Shantam absent-mindedly took a sip of his tea as he reviewed a report he had put together, concerning the recent market trends involving their newest products. It was the basis for the presentation he had to give the next day to the fresh batch of employees they had hired, in order to highlight the areas they needed to cover and the goals they had to work towards. Originally the meeting had been scheduled for next week but he had to request a 3 week leave starting next week due to his wedding being held so soon.
He hadn't realized he would be required to take such a major step early. After their engagement in January, he had thought he would have at least half the year to get to know Anvesha better. Being a guy of the new day and age, he wasn't too comfortable with the idea of an arranged marriage, but he had had no one special in life and his family had decided it was time for him to get married. A long and careful search later they had settled on Anvesha. After meeting a couple of times, he had realized that she was a nice and simple girl. Well-educated, smart and belonging to a respectable family. She was also pretty to look at. He couldn't think of any reason of not getting married to her and apparently she reciprocated his feelings because they had gotten engaged within a week of meeting.
Due to his job and her studies they hadn't met often, just a few brief phone conversations and two or three meetings at her house. What little he had gotten to know of her was mostly through khanak and kavi, had assured him that Anvesha was the right choice, though he himself had found her to be a bit quite and reserved. Apparently, they both liked old songs, Chinese food and the color blue. Both would rather watch a movie than read a book. Neither could tolerate a messy room and sleeping in late. They both loved their families. He felt happy and satisfied.
As he finished scanning through the report, he stretched and looked at his watch. 6 o'clock. Slowly he became aware of the almost empty office and the near silence, so different from the energetic hustle bustle of the mornings. His eye fell on the sticky note he had stuck to the corner of his desk. They had been invited to Anvesha's for dinner. He quickly got up, gathered his things and picked up his laptop bag. He needed to rush.
Today was her first exam. She had been up all night, studying and after writing a three hour paper, felt exhausted and almost dizzy. Her friends were all huddled in a group discussing the questions that had been asked, but she was too tired to join and stressed out about the next exam, which was only two days away.
She waved a quick bye to the group and as she made her way towards the college gate, when she suddenly spotted him by Professor Shastri's office. She stopped dead in her tracks.
She resumed walking when suddenly he looked up and their eyes met. He gave her a warm smile as she spontaneously muttered a 'Good Morning.'
It was like that just with him. The otherwise carefree girl in her grew sensitive and mellowed when he was around her. Every word, every gesture of his, affected her. He made her second guess herself, left her unsure and confused.
She closed her eyes and put her head on the head rest. Suddenly, his face appeared before her eyes out of nowhere. His handsome face with faint wrinkles around his eyes which sparkled with intelligence. The spectacles that he distractedly took off as he pressed the bridge of his nose while immersed during a lecture. She re-called their conversation from just a few minutes ago.
I am sure you can handle it, he had said.
She felt his words applied to more than just the wedding and her exams, but he did not know that.
Love Friendship Dating and Relationships
