Swetha's pov 

I sat there looking at my mother's phone, i lifted my head to face my parent's nervous gaze

i smiled "Mumma, Srishti is his manager, you know her right? She is our collegemate from the States ".

my mom shook her head side to side "that is not the point Bache". "yes, we don't care whoever he has scandals with" added my father.

"then what is the problem papa" i asked.

"swetha you will be turning 25 in a month, we all want you to settle, but do you want the same?", my mother asked in return.

"ya mumma, you know i always wanted to have a family".

"haa, don't think we are pressuring you or anything beta, we will respect your choice always" sighed my father. "we have three other kids in this house including your brother and your cousin sisters, they will learn from you".

my mother nodded and said " you have always been a responsible daughter beta, me and your father... we are old now ..almost fifty...we don't know what will happen at our age, the only thing we want is to see you happy ... not broken", tears pooled in my eyes at my mother's words

as  the eldest daughter of my family, i did not join our company instead joined Abhay's family company my parents still supported me. i work as a jewelry designer at my parents company on the side but  that is part time. they never requested anything from me nor forced me. they also like Abhay and they respect my decisions - to which, i am thankful for.

"maa.. "i said pleading,  "what are your boyfriend's views on this ? you don't have to get married right now, but at least..." my mother stopped with a hoarse throat, i guess she did not have heart to continue....

 my father continued " we hope you will not waste your youth with him, if he doesn't  have same intentions as you".

"i think Abhay has  some commitment issues , we sensed that when we talked to him" my mother said .

 "no Mumma, don't worry, i have discussed this with him recently and we decided to get engaged ", i actually wanted to say this with Abhay but, he did not show up today...never mind he can meet them tomorrow i thought and nodded  my head assuring  my parents.

"what? really?" they were pleasantly surprised , i smiled .

"ji papa ", they smiled at each other, blessed me and started discussing about breaking the news to our uncle's family as we all live together. i sighed  looking at their happy faces and moved my feet upstairs towards my room.

it has been three days, since i talked to Abhay and saw him at his apartment that night. my father got a surprise call from Singh family and my whole family rejoiced, i was a little uneasy due to my  yesterday's unanswered calls to Abhay but  the unease cleared when i saw him stepping into my house with his family. i smile at him but he showed an uneasy expression, i guess he is stressed about his family getting involved between us.  i gave him a reassuring look blinking my eyes.

"namaste ji, namaste" were all i could here in the room. this is my first time meeting Abhay's grand mother, she looks stern-i went to her and greeted her touching her foot and she scoffed.

i expected this treatment but it still hurts, "ghar chota hain toda"(house is so small) she mumbled looking around with mean eyes.my whole family is here, talking about our Rishta my eyes shifted to Abhay, we communicated through our eyes and i signaled him to go outdoors.

"what's the matter? tell me?" i asked because of his expression, walking to him near the pool

"nothing, i don't feel well because of my family", " i went to your apartment yesterday, call kyu nahi utaya tune?"(why did you not answer my calls?)

"shooting" he said averting his gaze sidewards, i had a bad premotion..."again? ghar se ..."

"no, yaar swethaa....i don't do that anymore" he cut me off urgently. "every thing is going good now right" i don't know if he is saying this to me or to himself. i wanted to ask him more ...but we were summoned inside, my eyes lingering on Abhay as i was worried for him, he does this thing some times- you know... he runs off from home like he goes drinking or clubbing, or maybe even travelling, when ever he is triggered, i think this is because he wants to escape from the thing that triggered him-some times he doesn't even answer calls / he will not even take his mobile with him. he avoids confrontation the most and he is not good at communicating...the only person he can open up to is me...but he is not doing  that now , he did not even return my call since yesterday.

i was expecting to have a conversation with him the moment i knew his parents called, he went to his parents home-he must have been vulnerable, but he is avoiding it, 'pagal kahika...main iski chinta karte karte.. marjaungi shayad'.(i am going to die someday worrying about him)...everything went smoothly thanks to my family .

after the Singhs went away i called Tanmayi - i have to tell her first, but face to face.. i called her to our favorite pizza place 'cecconi's' 

"kya hogaya?....ab kya kaand kardiya tune? " she asked sitting in her chair comfortably...(what  mess did you create today)

"i am getting engaged" i told her finally, with an exciting voice.

"what?" she questioned dumbfounded sat up straight on her chair

 "to who?".

"abhay ..aur kon yaa?" i said. (who else)

hahahahah....she laughed like she is going crazy..."acha joke tha.."(nice joke) i glared at her pouting and she regained her seriousness..."sach mein? engagement? "(really ) with big eyes ..rounded in surprise.. after that she started jumping and clapping in her place..."meri best friend ki shadi hainn..." (my bestiee is getting married) she  shouted,  she even informed our side table customers and they congratulated me ..while i thanked them awkwardly, she went on to declare... "behen, teri shadi mein toh- main nachungi, gaaongi, kahana thoosungi...aur hot ladke pataungii ..yaayy..." (i will be dancing, singing, eating and playing with hot guys at your wedding..)

"bas?"( that's it?) i asked and she retorted " aur phir..ash bhi karungi naa..wohoo"(oh, i will also have fun) she is such a cutiee, she vocalized all the excitement i was feeling inside, i laughed with her.

after sometime we both calmed down "akal aagaya abhay ko akhir... acha hain" she sighed(abhay finally got his brains back) . we laughed out again...i told her the engagement is in a month and wanted to go shopping for my engagement.. so she booked a brand trial session at Parihar's boutique.

i got a call from my company breaking the happy atmosphere and tanmayi rolled her eyes..."your time only belongs to the Singhs now? kabhi company... kabhi pati?"...."this is for a collaboration". (some time to your company, sometimes to your husband?)

"collaboration project? boring".. she sighed

" yaa...par, boss hot  hain..." (yes, but the boss is hot)i implied winking at her- with a teasing tone, "kyaaa, kon hain?"(who?) she asked with excitement.

"verma's ka beta...."( son)

" verma's? ..they are very private family..."

"thujhe hot laga toh sach mein hot hogaaa...id kya hain uskaa?" she continued ready to open Instagram. (he must be really hot if you find him hot..what is his id?)

"i don't know , we are not close....anyways main kya karu uske id se?"(what would i do with his id)

"mere liye toh pata karleti, chudail" she whined.( you should have taken it for me, you witch) "setting karade tere boss se" she asked with pleading voice (set me up with your boss).

"despo" i laughed..."thujhe kya pata...teri shadi hojayegi meri mummy,  band baja dengi merii.."     (you don't know, you are settled, now my mom will torture me)..we both sighed knowing the pressure.

Abhay's pov

i called Srishti  to stay at my home  because it was raining cats and dogs outside , she has been to my apartment several times as she is my manager, but she never stayed overnight- she even rejected my suggestion when i asked  just now, but i could not leave her alone at 2'o clock in the night when its raining .after entering the apartment i found out Srishti is afraid of lightning when i saw her  body trembling like a small animal so, i comforted her.

she smelled exactly like swetha and i was dazed for a moment , i was felt so vulnerable after facing my parents and i needed this comfort too not just Srishti...unknowingly we got closer and Srishti kissed me....i was totally taken aback for a moment, when i looked down again she fainted...may be she did that in her sleep thinking i am her boyfriend...next morning was also awkward but i wanted to drop her off , so that she can go home safely...she is different from swetha, she is weak...so i thought it was my responsibility

it rained again while i was driving Srishti home, i finally sent her to her apartment but she showed an uncomfortable expression...i touched her forehead with my palm and she was burning up...i took her to the nearest hospital and they put her on i.v ...i stayed with her thinking she did not even have any family near her to take care of her. maybe she reminded me of myself...

she woke up in the middle of the night and looked at me with teary eyes "thanks, i don't know what i would have done without you " she said  weakly and  i felt a soft spot deepening in my heart for her

"don't worry, also will you inform your family?"..."no, they don't live in Mumbai" she said and i heard a pang in my heart.

silence prevailed but i broke it  "we have a scandal" and showed her my phone, she looked at it with a poker face but soon her face showed regret "oh no! what will swetha think? i should apologize to her". "no need, she knows there is nothing between us "i cajoled her.

she looked in to my eyes and started crying softly "after last night? anyways i am guilty it is my fault...so let me apologize to her" . i was at loss for words, "its not your fault, you had fever...its my fault"...i said and looked at her pink lips, i moved down almost nearing those juicy lips ....she looked like she is broken , i let my intrusive thoughts win...i wanted to soothe her-i kissed her again this time, i did it and with full consciousness. 

we kissed for a while in the hospital ward silently....then separated, i did not want to but i had to i felt even more guilty...for dragging Srishti in to this. i do not have any feeling for her but i am attracted to her...she is lying in a hospital gown and still i couldn't help but stare at her body

i silently made a note to never hurt Srishti, i have to go back to my own world now....i have to talk to swetha, i feel very disconnected and as my thoughts were going all over the place and i almost had a panic attack, a soft hand took its place on my own and i looked at its owner

Srishti calmed me down "what is the matter Abhay?" she asked innocently..."i was thinking about my engagement, i have to reschedule my whole year and maybe my parents will ask me to rejoin the company now"...........'he is thinking about what? sir, while kissing me? this dumb bastard' Srishti thought in her head but i did not know..

 " do you want to rejoin?" she asked..."no, i would rather die than join that company/family". I ran my fingers through my hair with frustration.

"i don't know what swetha will say about that, she likes family so much unlike US and she is forcing this on to you ...she should ask you if you are willing" she looked at me with pity...."i mean this is a big commitment your whole life will change - career, family this is 180 degree change". she said 

"go talk to her, don't make her cry again she is my best friend too you know" she said and i nodded, but looking at Srishti being so feeble i couldn't go back . i waited till morning, dropped her home and went to my apartment

i spent a whole day thinking about what Srishti has said her word effected me in some way ...there are only two ways before me right now...freedom...family and i don't know which one to choose. swetha has been with me my whole life from teenage to now and she will be with me in the future which ever path i choose. my grand mother called me while i was deep in thought, she told me about how they are going to swetha's place to discuss our rishta. she wanted me to go with them and i obliged.