Chapter 3
Avni's and Roshni's brains were working in overtime, as lightbulbs seemed to go off on top of their heads.
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A few days later, Damini had been sitting at the breakfast table with her mother and her two sisters, when her mom seriously looked at her, and said "Damini, come down into my study room once you come home today. I need to talk to you." At this statement, Damini looked at her mother surprised "Mama. Koi problem hain kya?" she asked, as fear suddenly seemed to take over her.
"I'll explain everything tonight" was the only response from her mother, before she paid attention to breakfast, and signaled that that was the end of the discussion.
Avni and Roshni exchanged knowing glances with each other, before turning away and looking at their food. Damini instantaneously knew that something was up, she could sense it and it sure was making her nervous.
All day, she spent fretting about. She didn't even have Prithvi to talk to as he had gone to his parents' house for a few days, after not having seen them for a while, so there was no way he would be able to come over and talk to her. Finally, after an exhausting day at the office, having gotten nothing done due to her tension, Damini headed home, eager to find out what her mother wanted to talk to her about.
"Mama? Can I come in?" she asked, slowly opening the door of the study only to find her mother's head buried in some office files.
"Damini beta!" she smiled, looking up from her work. "Sit down. I need to tell you something."
"Damini. You're getting older and older beta, and we need to start thinking about getting you married. After me, it's only you three right that will take care of Gujral Industries? Tomorrow we are going to see a potential groom in the afternoon. Make sure you are dressed in a sari and be ready" she ended, as she looked at her daughter.
Damini's face grew pale, what was her mother saying? Her getting married, that too to someone of her mother's choice? What about Prithvi?!
"Mama," she began "I..I can't get married to someone else. I'm.." Before she could go any further, her mother cut her off. "Stop Damini. You're going with me tomorrow whether you like it or not. In your entire life, I've given you the freedom to make your own decisions, but I'm asking for one thing today, and you can't even do this? Anyway, this boy is perfect for you and our company. I don't want any more discussion regarding this. Just be ready." Ila Gujral looked away from her daughter and back at her files, indicating that she didn't want any further discussion and wanted Damini to leave.
Dejected, Damini slowly walked out of the room, not hearing the soft giggles of the woman who was sitting behind the desk.
She trudged up the stairs, trying to figure out what to do, and thinking that her sisters would help her out, she went to Avni's room, where unexpectedly, she found both her sisters waiting on the bed, as if they had known she was going to come there.
"So Di? What did Mama say?"questioned Roshni, a sparkle on her face.
"You guys knew! That's why you look like you've been waiting for me to come, and this morning, those looks you were giving each other!" Damini said, as she threw both her sisters an accusatory glance.
"Han Di. We did know. Mama told us this morning, before you even came down to the table. She really wants to get you married to this guy. She thinks you would be perfect for each other" said Avni seriously, putting her hand on her sister's shoulder, in an attempt to console her.
"Why didn't you guys say something to Mama?" wailed Damini, not knowing how to deal with the situation at all. "You both knew that I love Prithvi."
"We didn't tell Mama for the same reason you didn't Di. We couldn't, she didn't give us an opportunity to speak" said Avni, still extremely calm and composed, while Roshni seemed to be bouncing off the walls with her energy.
"Come on guys, help me out na? You guys have to come up with something to get me out of this seeing a boy thing."
"Sorry di. There's nothing we can do now. Just go see the guy like Mama says and then say no afterwards, that is if you still want to" said Roshni, a mischievous smile on her face.
Damini burst at her sister's remark. "What do you mean if I still want to say no? Of course I'll say no. Why would I say yes to anyone other than Prithvi? UGhhh"
"Let's just get you back to your room now, ok di? Just say no to the boy tomorrow, but for Mama's sake, let's just go see him, ok?" Avni soothed her sister down, and glared at Roshni, indicating that she shut up before Damini's anger gets any worse.
Dropping their older sister off at her room, Avni and Roshni went back to their own rooms to talk to their men before they drifted off into sweet dreams. Damini however, was living up nightmares, as she mumbled in her sleep "Stupid. Idiot. Buffoon. I'm going to kill you. Don't even pick up your phone. What if I get married off to some motu? Prithvi Saxena. You're dead meat."
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The next afternoon, Damini sat in the car with her mother and two sisters as her driver drove to some unknown place. She didn't know where she was being taken nor did she care. She was mad at everyone, her mother for not listening to her and her sisters for not understanding her point of view and being so excited about this entire wedding, and most of all Prithvi, for not even picking up his stupid phone. She'd tried calling him ALL morning, but it went directly to voicemail. He had shut off the phone.
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Meanwhile, Prithvi was sitting in his home in Manali, watching a cricket game on TV with his two brothers, when his mother and father came downstairs dressed as if they were going to a party, while the three brothers were looking like lumps on the sofa, dressed in regular jeans and everyday, casual clothes.
"Ma. Are you going anywhere? You're all so dressed up" stated Prithvi, when he turned around to see his parents.
"Not at all beta," replied his mother, as she came to pat him on his cheek. "We have guests coming over. Actually your father and I found the perfect girl for you and so she is coming here today with her family" his mother continued, smiling nonstop. Varun and Sameer exchanged glances and a silent high five seeing their brother's shocked face.
"What? A Proposal for me? And you didn't even think of telling me?" questioned a bewildered Prithvi as he looked at his parents as if they had gone crazy.
"It's not like you have a girlfriend, right bhaiya?" questioned Sameer, a slight twinkle in his eye.
"Aur Prithvi, I know you would never say no your mother. You're my good obedient son, right?" continued his mother as she looked at him fondly.
Prithvi just stood dumbfounded. What was he going to say to Damini? He needed to call her, but Uff! He couldn't find his phone at all. So he just sat there, trying to think of a way to get out of this mess, while his parents and brothers made preparations around him to welcome the girl and her family.
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Damini stood behind everyone else, as they all waited at the door of the boy's house, wishing she could escape and leave from the place. Before she could do so though, the door swung open and a sweet looking lady smiled at them, saying "Oh! You must be the Gujrals. Do come in!"
"Damini. Take their blessings" muttered her mother, slightly nudging her in the side.
"Mama" Damini glared at her mother, before bending down and taking the blessings of the couple in front of her.
"Tu to bohut hi pyari hain beti. I do hope you like our son" she said, only to get Roshni and Avni snickering, along with Ila, Balraj, Sameer and Varun.
Sitting down on the sofa, Damini looked down, and made sure not to look at anyone's face. "This is my son Sameer, and this is my youngest one Varun, and this is the oldest" Suman ended, pointing each one out.
Damini mumbled a quick hello to everyone, without ever having actually looked at any of them. Roshni leaned over to her sister, whispering "Yeh to bohut hi handsome hain, di. I wouldn't mind if he became my jeej!" Sameer and Avni exchanged glances at that, and when Sameer winked at Avni, she couldn't help but blush profusely.
Prithvi had not bothered looking up at the girl either, and was busy on his phone, trying to send the message to everyone in the room that he was neither interested in this girl nor her marriage proposal. But when his mother said "Damini beti" his head shot up faster than a rocket, and he looked up shocked to see Damini sitting on the sofa opposite him, along with Ila Gujral, Avni, and Roshni.
His eyes literally bugged out at the sight in front of him! This was Damini, his Damini! He looked over at his brothers and parents, with a questioning look on his face, only to have them smile and nod at him.
Aha! So this was why everyone seemed all happy, and didn't even bother to tell him about this proposal. They already did know about his and Damini's relationship. But poor Damini didn't seem to know that she was sitting across the man of her dreams. I sure can have some fun with this!
Ila, seeing the happy look on Prithvi's face, finally asked him "Toh Beta, did you like Damini? Would you be willing to marry her?"
Prithvi looked at Damini one more time, making sure she hadn't seen who he was yet, before replying "Yes. I have no problem with this marriage. I'll marry whoever my parents think is the best girl for me."
Damini, recognizing the voice instantaneously, looked up to see Prithvi. "Prithvi!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with delight. Suddenly though, as she remembered what he had just said, anger flooded over her face. Getting up from her seat, she marched over to him, grabbed the pillow next to him, and started bashing Prithvi up. "You. You would just agree to marry anyone of your parents choice? What am I here? Some use and throw toy? Mr. Prithvi Saxena. I'm going to kill you!"
Everyone laughed at her anger, while Prithvi grabbed her by the wrist, and pulled her down, having her sit next to him on the sofa. Still holding her wrist with his hand, he placed his other hand on top of her mouth, leaned in close and said "Ms. Damini Gujral. I love you and if I hadn't known this was you, I would have never said yes to this proposal. I love you too much."
Then getting down on one knee, he slowly bent in front of her, taking her hands in his own, and asking her softly "Damini, I can't see my life without you, and I know I want to wake up each morning with you by my side. Will you please marry me?"
Damini gasped at Prithvi's impromptu proposal, but knew her answer. "Yes Prithvi. I would be the happiest woman alive to become Mrs. Prithvi Saxena. I love you too."
Prithvi slowly placed a kiss on her hand, before pulling her into a hug, the two of them lost in their own world, knowing that finally, they would be together forever.
Only the sudden clapping broke them apart, bringing them back to reality, and Damini began to blush profusely, still tightly held in Prithvi's arms.
Sameer spoke up first "So how was this surprise bhaiya? Thought you wouldn't tell us about your girlfriend?! Even though, I still am quite mad at you about that."
Avni and Roshni were the next to speak up, saying "See di. This is why we were all happy all morning. We knew that you would be overjoyed after seeing who the groom is, right?"
Varun spoke up next, "Congratulations bhaiya and bhabhi. Aur bhabhi, aap please don't be mad at Prithvi bhaiya for not picking up his phone. Sameer and I hid it knowing that you both would only think of calling each other, and we didn't want to ruin the surprise!"
Damini's face was as red as a tomato, being referred to as Bhabhi for the first time, but she sure did like it!
Finally, the couple turned to the parents, and got a little scolding from them for not telling them before about the relationship and for being too scared to think that they wouldn't approve. "For us, our children's happiness is beyond everything" they said.
The parents sat in one corner of the room, planning for the upcoming engagement and wedding, while the six kids sat around. Prithvi and Damini sharing a sofa, Sameer and Avni sharing one and Varun Roshni taking up a last sofa. Each couple was immersed in their own worlds, and only then did it hit Damini that the Sameer and Varun that her sisters' were talking about were sitting right in front of her.
She looked up to see Sameer and Avni holding hands, though they tried to hide it, and she nudged Prithvi. "Prithvi. Look at them. They really like each other" she whispered.
"Hmm. Looks like we're going to have to do something about this, right?" questioned Prithvi, an evil smirk playing on his face. Just then, the maid came around with coffee for everyone, and once everyone was settled with their cup, Prithvi cleared his throat.
"Ahem. I have a proposal to make. I know all of you are extremely happy that Damini and me are getting married, but I've decided. I want Sameer to get married right along with me." At this, everyone else smiled, Damini snickered, trying to stifle her laughter, and Sameer and Avni sat on the sofas, their faces completely blank.
"Bh..Bh..Bhaiya. I don't want to get married so soon.." said Sameer.
"Nope Sameer. And I know the perfect girl for you. She's sitting on the sofa right next to you, and I'm sure you won't have any problems, right?" questioned Prithvi, the smile on his face growing to a grin.
Sameer spit out his coffee in disbelief. "Avni and Me? Um..Uhh. Well if Ma and Papa and you insist..I have no option, now do I?"
Prithvi suddenly rose, "You nautanki! You liked this girl for so long and didn't even bother telling me. You guys are definitely going to be getting married right along with us!" He began to chase his brother around the room, while everyone guffawed with laughter. Sameer went and hid behind his bhabhi, knowing if his bhabhi supported him, his brother wouldn't do anything.
"Bhabhi..Please tell bhaiya no na? I mean, I did help you two get together. Tell him to stop chasing me, pleasseee"
"Haha Prithvi. It's enough. Poor guy was more than shocked" laughed Damini.
So then it was settled, Sameer and Avni would be married along with Prithvi and Damini. The three sisters sat next to each other along with Suman and Ila, discussing the wedding, while all the guys were made to go out and get something to eat.
"I'm so happy that you two are going to be coming into my son's lives. You both are perfect for them, and I couldn't ask for better daughters" said Suman as she looked at her two future daughter in laws fondly.
Roshni leaned over to her Damini and whispered "Diii. What about me?"
"Haha Roshni. Don't you worry. You're turn will come too" replied her mother, who had heard this exchange....
Precap: Last Part--After the wedding! :)
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So Everyone, That was definitely one LOOOOOOOOOONG post. phew. I hope you like it though :) There's one more part to this story, mainly because I feel like if i end it here, it might be missing something....so I'll come up with that part probably Monday.....
As always, please do read and comment...especially after this humungo sized post!PMs will come in a few hours
Lots of love,
~NainaEdited by naina.patel - 13 years ago
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