Part 3

Part 3

Finally Virat reached his house. He asked Pakhi to sit in the car for a while. He came out and was about to enter the main gate when someone bumped into him. He hold that figure when she was about to lose his balance. He looked at her and gasped as she was the same girl from the temple. Her hair was covering her face. He slowly moved her hair from her face to see her clearly. Her mouth was half open, her eyes were wide with shock and she was breathing fast probably because she was scared that she would have fell. Virat again couldn't stop himself from admiring her beauty.

As she became normal again she immediately tried to stand straight and turned around but her dupatta got stuck with his shirt's button. She moved ahead when she felt a tug at dupatta.

"Mera dupatta chhodiye please." She requested Virat without turning back as she thought he has held her dupatta.

Virat smiled and came in front of her and then removed the corner of her dupatta from his shirt's button in front of her and gave it to her.

She looked down embarrassed, "Wo mujhe laga...ki...aap..." Sai stammered nervously but couldn't complete as her parents came there.

"Virat, welcome back." Kamal said as he hugged him.

"Thanks uncle" Virat replied as he hugged back.

"Hmm sirf uncle ko thanks aunty ko kuch nahi"  Alka asked as she extended her arms towards him. Virat hugged her also and said thanks to her.

"Hum toh Sai ko itni der se apne ghar meni dhund rahe the ki tum aa gaye ho tumse milne ke liye itna excited thi pata nahi kaha reh gayi, hume kya pata tha yaha to  tum dono ki mulakaat ho bhi gayi." Alka teased Sai.

Sai blushed and ran inside his house while Virat stood there in shock. "Ye Sai....matlab aapki Sai....mera matlab hamari wali Sai....oh God! Ye itni badi kab ho gayi.....pichli bar dekha tha toh school mein thi....do choti bana kar jati thi....my God! She has grown into a beautiful woman." Virat said astonished.

But then realized was the last line appropriate to say in front of her parents so he tried to cover it up, "Mera matlab tha ki she is really...I mean...." He couldn't complete when Alka interrupted him.

"Its ok...we can understand. You have seen her after a long time...waise bhi betiya bahut jaldi badi ho jati hain." Alka replied getting emotional.

"And look at you, we last saw you that time you were a young boy doing your graduation...now you are also all grown up, a mature  and handsome man." Kamal replied as he patted Virat's shoulder.

"Is everyone going to stand outside only?" asked Virat's mom and dad from the main door.

Virat went towards them and touched their feet. Ashwini gave her blessings while Ninad held him by his shoulders and hugged him tightly. Virat saw Sai was standing behind his mom looking down shyly and stealing glances at him. He still cant believe she was that same little annoying girl.

"Itne dino baad aaye ho ab itni asaani se nahi jane denge." Ninad expressed his intentions clearly.

"Yes, and this time we are not going to listen anything. We are going to get you married." Ashwini declared.

"I knew it. That's why I have come prepared." Virat said and went back to the car and opened the gate for Pakhi.

He held out his hand for her and she came out in style taking support of his hand. She walked towards his family holding his hand. While everyone in the family looked at them shocked. Sai's heart started beating fast as her worst fear was gripping it in its clutches. Virat and Pakhi came and stood before Virat's parents.

"Aai and baba, This is Pakhi, my girl friend, love of my life and your would be daughter in law." Virat made the introductions. Ashwini and Ninad were stunned. They couldn't react for few seconds.

Ashwini looked at Pakhi from top to bottom. Pakhi's high leather boots, off shoulder tight fitting dress, smokey eye makeup and dark lipstick, her sharp eyebrows. Ashwini was not the one to judge someone by their looks and attire but she didn't get good vibes from this girl. Her persona screamed of  she being a mean girl and Ashwini was immediately worried for her son's future. Ninad looked at his son in disappointment. While Kamal and Alka looked at their daughter in concern. Sai had went pale as all colors drained out from her face.

"No...no..no..this cant be happening...." Sai murmured as she kept moving backwards. Before her parents could reach out to her for help she fainted.

"Sai" Alka screamed. All of them looked at her shocked. Kamal  picked her up in his arms. Ninad and Ashwini gave him apologetic and helpless looks. He just nodded at them understanding their condition.

"We will talk later." Kamal said and took Sai to their house followed by Alka.

Virat kept looking at them shocked. "Aai, what happened to Sai? Is she alright?" Virat inquired.

"Ye tum puchh rahe ho? Aur Sai ka itna hi khyaal tha toh apne sath is ladki ko lane se pehle sochna chahiye tha." Ashwini replied angrily as she couldn't hold herself anymore.

"Aai, what are you taking about?" Virat was confused.

"We had selected Sai as your would be bride." Ninad answered.

"WHAT?" Virat said in shock.

"How could you do that? And when did this happen...how..and Sai...really? I have never seen her in that way." Virat said not understanding how come his parents took this weird decision.

"What if we ask same question to you? How could you do this to us. Didn't we always very specifically ask you that you will tell us clearly if there is anyone in your life. But you never told us anything and now you suddenly brought this girl with you." Ninad was hurt and angry on Virat.

"Virat, you brought me with you for this. Your parents are insulting me in front of you and you are not even saying anything." Pakhi  said now irritated with all the drama.

"Just shut up for some time Pakhi. Let me handle this." Virat replied frustrated.

"Aai -baba, I never planned to get married anytime soon but since you guys were pestering me from some time now I understood this time I come back home you wont leave me until I agree for it. So I gave it a thought and then decided that if I have to settle down now then Pakhi is the one. I was already dating Pakhi. We are quite compatible with each other. I love her so I thought I'll marry her. That's why I bring her here with me." Virat explained.

"But Virat, we have always considered Sai as our daughter in law. Since childhood when she used to say that she will marry you when she'll grow up since that day not only us but Sai's parents also kind of accepted this in our life. We thought you two were perfect for each other." Ashwini explained her point of view.

" How could you guys take that childhood incident so seriously? I have moved on from it years ago." Virat couldn't believe his parents were serious about that little joke.

"You moved on but Sai didn't. That girl has loved you ever since she was 5 years old. When we saw her dedication we couldn't stop ourselves from imagining you two together. Then we don't know, with her, since when we also started believing that one day you two will be married. Then you didn't tell us about having someone in your life so we accepted her as our daughter in law. Now we cant give that place to anyone else." Ashwini said with finality.

"What is this Virat? If your parents were not ready for our marriage then why you asked me to come here?" Pakhi now started shouting.

"Pakhi, please for God sake keep quiet for sometime. Tum dekh rahi ho na kya situation hai yaha....jitni shocked tum ho utna hi main bhi hoon." Virat tried to make her understand.

"Aai, baba, whatever it is but now this is not possible. Pakhi is my girl friend and I will marry only her. Please try to understand I can never accept Sai as my wife....I have never seen her in that way...for me she is still that little girl who use to annoy me....I agree she is all grown up now...but my wife....no I just cant. She is practically a stranger to me. I never even interacted with her." Virat pleaded.

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Whole day passed Virat and his parents kept arguing, trying to persuade each other and make each other understand their point of view. But at the end of the day there was no result. They decided to sleep and take some rest then continue talking in the morning with fresh mind.

However Virat was finally successful in persuading his parents to let Pakhi stay in their house for some days as she is new and alone here so it would be better if she stays in their house instead of any hotel and this way they will also get to know her better. His parents reluctantly agreed.

At night Ashwini got up to drink water. She came to the kitchen when she heard some voices from Virat's room. She was disgusted at the thought of Pakhi being in Virat's room but she also couldn't resist to overhear their conversation. She went near the door. It was ajar. She peeked in.

"Pakhi! What are you doing? And why you are here at this time of night?" Virat asked as he tried to push Pakhi who was literally throwing herself on him.

"Oh come on Virat baby, Mumbai mein toh tumhe kabhi bura nahi lagta tha mera is tarah tumhare kareeb aana. Yaha kya hua?"  Pakhi asked as she put her hands around his neck.

"This is my parents house and you know the situation we are in here. The whole environment is tensed because of us and you want to romance now that too ....itni raat ko yaha chhup kar mere kamre mein aakar. Just get out of here before I lose my mind." Virat said in low voice but with gritted teeth.

"Fine! You have become boring here." Pakhi replied and left the room.

She saw Ashwini waiting for her at the door. "First I thought I should not judge you in hurry but now I know exactly what kind of a girl you are." Ashwini said sarcastically.

"Whatever, but your son loves me.....would be mom in law" Pakhi replied as she arched her eyebrow challenging her to deny this fact.

"Please God! help us and do something so we get rid of this girl." Ashwini sent a silent prayer to God.

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to be continued.....