6. The Plan

We sat in a fancy restaurant with overpriced food which isn't that delicious for the amount of money they take. The ambience was pretty. Dim lights, light jazz playing in the background and a faint smell of roses.

"Maybe we should just talk to them. I'm sure my parents would listen to you." I said.

"Yeah but what about mine? My dad wants this deal with your father's company and your father wouldn't agree unless I marry you."

"What? This is what it is? A deal?" I was surprised. My dad was basically selling me out in a less literal way.

"I thought you knew." He said.

"If he told me, I wouldn't have agreed. I still don't but I wanted to see them happy but if they don't care, why should I?"

I never thought my dad would do this to me. My mom? I wasn't so shocked about but my dad actually cared. Or so I thought.

"We'll get through this. Don't worry. Let's eat and discuss this, okay? Empty stomach won't help us think."

"Yeah, let's eat." I agreed.

.

"So isn't there a way to make this deal and cancel the wedding?" I asked. He obviously knew more than I did about this whole situation.

"I don't think so. There isn't much profit for your company in this deal but my dad was desperate and he asked what could he do to convince him. Your father wanted you to come back and get married. His exact words were 'I don't want her to live in London anymore. God know how she is behaving around there.'"

"So he doesn't trust me. Great! All I ever wanted." I said sarcastically.

"Hey don't be upset. He cares about you."

I scoffed. "If he did care, he would've asked before involving me in this stupid deal."

"Think about a way now, Naina. We can't sit around moping about it." He was right.

Think Naina think.

Then it struck me. It probably wasn't the best idea but it would've worked at the moment.

"We could do something. I would need your help."

I told him the plan. A smirk appeared on my face when I finished.

"No! You can't do that. It would be fine for now but we need something else for the long run." He opposed but I knew he thought it could work.

"Come on! Please just help me. I need to be back on Monday. We'll think about the long run later. I need to get out of here as soon as possible." I begged.

"Fine. Just this once. But we still have to think about a new plan. I'm telling you the cover will blow away as time passes by." I knew the risk but I was willing to take it.

"I know but please, just for now. I know what I am risking. I just need my freedom to marry a person who I actually know and like. No offence." I said honestly.

"None taken. I need that too. There are a lot of things no one knows about me and I am not willing to let them out anytime soon. I will have to tell things to everyone before this wedding and I don't think I am ready."

"I understand. See that's the kind of thing. I don't want there to be secrets between the person I am marrying. I want to marry someone I love and I most certainly don't want to be sold out in exchange of some business deal. So are you ready?"

"Do I have a choice?" I shook my head no. "Then I'm in."

.

I slept all the way back home. I was too tired and still a bit hungover. I needed to discuss the plan with my brother and Sanjana. They would play essential roles in the plan.

"Naina." I heard a voice. "Hey, wake up. We are home."

Opening my eyes I saw that I was still in the car. Coming back to my senses, I turned to my right. Ashwin was in the driver's seat.

"I'm sorry. I'm just a bit tired."

"It's okay. I get it." He said with a smile. If I wasn't so tired, I would've died by that smile.

He was actually really hot but he just didn't have the spark. You know, the spark when you meet someone. You just know they have an important role in your future. He lacked that spark.

"Good night. I'll text you about the plan." I said with a smile.

"I'll look forward to that. Good night." He said. Returning the smile.

Before leaving the car, I leaned over a gave him a kiss on the cheek. He seemed pretty surprised by it. But he smiled again.

"Take care Naina."

"You too" And I stepped out of the car.

.

My mom was the first person I saw on entering the house. Not really the person I wanted to see but I really wouldn't have been able to look at dad the same after what he did.

"How was it? He is great isn't he? I just know you two are meant to be." She beamed with happiness. She was probably there waiting for me to come and answer all these irrelevant questions.

"It was fine." I said, uninterested.

"Fine? What do you mean fine? You have to make it way better than fine. Get him to like you." She always wanted to teach me her tactics but I never did and I never will.

"Yeah." I really didn't want to talk to either of my parents. I just left the living area and walked toward the stairs to reach my room.

"Where do you think you are going? We aren't done here." I heard her overly nasal voice say. She really reminded me of Janice from FRIENDS sometimes. Actually, always.

"Yes we are, mother. I really need to sleep or else I will get dark circles. Do you want that?" The only way she would leave my back was if it came to my appearance being ruined.

"Oh, okay. Sleep well then, honey." I rolled my eyes when I turned around.

.

Both my monkeys were waiting inside my room and flooded my with questions as soon as I entered.

"Calm down both of you! How will I tell you if you don't let me speak." I raised my voice slightly and they closed their mouths.

Once they were quiet, I started.

"You guys aren't going to like what I'm about to tell. This has to stay between us okay?" I said and they nodded their heads. If it wasn't for the situation, I would've laughed out loud. They didn't even utter a word when it came to listening to the drama.

I told them everything, starting from the deal to the temporary plan. They didn't make a sound while I was speaking. But once I stopped, I wished I hadn't. They showered me with questions which I didn't caught a word of.

"Again! Calm down will you? I will answer all your questions one by one. Get it?"

My brother was the first one to ask.

"You said this was a temporary plan. Have you thought about what will happen after they figure it out? Because they are going to notice." He did have a point but this was temporary, we will think of a permanent plan eventually.

"No we haven't thought about it yet but let's go with this now." I said. Suddenly I felt nauseous and I sat down on the bed.

"Okay this is too much stress and I'm still hungover. Can we talk later?" I asked them. "But before you go, I have some tasks for you both." And I informed them all about what they had to do.

This has to work. I thought to myself.

I suddenly felt the need to throw up. I ran towards the bathroom. My brother was in the middle of speaking something but he cut himself off seeing me run to the bathroom. Sanjana held my hair back while I threw up all the contents of my stomach.

"Are you alright? I'm getting concerned." I heard Sanjana say.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's probably just the food I had outside and the weather and the time difference has my body fucked up real bad. Don't worry. Just do what I told you. I need to sleep. I will be fine." I assured them and they left the room after saying good night.

I changed into more comfortable clothing, removed my makeup and went straight to bed. Sleep embraced me as soon as I wrapped myself up in my blanket.