wear.

They finally settled on a light pink salwar kameez, and Tanu began to do Naina's hair and makeup, deciding that she should keep her hair loose and have only minimal makeup. Naina was fine with that.

She was just putting some earrings on when the doorbell rung, and Naina's heart started beating even faster.

"Relax," Tanu told her, "Whatever happens, Raj will manage it, you know that."

Naina nodded, took a deep breath and prepared for what was going to come next.

Meanwhile Raj and his parents had already entered the room, and after the two sets of parents had greeted each other politely, he touched Naina's parents feet before Navin gave him a warm hug.

"Please come and sit down," Mrs Ahluwalia told them, indicating the lounge suite and everybody made their way to the couches.

"Navin, could you please tell Tanu to bring Naina out now?" she then asked, and Navin went to the bedroom door, knocked before peering around it, and then whispered to them that it was time to come out.

The moment that Naina came out of the room, Raj just sat there dumbstruck.

Man, he really loved her.

Really, really loved her.

Really, really, really loved her.

He was aware that he was staring, but he didn't really care, because if there was anything that he could happily stare at for the rest of his life, then it was Naina.

Naina looked across to check his parents' reactions, happy that they both looked suitably impressed. However he knew it wasn't going to be as easy as them just realising that Naina was very pretty. She kept her eyes downcast and Raj knew that it wasn't an act, she was definitely genuinely nervous.

Naina quickly touched both of their feet before settling on the sofa beside her parents. She glanced at Raj quickly, obviously wanting reassurance and he smiled at her, wanting to make her feel better.

"Well Mr and Mrs Shekawat, we're very happy to finally meet you." Naina's father told them, "Raj is such a wonderful young man, and in a very short time he's become almost like a part of our family."

"Yes, Raj has told us about your family quite often." Mr Shekawat replied, "I believe your son Navin is his best friend."

Raj sighed with relief, well it had started better than he had thought it would.

"Well we might as well discuss the reason we're here," Mr Ahluwalia continued, "Which is that both of our children have decided that they like each other and would now like to get married."

"You know we only found out a week ago," Mrs Shekawat says, "Raj had never mentioned anything about it before then."

"Even we didn't know before then," Mrs Ahluwalia says, "We were thinking of accepting another proposal for Naina when she told us that she liked Raj."

"And how old is your daughter?" Mrs Shekawat asks.

"She'll be turning twenty in a week." Mrs Ahluwalia replies, "She's currently completing a business degree and would like to study for her MBA next."

"Don't you think that she's a little young to be getting married?" Mr Shekawat asked, "These days children get married rather late, it takes them awhile to work out what they really want in life."

Real nice, Dad, Raj thought, try to find an excuse for us to not get married that doesn't involve you being a snob.

"Well I admit that twenty is quite young for Naina to be marrying by today's standards, but when she's chosen somebody for herself then how can we object?" her father asked, smiling at Raj. "The main issue in marriages these days is that the children are happy."

"Of course," Mr Shekawat replied a little uncomfortably, "It's just that we weren't planning on getting Raj married just yet. Of course he has to settle into his career first, and at this age how do children really know what they want out of life? What if they change their minds later?"

Mr and Mrs Ahluwlia also began to look uncomfortable, realising that Mr and Mrs Shekawat were not as happy with this alliance as they had hoped they would be. Naina was currently giving Raj a look of despair, and he couldn't do anything to help, they would just have to watch it through to its awful conclusion.

"And when the most important issue is whether the children are happy or not, then we have to think very carefully about their marriages." Mrs Shekawat broke in, "Naina has been brought up in a very different environment to Raj, I don't know if she would be able to adjust to our lifestyle or not."

Naina was suddenly very glad that Raj had promised she would not live with his parents after marriage, because she was having some terrible visions of what her life would be like if she did.

She would become an Ekta Kapoor heroine, one of those poor girls fighting for their rights against the rich mother in law. Naina didn't even like Saas Bahu serials, there was no way that she wanted her life to become one.

Mr Ahluwalia now has a look on his face that says he's not sure there's much point in taking this discussion further. Now the most important thing was to make sure that they finished it off without causing too much embarrassment to anybody on either side.

"Well I can confidently say that our Naina will be able to fit into any environment." He told them, "We're ready for this alliance, but I understand if you need some time to think. You can inform us of your decision."

"Of course," Mr Shekawat told them smoothly, "It was wonderful to meet you and your lovely daughter." And very quickly both of Raj's parents got up to leave. "Well Raj, shall we go?" his father asked him.

"You go back to the hotel, Dad." Raj told him, "I'll be there soon."

And his parents left as if they couldn't get out of the place soon enough.

Raj turned back to Naina and her family, taking in the hurt and disappointment in her eyes, a look that he knew was mirrored in his. The looks on Navin and Tanu's faces were also ones of shock and disappointment.

"Aunty and Uncle, I'm so sorry about this." Raj told them, "I know that Naina warned you, but I was honestly hoping that they might…"

"It's not your fault, Raj Beta." Naina's father told him kindly and a little sadly, "We had hoped that things would work out for the best but… well, it's god that decides on the pairs not us."

"Please don't give up just yet," Raj begged them, "I'll try my best to convince my parents, but I do really want to marry Naina."

Her parents just nodded, Navin and Tanu still weren't able to speak, obviously shocked at all their planning having failed.

"Would you mind if Naina came down to say goodbye to me?" Raj asked them, knowing that he needed to talk to her in private after what happened.

"Of course she can, go and walk Raj downstairs, Naina Beti."

Nodding quietly, Naina followed him out the door and over to the elevators.

"We failed." She told Raj flatly, "They weren't even interested in asking me what my hobbies were or whether I could cook well. I had such good answers prepared too."

"Don't give up," Raj tells her, holding her by the shoulders so that she has to look at him, "We will get married, I promise you that. I'll go and talk to them now and try to convince them to agree."

"Good luck," Naina tells him, and suddenly she throws her arms around his neck and hugs him. Raj hugs her back just as fiercely until the elevator reaches the ground floor and the doors open when he realises they'd better stop.

As she walks him to where he can get a taxi, Raj takes the same ring off his finger and taking Naina's hand in his, this time he slips it onto her finger.

"We will get married," he promises her again, "Just don't give up just yet."

Naina nods and he hugs her again, holding her head to his chest. He wishes he could kiss her but it's probably best not to do so in front of a hotel with many guests around.

"I love you," he tells Naina, and kissing her forehead, climbs into a taxi.

"I love you too." She tells him leaning into the window next to where he sits, not caring that the taxi driver is listening.

They wave at each other as the taxi leaves and Raj realises what a huge task he has ahead of him.

**

As soon as he reaches his parents' hotel, he goes straight to their room, intending to confront them.

"So what's your decision?" he asks them, not seeing any point in wasting time.

"Raj, she really is a nice girl but I just don't think she's suitable for you." His mother tells him, "We can find you a much better bride."

"I don't want a better bride, Ma." Raj tells her, "I want Naina, and I will only marry Naina."

"You're just infatuated," his father tells him, "You'll soon realise that we're right."

"No I won't," Raj tells them stubbornly, "Because you're not, you'll ruin my life if you refuse this marriage. I swear if you don't get me married to her then your son will no longer be alive."

"Don't be so melodramatic, Raj." His father tells him. "We both know that you're not going to kill yourself, so don't even try threatening it."

Alright, so Yudi's first idea didn't work…

"I don't care whether you want me to marry her or not," Raj tells them, "I'll marry her without your permission."

"Then you'll have to find some way to pay your own academy fees." His father tells him in a very no nonsense way.

Point. Raj had no money to do so, and he didn't think that Naina's parents would be as happy to accept him if he didn't have a bright career in front of him.

That was it, he had one option left… and it wasn't a good one, but he really was desperate…

"We're got to get married!" he tells them with a hint of desperation, "She's pregnant and going to give birth to your first grandchild, you'll face a lot of shame if we don't get married!"

His father gave him a look that clearly said he didn't believe it.

"Raj, we might not want you to marry the girl, but it's clear by looking at her that she's not the type to get pregnant before marriage." Mr Shekawat told him in a very no nonsense tone. "If you want us to believe that, then go and bring us some proof."

That was it, all of his options were gone. Yudi and Aalekh's advice had been completely useless.

He was not getting married.

Not yet anyway…