Chapter 2

Gauravi's POV

The words hung in the air, and I could see the shock etched on Mihir's face. "We are getting married, love," he said, attempting to play it off with a smile.

"No, we can't. It doesn't feel right. I don't want to get married," I confessed.

Mihir's expression shifted from surprise to concern. "Why not?" he asked, his voice gentle.

"I don't know. I am not excited about it. I feel that we are just friends, very good friends. I don't have any romantic feelings for you," I explained, my gaze fixed on the floor. I didn't want to break this heart as I knew he loved me, but I could not think of him as my life partner.

He took a moment, absorbing my words. "Gauravi, we've known each other since kindergarten. Our families are practically one. I love you. This… it's what we've always planned," he said, his voice a mixture of confusion and hurt.

"No, Mihir, I never planned it. I have always considered you as my friend, one of my best friends, like Roohi and Vihan." I replied.

"But I have always loved you since forever… right from the time when I didn't even know what love is. Let's give some time to, our relationship, there is no hurry." He said.

I sighed, meeting his eyes. "Mihir, I've tried to feel what you feel, but there's no spark. When you touch me, there's no flutter in my heart. I can't ignore that. I can't go through with this just because it's what everyone expects."

He stepped back, running a hand through his hair, a gesture of frustration. "Gauravi, we've come so far. We can figure this out. Give it time." He said.

I shook my head, tears welling up. "Mihir, I can't force emotions that aren't there. It wouldn't be fair to you or me. What if I never fall in love with you? I can't spoil our lives. We both deserve something more." I said.

"Is there anyone else?" he asked.

"I don't know." I said shaking my head.

"What do you mean that you don't know? Did you meet someone in the last month, because you were excited about our relationship before that and had no problem before the roka ceremony or the engagement?" He asked.

"Mihir please, try to understand. We should feel something for your life partner, I have been trying to think of you as my life partner, but you are still a friend to me. I want someone who could make me go mad with Desire for him. I want my legs to turn into jelly just by a mere kiss by the man. I want my heartbeat to increase just by the mention of his name or just by looking at him. I want to feel that kind of attraction between me and my would-be spouse." I tried to explain.

"You don't feel such things for me, as we have grown up together. But when our relationship will change, everything will change. Don't you find me good-looking?" He asked.

"It's not that, Mihir, you are very good-looking, but I… Ok, we all know that Vihan is extremely blessed with good looks but I don't feel anything for him as well, we are friends. Like buddies…" I gave another explanation.

The weight of reality hung heavy in the air, the silence echoing the depth of our shared history and the uncertainty of our future. I felt light after saying it, though he looked very upset almost shattered. I turned back to go to the living room, he followed me and caught my hand.

After my confession, Mihir took a deep breath, his eyes searching for a way to bridge the gap between us.

"Gauravi, we've known each other for so long. Maybe it's just pre-wedding nerves. We can give it some time, figure things out together," he pleaded, his tone earnest.

I hesitated, feeling the weight of his words. "Mihir, I appreciate everything we've shared, but I can't shake this feeling. I need to be honest with myself and with you."

He reached out, attempting to hold my hand. "Gauravi, we've dreamt about our future together. Don't let a moment of doubt ruin everything we've built."

I gently pulled my hand away, the distance between us growing. "Mihir, it's not just a moment of doubt. I've tried, believe me. But I can't force feelings that aren't there."

He sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Can we at least talk about this more? Give it a chance."

I shook my head, tears welling up. "Mihir, I need to be true to myself. I can't go through with this if my heart isn't in it. We owe it to ourselves to find the happiness we deserve."

Reluctantly, he nodded, a mix of understanding and disappointment in his eyes.

I returned to the living room, the weight of the conversation lingering in the air. Our families noticed my somber expression, and I took a deep breath before breaking the news. "I can't marry Mihir. It just doesn't feel right."

Shock reverberated through the room, and both sets of parents exchanged bewildered glances. They tried to reason with me, attributing it to pre-wedding jitters and suggesting we spend more time together.

But I stood my ground, explaining that this wasn't mere hesitation. It was an acknowledgment of a deeper truth. As their attempts to persuade me continued, I couldn't help but feel the weight of disappointment and confusion settling over the room.

"It is okay… We all know that sometimes either the would-be bride or groom gets tensed and feels that he or she can't get settled and they give such arguments. Let's not hurry in setting up a date, give them some time to settle down this between them." Aunty Megha said.

"Yes, I was about to say the same. If there is a problem between you two, you can talk to us, we will try to find a solution for it. And even after that, if you don't want to get married, then it is absolutely okay with us. We are not going to force you to get married." Mom said.

"Why don't you all understand… I don't think, I am not in love with Mihir, he is just my best friend." I explained.

"And how did you come to realize it now?" Ron asked.

"I felt that kind of attraction for someone else." I said hesitantly. Mihir looked absolutely hurt and upset.

"Oh, so that's the case?? May I know who he is and where you met him?" Mihir asked.

"That is not the point… we don't have that kind of chemistry, that attraction between us."

"I still want to know." Mihir asked.

"Okay, I think, I have fallen for someone else." I finally said.

"Who is it?"

"Shaurya." I finally said his name.

"Shaurya??" Mihir and Ron said in unison. Mihir looked shocked and hurt.

"Shaurya? As in Shaurya? Sagar's son?" Dad asked me, absolutely shocked.