12. There's no stealing you away from me

Anika

"So, guys, Jai's joining us," I announced when we got down to the garage, only to realize that we now had two cars to choose from—Aarav's and Jai's.

"You go with him, I'll take Varsha," Aarav suggested, smirking at me.

This guy deserved an award for all the matchmaking he'd been doing since college. He'd probably be the happiest if we got married.

"I need to talk to you about something important," I told Aarav, who gave me a skeptical look, and I nodded in confirmation.

"Oh, then I guess I'll be in the best car," Varsha chimed in as she started to climb into Jai's car.

Jai just shook his head, clearly enjoying the banter.

I sent them the location of the place, a small café known for its delicious Italian food. We were there for the food, and that's what mattered.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Aarav asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Chill, dude, it's nothing bad," I replied, teasing him.

"Thank goodness. I was so scared," he joked.

"So..." I paused for effect, knowing he hated suspense.

"Actually, I don't think I should tell you," I said, wanting to make him wait a bit in return for all his matchmaking efforts.

"Dude, seriously??" he exclaimed.

"Definitely," I said, grinning.

"I'm taking back my snacks that I bought for you," he threatened.

"You're not," I shot back, glaring at him. He burst out laughing, an absolute jerk.

"So, you're the first person I'm telling this to. Jai and I went on a couple of dates. And he came to my house the other day."

"Aha, go on!" Aarav urged, eager for more details.

"Though it was arranged by our parents, he still asked me if I wanted to get married. It was sweet, you know. We had to get married anyway, but he valued my opinion. So, here's the deal. He came to my place yesterday because I had to cancel our IPL date due to my cramps. After spending time with him, I realized he's the one. I told him yes. Soooo....We're getting married!"

Aarav pulled over to the nearest safe spot and hugged me tightly.

"I'm so happy for you both! My ship has sailed. You're finally family, Ani," he said, almost tearing up.

"I'm a bit mad you didn't invite me to the match, but it was a date, so I get it. He better treat you like a queen always," he continued.

I hugged him back tightly, feeling grateful to have him as a friend.

Then I heard my phone ring. It was Jai.

"Everything all right?" Jai asked, sounding concerned. He must have seen us stop.

"Yeah, everything's good," Aarav reassured him.

We reached the café in about 15 minutes and took our seats around a table. Varsha and I ordered pasta, while the other two went for pizza.

"I have jiju in my team," Varsha announced with a grin.

"Absolutely," he replied with that same smug expression. They were definitely up to something, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

We chatted for a few minutes, and Varsha shared her plans for going abroad.

One of the reasons I was getting married to Jai was because of Varsha's overseas plans, but I couldn't blame her for pursuing her dreams. If it weren't this, my parents would find some other reason.

"So when do you plan on leaving?" I asked her.

"After your marriage, probably," she replied. "My course doesn't start for another 4 months."

"In New York, right?" Jai asked.

"Yes!!" she exclaimed, her enthusiasm evident.

"Have you thought about where you'll stay?" Jai inquired.

"I don't know. I'll head there a few weeks earlier and figure all that out," she said.

"You can stay at our place in New York," Aarav interrupted.

"Yeah, I'll give you the details. I used to live there before coming here, so the place is all set up. I didn't use most of the stuff, but you can get your own," Jai offered casually, as if it were that simple.

"I can't, it's your guys' house," Varsha replied.

"We're family, Varsha. You can stay there," Jai insisted.

"Thank you, Jiju," she said, hugging him. It was such a heartwarming scene; I almost got

emotional.

I had to keep my hormones in check.

Just then, our orders arrived. Aarav sat next to me, Jai and I were seated opposite each other, and Varsha was to my right.

The waiter placed our orders on the table, and we dove right in. I noticed Varsha eyeing my pasta.

"Don't you dare," I warned her playfully, enjoying teasing her.

"I just want a taste," she pleaded.

"You can have some of mine," Aarav offered, passing the bowl to her. I shot him a suspicious look because Aarav didn't typically share his food.

"What?" Aarav whispered to me.

"I wanted some of the pizza too," he confessed, trying to divert the conversation. I decided to let it slide, not wanting to make a big deal out of it.

I let Varsha have some of my pasta since I wouldn't be able to finish it all, and Jai helped finish it.

As I enjoyed the meal, my thoughts wandered to what life with Jai would be like after we got married.

He always prioritised me, even finished my food. What more could a foodie like me ask for?

Lost in my thoughts, I felt someone's hand on mine and looked up to see Jai's concerned eyes.

He gave me a look as if to say, "Everything okay?" I might have appeared worried since I'd been lost in thought.

I nod my head with a smile.

How could I explain to him that he was the one on my mind, always?

Then the bill arrived. Jai insisted on paying, and he was being stubborn about it.

He wasn't part of the initial plan, so he had no right to cover the bill. But Jai, being the determined person he was, wouldn't let any of us pay.

He told Aarav to use his paycheck when necessary. That guy earned so much more than me, but I still didn't want to feel like a burden.

I could get Jai something special for his upcoming birthday instead.

As we left, it was Jai and me in his car and Varsha and Aarav in the other.

Jai had opened the car door for me, indicating he wanted to ride with me. It was a mutual desire; I wanted to talk to him.

I had missed him even though we'd been together for the past hour. Jai was different around other people compared to when he was with me. He was carefree and always had a smile when he was with me.

"So...," I began.

"So?" he raised an eyebrow.

"I told Aarav that we're getting married."

"Ah, so that's the reason you guys stopped in the middle of the road," he chuckled.

"Firstly, it wasn't in the middle, and secondly, he was super happy about it," I replied.

"Yeah, I know," Jai said, still smiling.

"That guy loves you. But if he ever tries to steal you away from me, I'll kick his ass," he added, smirking.

"I don't think that's possible, though," I said, feeling my cheeks flush.

Jai just looked at me, and my heart skipped a beat. We spent the rest of the drive singing songs, mostly me, but it was fun.

We decided to drop Varsha off near her hostel. She had a college hostel and it was mandatory for everyone to stay in the campus during the weekdays.

When we stopped, she approached the window.

"Sorry for being the reason you're getting married," she said. The main reason was for the company. She was just a part of dad's plan.

"You're not the reason, V," I assured her.

"And we're getting married because we both said yes," Jai chimed in.

"Don't think about it okay? We like each other V."

"Have fun and let's go shopping next week. Love you." I told her with a smile.

"Okay, bye, love you!" she replied before heading off.

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❀₊˚⊹♡

Jai's always observing Anika. That will always remain constant✨

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