Radhika came to her however even before she can try talking to her, Meera kept the red chilies away as she said, “Mom, if you are here to talk about that marriage thing, then I don’t want to talk anything about this.” 

 

Radhika sighed at the stubbornness of Meera but she needed to handle her and make her understand that whatever they are doing is for her own good. 

 

“Meera, You know that I will never let anything wrong happen with you. I know whatever Rehan did with you is wrong and even your father was wrong in this. But that does not mean that he does not love you or care for you. He made a mistake but he will never take any wrong decision for you. And how can you take the decision of not doing this marriage even without meeting Vivaansh. You meet Vivaansh for once and even after that, if you think that he is not a right person for you then no one will force you for this marriage. But atleast meet him first and then decide. Don’t let the past ruin your future, okay?”, Radhika lovingly tried making Meera insight her view while caressing her hairs and Meera looked at her mother with helplessness. 

 

However, before, Meera can argue with her mother they were disturbed by a knock and Anshika came in, much to Meera’s relief. 

 

“Meera, once think properly about whatever I have told you right now.”, Radhika said before going out of the room to give privacy to two friends. 

 

“Meera, you are fine, right?”, Anshika asked genuinely worried for her friend and Meera gave a small smile. 

 

“I know about the problems going on in uncle’s business but don’t worry, everything will be fine. Have you talked with Rehan? May be he can help you with these problems?”, Anshika suggested and Meera sighed before whispering, “My marriage is cancelled. Rehan’s father broke mine and Rehan’s engagement.” 

 

Anshika looked shocked at her and Meera told her everything that happened since the morning. Virat’s business, Goenka’s decision to break the engagement, Her meet with Rehan and then Virat’s decision about getting her married to some unknown person. 

 

“But how—I mean this is wrong. How can they cancel the marriage like this and even Rehan did not oppose to this?”, Anshika said in rage and Meera nodded in no with disappointment. 

 

“So, what will you do now?”, Anshika asked and Meera said, “I don’t know yet. But I will never agree for this marriage.” 

 

“Meera, I have an idea.”, Anshika said and Meera looked at her excited while Anshika continued, “You elope from here.” 

 

Meera’s head snapped at Anshika on her suggestion as she looked extremely shocked with what she suggested and Anshika immediately tried calming her down as she tried clearing herself, “What I mean is you come and stay with me at my place for few days. Anyways you have got an appointment letter from such a big firm for internship. And you can return whenever everything is settled here. I am sure even uncle aunty will understand your situation right now.” 

 

“No Anshu, I can not do something like this. This will not only affect their reputation but also they will be heartbroken and their trust on me will also be affected. And the last chance to save our business will also slip out of their hands.”, Meera said frantically nodding in negative, not agreeing with Anshika’s suggestions. 

 

“Then I have one more idea. Indeed you cannot deny for this marriage but he surely can.”, Anshika said and Meera looked at her frowns and Anshika continued saying, “What I mean is that you meet him and tell him that you are not ready for this marriage. Tell him that you don’t want to marry him. And if he is a genuine person then he will definitely understand your problem and may be he say no to this marriage. In this way you will never be held responsible for this broken marriage.” 

 

“But he said yes to this marriage even without meeting me or looking at me. Will he agree to say no this marriage!?”, Meera asked more to herself and somewhere Anshika also agreed to her reasoning. 

 

“So now?”, Anshika asked and Meera looked at her for a minute before saying, “I have to find a middle way for this problem. I have to do something so that even this deal does not get cancelled and I don’t even have to marry him.” 

 

Anshika nodded and Meera stared at nothing particular with a determination to fall out of this marriage alliance. 

 

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°° 

 

Vivaansh was silently leaning back on the chair in his study room while surfing about something related to the project on his laptop when he heard a knock on the door and then saw Tejaswi entering the room with a mug of coffee in her hand. 

 

“Your coffee.”, Tejaswi said with a smile while keeping the mug on the table and Vivaansh looked at her and thanked her before focusing back to his work. 

 

“Vivaansh are you free right now?”, Tejaswi asked and Vivaansh closed his laptop before getting up and walking towards couch in the room and sat there followed by Tejaswi who sat in front of him on other sofa. 

 

“Tell me mom, what do you want to talk.”, Vivaansh said while sipping on his coffee and Tejaswi asked, “Vivaansh, are you sure about this marriage? I mean I understand that you are doing this marriage just for our business but still, marriage is a huge decision. And it will be very difficult to handle a marriage which has no love in it.” 

 

“I know Mom that you are worried about the future of my marriage with Ms. Maheshwari. But I am not the first person to get married through business alliance. And even though this is a business alliance, that does not mean that there is no chance of this marriage to get successful. This is just like any other arranged marriage and I will try my best to get this marriage work for us just like every other marriages.” 

 

Tejaswi smiled widely looking at Vivaansh grown up into a perfectly responsible gentleman who knows how to respect the girls around him. Now she was sure that even though Vivaansh took the decision in haste but he will not let this decision go wrong. 

 

“If this is your final decision Then we will have to do your and Meera's engagement as soon as possible. Vivaansh, you talk to her parents and we need to look for an auspicious day as well for all the rituals for the marriage. You are finally getting married and I am going to arrange a grand marriage in Punjabi style. We need to buy engagement rings for both of you and shopping and other arrangements and—“, Tejaswi could not hold onto the excitement in her heart and she said all with such a wide smile that even Vivaansh could not stop himself from smiling after looking at his mother’s excitement. 

 

“Mom, you need to control your excitement. And I already told you that you can meet with Mr. and Mrs. Maheshwari about the marriage things and finalize everything.”, Vivaansh said composing himself and Tejaswi took a deep breathe to control the jitters in her heart before she said, “You inform them that we will go to their house with shagun ( ritual of gifts while finalizing the marriage) on the day after tomorrow as it is auspicious day and till then even Sheetal didi will be back from her trip. We can also meet Meera on the same day.” 

 

“I will inform them and then will let you know”, Vivaansh said and Tejaswi smiled before going from there while Vivaansh smiled looking at the huge smile on his mother’s face. After his father’s death, it was very rare for his mother to smile whole heartedly and today was one of those days. He saw her smiling loud and genuine and he was happy about this. 

 

He came out of the reverie when his cellphone went off with Rajeev’s name on the screen and he accepted the call. 

 

“I am sorry sir but there is something I needed to report you.”, Rajeev said and Vivaansh asked him to continue as he again opened the laptop to work on it while Rajeev said further, “I got a call from Mr. Maheshwari and he said that Ms. Meera Maheshwari wants to meet you.” 

 

Vivaansh frowned while getting up and walking to the french window in his study room while sipping on the coffee while Rajeev continued, “He said that Ms. Maheshwari is ready for this marriage but she just wants to meet you and talk to you before your marriage.” 

 

“Tell him to convey my message to Ms. Maheshwari that I will meet her tomorrow evening for dinner in our seven Seas Hotel.”, Vivaansh said after a minute and Rajeev agreed before bidding him goodnight. 

 

However, even before he can disconnect the call, Vivaansh commanded, “Also convey my message to Mr. Maheshwari that my mom wants to meet them for discussing more about the marriage dates and the rituals.” 

 

Disconnecting the call, Vivaansh sighed looking up at the half moon in the sky with thousands of thoughts in his minds. 

 

Even though he took the decision merely for his business profits, somewhere he had a feeling that just like every other decisions, he would not regret this decision as well. 

 

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°° 

 

Radhika entered Meera’s room and saw her in the balcony looking up in the sky before standing beside her as she informed, “Vivaansh is ready to meet you.” 

 

Meera looked at her mother with gloomy eyes before nodding slightly at her and Radhika sighed as she caressed her hairs saying, “I know that after whatever happened, you are not ready for this marriage. But you atleast meet him for once. May be you genuinely like him.” 

 

The ray of hope In her mother’s eyes did not let Meera refuse her request and she nodded slightly with a smile before shifting her eyes to gaze at the nothingness in front of her with turmoil deep into her heart. 

 

“Meera, I want to ask you something.”, Radhika said and Meera looked back at her mother before nodding and Radhika asked, “do you still love Rehan?” 

 

“Mom, I never fall in love with Rehan. But in this two years of our engagement period, somewhere I had started liking him. And if this marriage would have happened then may be one day I would have even fallen in love with him.”, Meera whispered with a small smile and Radhika’s heart pained looking at her daughter in sufferings. 

 

“I know that you don’t want this marriage but I cannot do anything for you, beta. Because may be this time your father is right. May be this marriage can bring happiness in your life. And I am sure that Kanhaji (Lord Krishna) has planned something good for your future.”, Radhika thought in her mind while looking at Meera.