Chapter 3

Gauravi's POV

His eyes seemed to be coming out of his face.

"Yes, Dad!" I said and all the color left his face.

"No!! You are kidding… Right? You and Shaurya have always been like enemies." Ron said.

"I am not kidding." I said firmly.

"You are lying, just to avoid getting married. I know, you can't fall for him." Mihir said.

"No Mihir! I am not lying." I said looking into his eyes.

"Shaurya?? Like really?? He is a certified Casanova. Every other day, we see him with a new girl. How can you think that I will allow him anywhere near you? Sid, get my gun." Dad asked Chachu to get his gun.

"No, Dad!! Please don't say anything to him." I requested.

"I will not say anything to him, I will go and shoot him between his eyes." Dad said.

"Mom, please try to make him understand."

"Sweetie, stop this prank, now. You are just like your dad. But let me tell you this is not funny stop this nonsense right away. Can't you see that everyone here is getting tense? Your dad might have a heart attack, and what are you talking about, you love Mihir, and he has always loved you. He is a gem of a person, you should not tease him like this. You are hurting him." Mom said.

"Mom, I agree, that Mihir is a gem of a person and that's why he has been my best friend. I know that he has always loved me, but that is the reason why I should not hide my feelings from him. I know it will hurt him a bit if I say it now but imagine how much he would be hurt if I keep feeling in this way. Mom, he is still my best friend, but I don't feel attracted to him. Mom, Dad… And all the elders, you all had a love marriage, you all were attracted to your partners. You must have felt your beat increasing when your partner was around. I don't feel any such thing for him. Try to understand that being friendly or having a very good understanding between a couple is not everything. You need to have a good physical attraction and a magnetic pull for your partner for a good healthy relationship between a couple. I want to be true and loyal in my relationship and let me tell you that I am feeling all that for Shaurya nowadays. I am sorry, Mihir, but I can't get married to you if I feel this way for someone else. Please don't force me, I can't get married to you. But please will you always remain my friend? I can't lose you, as my friend."

"What are you saying, Gauravi? I have never even looked at another girl in my life. I have loved only you… I have never considered you as just a friend, I have loved you even before I came to know that there is something called love. I can't be just your best friend. I can't and won't force you to accept my love but you should not expect me to be your friend now. I will not be able to think of you as a friend. If you don't want to get married to me, I will break all my ties with you. Mom, Dad, let's go!" He said and went out of the door while my mom and Chachu rushed after him. Uncle and Aunty also went out without saying anything.

"Are you out of your mind?? What have you done? Your mom is right when she says that I have spoiled you beyond the limit. How could you do that to Mihir?? He is such a nice boy, despite being from the Shah family, who are considered to be the richest family in the country, he studied medicine just to be with you. His family has such a wide business but he wanted to be with you and impress me, he became a doctor. He is such a sweet, humble, decent man. Even if I had looked for years, I could not have found such a man for my daughters. His dad, my friend, Mehul requested me to give your hand to Mihir as he is madly in love with you. How can you break the heart of a man who has never even looked at another girl in his life?"

"Dad…"

"No, listen to me, how could you ditch him for another guy? I didn't force you to accept this alliance, did I? When Mehul asked me to give your hand to Mihir in marriage, I asked you first and you agreed to this and only then I accepted the offer. So how can you break his heart and claim that you love another man? And I can't even believe that you chose Shaurya over Mihir… Is it some kind of bad dream?? You not only spoiled your friendship but also spoiled mine with Mehul. How would I face him?"

"Dad… Please, try and understand. Would you be happy if I would not be happy in my married life? Is your friendship more important to you than your daughter?"

"Nothing is more important than my daughters but your action was uncalled for. Why did you agree to marry him and have the roka and engagement with him? Everyone knows about your relationship by now and all of a sudden you claim that you are in love with another man? How will I face Mehul? He has been my friend for more than 45 years."

"But Dad, if he is your friend, he will understand your situation. Even Manik got married to Roshni while he was engaged to Myra. He will understand, and if he is your friend so is Uncle Sagar. Please don't be so angry, I still want to marry your friend's son."

"No, I have always listened to you, and gave you whatever you wanted but I had never thought in my weirdest dream that you would do such a thing. If you had chosen some other nice and decent man, even if I didn't know him or his family, I would have still thought of him, but under no condition, I will allow you to go anywhere near Shaurya." Dad shouted. Siddh and Chachi tried to calm him down. Just then Mom and Chachu came in. They also looked very upset.

"What have you done, Gauravi??"

"Mom, I had to do it… I could not spoil Mihir's life. I have never loved him, but I knew that he loved me and he was my best friend so I agreed to get married, thinking that I would eventually fall in love with him, but it didn't happen. I fell in love with another person. I can't spoil Mihir's life as he deserves someone who loves him as he deserves to be loved. Mom, Dad, I don't love him, but you can still mend your relationship with Shahs, and get Tami, married to Mihir." I said and everyone looked at me as if I had grown two heads.

"I think that you have seriously lost it. Do you even know what you are talking about?? Sid, make an appointment with the psychiatrist, we need to get her checked." Dad said shaking his head.

"Dad, he is a nice man, there is nothing wrong with my suggestion. If I had not fallen for another person, I would have gone ahead and got married to him. But this way the relationship between our families will not be affected."