chapter 14

CONQUERED BY MY FIRST CRUSH.Chapter 13 :Karan felt very dejected by learning my love towards Harsha. He never thought of me being in love with someone as he predicted me as a  bookworm  who tries to  achieve something in my career.He was devastated after knowing my  reality and tried to persuade me to accept his love. He questioned me  in different ways which I couldn’t answer him as I myself was not sure  of the answers.He asked me  what if  Harsha didn’t remember me? What if Harsha already found his soulmate? What if he never sees me  as his  soulmate. I don’t have any answers for those questions as I am not sure of Harsha’s feelings towards me.I know only one thing that my heart beats only for him. If my love towards him is the true love, then he will surely come back to me like a charming prince and propose his love. I believe in my love and if his heart is not beating for me, then my heart doesn’t yearn for his love.Karan respected my love towards Harsha but he was not giving up easily on me. He promised me that he will wait for me till I meet Harsha. If he will not come back then he will surely make me his despite my protest. Being in love with Harsha, I can understand Karan’s feeling of getting me in his life. Though we have the differences in our feelings, it never affected our friendship and all the three of us came more close than earlier.After coming across Harsha Technologies, I immediately applied for a job in that company. The name itself tempted me to run over to that company and embrace it wholeheartedly whatever my position in the company or whatever the package I will get from the company. Sarika and Karan reprimanded me for my stupidity and tried to convince me not to leave the present job as I  earned a good reputation in my company as a sincere, dedicated and talented lady.Despite their protests, I attended the interview  and got selected as the Senior Programmer with a good package. I felt the office atmosphere as my home and I am in Harsha’s embrace whenever I stay in the company. I don’t know why but I used to feel that Harsha is around me and he is watching me. My friends treated me as a crazy person by hearing all my feelings and slowly they too applied for this company and accompanied me after getting their suitable jobs. At last we three again started working in the same company whatever the circumstances may be.I thought when my life was going without any disturbances, my parents' decision shattered my heart. Though they keep pestering me to get married, I denied by giving lame excuses of achieving a great position in my career. But I don’t know what took over them but they have decided on a groom for me and are ready to get me married to him.We had fights about this issue for almost  a few days and I was not ready to accept their proposal. They almost pleaded with me and expressed their agony of me being single after reaching 27 years. My father spoke to me personally and explained to me how my mother was shedding tears every night before going to sleep about my denial for marriage. In the absence of my father, my mother told me about my father’s depression of not succeeding in getting me married. They both were feeling anxious about my life as all my age group girls around my surroundings got married and led a successful married life with children.After continuous persuasion from my parents, I couldn’t let them go through the anguish for my selfishness. The people who nurtured me from childhood giving all the care, love and affection which made me stand in such a position at present shouldn’t go through the torment because of my stupidity. Being their only daughter I should give them happiness and they deserve the delightment of holding my marriage as per their wish.After the continuous inner battle in my heart, I gave up my protest and accepted their proposal. I told them that I need to meet the person and once we share our likes, dislikes, dreams and goals, we will decide whether we can go together or not. They happily obliged my condition and informed me that the groom will meet me at my company on my birthday which was the next day. I was shocked to learn that they have already planned the meeting and my heart squeezed in pain by remembering Harsha. I don’t know how I couldn’t go through this when my heart is filled with Harsha and it doesn’t allow any other person to invade my life. I accepted this only for my parents' happiness but I don’t have any idea how I will go through this marital process which will be a thorny way for me.Karan and Sarika were surprised to learn the news and Karan didn’t accept me going with another person. If I am not getting Harsha, then he wants to meet my parents and propose a marriage alliance with me. I denied his proposal as my parents had already planned my meeting and I don’t want to upset them. But Karan being stubborn he promised me of meeting my parents before my meeting with the groom. I requested him not to do any stupid things which can shatter my parents dreams and pleaded with him to take the decision after meeting the groom. I could get the chance of rejecting the groom by excusing myself that our ways are different and it doesn’t work out.The next day, I woke up early in the morning and as usual I got the blessings of my parents for my birthday. My mother gave me a saree which was already ready with its blouse and asked me to wear that saree as the groom will come and meet me at the company. My heart felt a bitter feeling for the thought of meeting a different guy wearing a saree other than Harsha as my heart and my soul craves only for Harsha. My beauty, my charms and my dressing and everything should be only for Harsha which will be a long lasting dream for me.I wore the saree according to my parents wish, ate the sweet which they shoved into my mouth wishing me the birthday wishes and headed to my company in my car. Once I reached the office, my friends Karan and Sarika were waiting for me at the entrance. They stared at me with widened eyes and their jaws almost fell to the ground when they saw me in the saree. Sarika kept praising me for my beauty whereas Karan kept admiring me with his eyes which carry love and adoration for me. Karan requested me not to meet the groom and he will convince my parents to get married to him but I softly declined him saying that I need to go according to their wish before giving my consent about the groom. Karan obliged my request and promised me that he will meet my parents at the end of the day to speak about the marriage which I couldn’t deny after seeing his persistent trials.We all slowly moved in to the company and stood frozen in our places by seeing the office atmosphere. Everyone was looking at me with widened eyes as if I had come from another planet and kept murmuring between them. We couldn’t understand what’s happening and by seeing their constant staring in one direction, we darted our eyes towards that direction which made us feel astounded.