*********************************************************

Hello My Gummy Bears🧸

Hope you all are amazing.

*********************************************************

Aarav's POV

"Just... things," he insisted. "Can I come in?"

I hesitated, then nodded. He entered. The air in the room thickened with unspoken words, and I had a feeling I was about to find out what all the strange behavior was about. The feeling that something was being kept from me grew stronger. I knew I was about to find out what it was, and I had a feeling it would change everything.

"So," I began, breaking the silence. "What do you want?" I questioned.

Before Aditya could answer, Dad's voice cut through the air, "He doesn't, I'm the one who wants to know something." He stepped into the room, his eyes holding a strange mix of determination and concern.

"Dad," I said, a hint of exasperation in my voice.

"We want to talk to you, Aarav," Dad continued, his tone firm but gentle. "Can we?"

"You don't need to ask, Dad," I replied, standing up from the bed.

Dad and Aditya settled onto the edge of my bed, while I perched on the couch, my posture tense, anticipating the conversation. A heavy silence descended, broken only by the rhythmic tick of the clock on my desk.

"Well?" I finally asked, raising an eyebrow, my patience reaching its limit.

"Uffff yarrrr Aarav..." Aditya began, his voice laced with exasperation. "Can you be quiet for some time? Uncle wants to tell you something really important. And you're gonna listen to him without a word until and unless asked, do you under..."

"Beta..." Dad interrupted, his voice calm but firm, cutting off Aditya's dramatic outburst.

"Dad has found a girl for you, and we are going to meet them on Sunday," Dad announced, taking a deep breath, as if bracing for my reaction.

A wave of disbelief washed over me. "What?"

"Aarav, look, it's just a meet-up," Aditya interjected, trying to reason with me. "It's not like everyone's forcing you to marry her right then and there. Just meet the person, then you can decide."

I remained silent, my mind reeling. Marriage? Me? It was a concept so foreign, so utterly removed from my current reality, that I couldn't quite grasp it.

"Beta, agar tujhe koi aur pasand hai toh tu bata sakta hai," Dad said gently. (Beta, if you like someone else, you can tell us.)

"No, Dad, it's not that," I replied, my voice strained. "But marriage... I haven't thought about it. I don't even know if I'm ready for it or not."

"When I was your age, your Dadu told me the same thing, 30 years ago," Dad said, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "And I wasn't sure either. But things changed when I met your mom."

"I just want you to meet the girl," he continued, his eyes pleading. "The rest is up to you. Think about it and then tell me."

He stood up, his shoulders slightly slumped, and walked out of the room, leaving me alone with Aditya.

"Aarav, you know Uncle was so happy when Dadu told him about the proposal," Aditya said, his voice softer now. "Give it a thought. You know there's nothing wrong with this. Just think about it. I'll be leaving."

"When did you get to know?" I asked, my suspicion returning.

"Well, I came to convince them to attend all my wedding functions, that's when I heard them," Aditya answered, scratching his neck sheepishly.

"And you didn't tell me?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow and standing up.

"Ahh, that... Uncle told me not to," he replied, his eyes darting around the room.

"Well, a groom will look really nice with black eyes, what do you think?" I asked, taking a step towards him, my fist clenched.

Aditya's eyes widened, and he scrambled towards the door. "Fuck you," he said, his voice trembling.

"Let me show you," I said, taking another step, but he was already gone.

I shook my head, a wry smile playing on my lips. I sat back down on the couch, running a hand through my hair. The whole situation was surreal.

Later that night, I knocked on Dad's door. "Papa, when are we going there?" I asked, my voice filled with anticipation.

"Sunday," Dad replied, his voice warm.

"Okay, good night," I said, and returned to my room.

The next morning at the dining table, the atmosphere was charged with an almost palpable excitement. Dad finished his breakfast, a wide smile spreading across his face, a stark contrast to my own brooding thoughts.

"Papa," Dad said, as soon as he finished his breakfast, his voice brimming with anticipation.

Looking up, Dadu asked, "Haan beta?"

A wide smile spread across Dad's face, and everyone exchanged confused glances, wondering what had put him in such a cheerful mood. "Maa, Papa, aaplog unlogo ko bata de ki hum aayenge," he said, finally explaining his cheerful demeanour. (Maa, Papa, you tell them that we will be visiting them.)

"I've already told them," Dadu informed him, his voice laced with amusement.

The family erupted in excited chatter. "Woaahhhh, hum bhabhi se milne jayenge!" Akarsh exclaimed, his eyes shining with mischief, already picturing his new sister-in-law. (We are going to meet our sister-in-law!)

"What Bhabhi?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow, trying to sound aloof despite the knot of anxiety twisting in my stomach.

"Aapki biwi, humari bhabhi," Aavya reminded me, her voice filled with playful teasing, her eyes twinkling with amusement. (Your wife, our sister-in-law.)

"Guys, relax," I said, trying to inject a dose of reality into their enthusiasm. "Remember, abhi bas milne jaa rahe hain." (Remember, guys, we are just meeting her for now.)

"Oh, come on, bhai," Anaaya chimed in, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Don't be such a spoilsport. We're all excited for you."

"Yeah, bhai," Advik added, his eyes wide with curiosity. "What if she's super cool? Maybe she'll let us play video games in your room."

"Advik, that's not the point," I sighed, rubbing my temples. "This isn't a game."

"But it could be!" Akarsh exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "Imagine, bhai. You could have a wife who's a secret agent, or a famous artist, or maybe even a superhero!"

"Akarsh, you're watching too many movies," I retorted, rolling my eyes. "This is a real person, not a character in your fantasies."

"But what if?" Aavya persisted, her voice laced with playful curiosity. "What if she's really, really beautiful?"

"Then she'll probably run away screaming when she sees you," I shot back, a smirk playing on my lips.

"Hey!" Aavya protested, playfully shoving my arm. "I'm not that bad."

"You're not exactly winning any beauty contests," I teased, earning a chorus of laughter from the others.

"Alright, alright," Dad interjected, trying to restore some semblance of order. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Aarav will meet her, and then we'll see what happens."

"Exactly," I said, standing up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go to the office."

I walked out of the house, the weight of the upcoming meeting settling heavily on my shoulders.

*********************************************************

Don't forget to Vote, Comment, and Share.

Happy Reading.

Thank You so much.

Love Aaviah💖