Part Ⅱ

A decade ago start a love story that could end with just a call.

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Author POV

Nilam is the middle girl between boys. Very shy with the ones she doesn't know at the beginning but after she finds out that can trust to them she is more cheerful. Being a middle child sometimes makes to want more attention but not in the case of our Nilam, she likes this freedom from her parents that all eyes are to the boys. From Nilam, they just want to finish High school with great grades to win University and find a husband to settle down who can maintain her. She was fine with this tradition even with arranged marriage till she fall in love with the Love that Esther and Tom had for each other. She wanted Love too like those she watched in desi serials or Bollywood films and not an arranged marriage anymore, like the one her parents had.

She makes compatibilities between her parents and her friend's story. The two couples had much in a commune but the way Esther and Tomas looked at each other wasn't with her parents.

"I deserve to have true Love, Bhagwan!" she prayed during her fast day.

Playing Cupid around school gave her hope to really find her true love but all her dreams faint away when her dad called her for a real conversation.

" We know Nilam we had decided to talk about this when you will end it University, but a good relationship has come for you my child!" her dad Sameer Sharma said.

The university dream just crumbled like a sandcastle hit by a sea wave. She holds her tears from escaping from her brown almond-shaped eyes. Nilam knows better to hide her emotions with her family members, she doesn't want to look weak before them cause only like this she could have her dreams fulfilled.

Don't get this wrong she loves her family and they love her but in their tradition is like this. She can't complain had a beautiful childhood and was allowed to go to her friends and them to come to hers but when infants go and you pass your 18 parents in India start to take more control of your life fearing for a bad decision. In her family, she isn't the only one to go throw this process her elder brother went to, and now he is married to the one that her family chose but only after he finished university and had a stable job.

"You have to be jocking dad! You promised me after university?!" she said very sadly.

"Nilam this is serious matter! I never joke around so control your language!" her father scolds her.

"Sorry dad!" she said and bite her tongue to control her fury.

"Look the boy comes from a good family, is the only boy between three sisters, two years older than you, studying at Cambridge right now! His family comes from Rajasthan too. They work with jewelry. Are one of the most wealthy families in India well known in Britain and soon will open a shop here in the USA too."

"Dad are you listening to yourself! You never spoke for this boy but his family. If I marry him what I will be there, another jewelry around! Why you don't speak to me about this Boy that is studying and is two years older than me. By the way, how did this family find me?!"

"When you turn 18 your mum spread your photos in our city and his grandfather saw you and liked you for his son mostly cause your Kundli was very matched with his. His son is a little with head over clouds?!"

"I can't believe this! You went behind my back!" she said and get up from her place and went to window open up to feel the air hit her face.

"Nilam nothing will not be without your consent! You think it about just one meeting if you like ok, if you don't is no!

" Dad you are asking me to be his tie to pull down as we do with kites now that his head is over the clouds!" she said letting her tears fall. Her father turned her to him and she buried herself in his chest.

"I couldn't say it better my angel! Sorry, we went behind your back but we need to think for you to be settled down when we will not be around anymore!"

"You always gonna be with me, if not him I marry someone else and I will bring him to live here with us, I don't let you alone!" she said and crossed her hand behind his waist. He pets her hair and draws her tears.

"What is his name?"

"Rajan Singh!"

"They have thought so much to put his name Rajan from Rajasthan!" she said smiling a bit, her dad smiled too.

Her mum Nandini comes to them and Nilam lets her dad draw out her tears and stood before her mum as a soldier.

" First: I will meet him once, if I feel ding-dongs in my head I will marry him if not forget it! Even if you thread me to send me out of home thank god I am still capable to work and I have friends too! Second: if I marry him I want them to make a contract when I am excluded from their fortune and I will finish university and work with them as one employer more! They forget to make me stay home to wait for their spoiled child! These are my conditions dear mum and I am mad with you so no hugging for you or I will not take your shirvat nor even in front of others. Now Excuse me I have to study." she said and went away.

" Don't look at me woman! You know her character very well, she can be shy till you step her limits! And you crossed!"

"You spoiled her to turn to me like this!"

"No Nandini we let her in that school since we come here, you never asked for her desires and decide to play god with her life!"

" You wanted to!"

" I was surprised when His father requested this meeting I accepted not to make you look bad! If he doesn't respect my daughter I don't care for anyone I break engagement even marriage! I have no daughter to be used to hide other's failures." her dad said to her mum and was about to leave when she took his arm.

" Nilam is Lucky to have a father like you, and I to have a husband that cares so much for me and my kids!" she said and pretend to fix his suit.

"Nandini why it works for us doesn't mean can work for her too!"

"After all my doing you still thinks we work out for real!"

"Why I don't say frequently as I did before when kids were little doesn't mean that I stopped loving you! We were the luckiest ones to find our love in each other in the same destiny. Main tumse bahut pyar karta hoon Nandini!

"Main tumse bahut pyar karti hoon Sameer!"

!He kissed her on the lips as they do in their room away from kids.

Nilam watch what she waited for this long to know that not every arranged marriage can be without love. She hoped for her fate to have the same destiny as her parents had.

***

Nilam keeps this news to herself as she knows no one would understand her family's point of seeing the world. Still, she wasn't very sure about this decision cause she knows this is a trap if she didn't accept or if he refused will be a bad thing only for her reputation. When flowers that Esther threw in the air fall in her hands she just smile politely but inside was sad.

After two months just before Esther left school she got The phone call.

"Hello!"

"Hi! With miss Nilam I am speaking?!" said a male voice unknown to her.

"Yes! I am Nilam! Who am I speaking too?"

"I am Rajan! I think you have heard my name?!"

"I am sorry but I do not recall your name!"

"This was good, miss Nilam! You don't remember the name of your may-be future husband!"

"You Exist! Cause I only meet your parent's mister and they organized a meeting for us! I wait four hours for you in a coffee shop very gentlemanly from your part, not even a call then! Why now?!"

"Well I thoughted better sweetie, so I didn't show up then, and don't wait for me to show up never again. Cause I am not interested in middle-class larki that wants to trap a rich guy like me! Girls of your class pull so many tricks on the road to get what they want! So sorry babe to break your dreams for power and money!" he said. Nilam listens and just turns off the phone. He was surprised by this and recall her but couldn't reach her.

Nilam was free but very offended by the way things end. She told every word to her parents. They have a meeting with Rajan's parents. When Nilam raised her voice to his mum that couldn't stop praising her only son as was sun himself.

"Mam he is just a spoiled brat! I wait for hours for him there were no calls no message! If I will do it that my mum will break my legs not just me but my brothers too! If your son treats a girl like this is because you taught him that girls are not worthy enough and I have nothing to do with a boy like yours! After all, he is just a boy that runs to his mum's dress every time he messed up!

Tell you spoiler boy that I will be proud to be more a middle-class girl than to have a small brain as your rich boy has!" Nilam finished and left them alone.

For the first time, her parents didn't say anything to her. Her mum was never in her place or her dad, this was a new thing and no one of them couldn't find the right words to tell something to her