Chapter 6

#After One Year#

*Kamal Pov*

“I just need to go to college for some time and then will travel to the village, mom.” I said, holding the phone and stared at my friends sitting around me.

“But I thought you would be here directly.” She mumbled and I sighed.

“I know! However, my old principal wanted to meet me for a second to know how much helpful the course was.” I explained to her.

“Ok! Just be home soon and I have an important news for you.” She said hanging up and I just frowned.

“Shall we leave?” Pallavi asked and I nodded before getting up along with my friends.

“We three are going to come with you to the village. We took a week leave.” Girish said when we walked outside the campus after meeting the principal.

“Then I will return to the city after one week before searching for a job.” I said nodding at him.

“You can just go to the hospitals our principal suggested and I am sure you will get one immediately.” David mumbled.

“Actually, I am also coming with you all. I want to meet your mother.” Pallavi suddenly stated making all of us halt in our steps, but shrugged before we all left for the bus station.

“I still can’t believe that you all settled in the same city.” I said looking outside.

“We got used to the city and didn’t want to go somewhere else. We just hope you will also get the job in the same city.” Rakesh said and I smiled hoping the same.

“So, did your mom talked to you about that girl recently?” Pallavi asked and I frowned at her question.

“Actually, she never took her name for the time I was in the states.” I replied staring at her.

“Maybe, she finally saw that you don’t want all this.” She suggested and I slowly nodded.

“I think so too. We will know when we reach the house.” I said, shrugging and continued to look outside.

“Any girlfriend?” Girish asked, slapping on my shoulder.

“No!” I replied, shaking my head.

“Let me guess, did you shared the news of your arranged relation?” Rakesh asked and I laughed because I did the same thing.

“Mom!” I shouted, entering the house and saw her walking outside the kitchen with a bright smile.

“Kamal!” she said and I smiled before hugging her.

“I missed you, mom.” I said leaning back.

“Didn’t he reduced his weight, Aunty?” Girish asked grinning at her.

“Yes! He just doesn’t listen to me that he needs to have his food regularly.” Mom said shaking her head at me.

“Mom! You too lost so much weight.” I said, frowning at her.

“I am fine! I will bring something for all of you.” She said, but stopped looking at Pallavi standing beside me.

“She is Pallavi, Mom.” I said, introducing her and she nodded smiling before walking inside.

“I think she suddenly got scared thinking you brought some wife.” Girish whispered and I rolled my eyes at him.

“Make sure to tell her that she is your friend.” Rakesh said chuckling.

“Stop it, guys.” Pallavi said, frowning and stood beside me.

“Mom! What is the important news?” I asked her before taking a sip of water.

“Tomorrow is your engagement.” She simply stated and we all coughed at a time hearing those words.

“What?” we all asked the same moment with big frowns covering our features.

“Yes! You don’t know what happened, Kamal. I literally had to fight so much just to keep your bride safe from other relations.” She said shaking her head before sitting beside me.

“This past year she got so many proposals when they got to know you are not in India. They just thought you would bring some woman from the states as your wife and wanted Vani to be married off not waiting for you. However, I promised them the engagement will be the next day when you return.” She added smiling at me.

“Mom! I don’t want this marriage or even engagement.” I said standing up.

“You don’t like her?” she asked frowning.

“I don’t even know her to like her.” I replied and she immediately paled, but just closed her eyes for two seconds.

“Do you have a girlfriend?” she asked, frowning while opening her eyes.

“No!” I replied, shaking my head.

“Do you love someone or even like someone?” she asked again.

“No, mom!” I replied, not understanding why is she liking all this.

“Then tomorrow is your engagement and just think that your parents arranged this marriage for you.” She said getting up using a hard tone.

“Mom! I don’t want to marry anyone until I get settled.” I said using the same hard tone but flinched myself.

“After the engagement, you can wait until you get settled for the marriage. I can’t keep off more relations from crawling into her lap. This is my decision along with your dad’s.” she said, staring at my Dad’s photo on the wall.

“This is her number, and if you want, you can talk to her on the phone as you can’t meet her directly with all the preparations going in her house.” She added placing a small paper in my hand and walked away.

“I never thought your mom would be this strict.” Girish calmly said after a few minutes while we all are still standing in our same spots.

“This is nonsense, guys. No one can force someone regarding their life matters. Why don’t we all just leave?” Pallavi asked, tugging my hand.

“She never compelled me to do anything before. Then why now?” I asked no one in particular before walking inside my room, leaving the paper on the floor.

“You need to talk to that girl and make her stop this if you can’t do the same.” Pallavi said for the millionth time while I just sat on the bed.

“Didn’t you hear what my mom said? They are making preparations. You don’t know how it is like to be in a village and who knows what will she do when I say my decision. She may even suicide for the after effects of cancellation.” I said holding my head.

“And my Mom will never forgive me.” I added.

“I think I have to sit down. I am just getting dizzy with everything that is happening around us.” David said shaking his head before sitting beside me and Pallavi walked outside the room.

After a few minutes, she entered back with a serious face before standing before me.

“Do you want this engagement or not?” she asked folding her arms.

“Are you mad? Of course I don’t want this engagement.” I replied frowning at her.

“Why?” she asked again.

“What do you mean, why? You know well like the remaining that I don’t want all this madness and just want to think about my career.” I replied holding my head.

“You want to choose the girl for yourself?” she asked not backing off.

“Yes! When the time is right, I will choose the girl myself as I am the one who is going to live with the girl. Mom always said that the girl cooks well and can take care of everything to maintain a home. I can get a housekeeper to such work and I need not marry someone for it.” I replied pacing in the space left with everyone inside it.

“And what type of girl you would choose?” she asked calmly.

“Someone with whom I can get along and with someone with whom my understanding would be better. I want to be compatible with my future.” I replied shaking my head.

“A girl like me. I mean someone modern and everything.” She said and I frowned, not knowing what to say.

“Yes!” I finally said before sitting back on the bed.

“Maybe you should just run away.” She suggested.

“I think one person is enough in a relation to run away.” Girish said pushing her away before standing near me.

“Yes! Vani will do all the running in your relation and you need not worry at all.” Rakesh said nodding at me.

“You need to balance the relation by not running.” David added and I just frowned.