Haven't proof read, please feel free to point out typos/errors.

I reached home to get scolding from mummy. She doesn't like the fact that I waltz out of the house before dawn. She began listing the crimes that happen against women in the city especially when it's dark outside., while I went through the newspaper. 

Papa took my side and argued saying I can take care of myself. And no one can as much as lay a finger on me without my permission. I wanted to tell them about how Aman Mehrotra was a living example, but I decided to keep mouth shut.

I sat at the dining table to give company to my parents and sister as they ate breakfast, while catching up on the news about an interesting murder case, that the news called the Dinner Gone Wrong Case. As per reports, a man was found dead at his dining table that had been set up for dinner. He had been stabbed from the back and his body had collapsed on the dining table.

The media speculated that the servant killed the man and left with the jewellery. The man was taken into custody and the jewelry was found on him. But he didn't confess to killing the man, he only confessed to one crime—theft. 

"What's the point of getting up at four in the morning to go to cycle? You can go at seven too." Navi remarked, distracting me from the article that didn't produce new facts. I hated when journalists repeated the same article in different words and new theories. Wasn't crime journalism about reporting facts?

"Shut up lazy bum.  It's exciting. You'll never know how beautiful Delhi roads can look." I said, flipping ti the next page. 

"Okay, enough. Listen to me," Mummy says. "Yesterday, Advay's mother was telling that one of her cousins is looking for a bride for his son. He's two years older to Avni." She pushed her phone forward towards me. "That's the guy's bio data."

I took a deep breath and exhaled looking at Papa. He said nothing but looked down at his plate. Some days even he didn't side with me.

"Yaar, I told you I am not interested in a marriage." I said skipping the sports section where only sportsmen got fame. There was hardly any article about sportswomen. 

"I am not telling you to marry. Just see. If you like then we'll talk."

"Of course, like you did for Navi." I scoffed.

"What's your problem if Navi wants to get married. She likes the guy, he likes her." 

I stared at Navi. Wasn't she going to say anything? 

"I am not marrying him right away. I told Mummy that we need at least an year to get to know each other." She spoke up noticing my gaze.

Great. You'll probably realize that he's not Mr. Right in the meanwhile. 

"I have work to do, so excuse me please," I said pushing away mummy's phone towards her. 

She cast me a disappointed look.

"At least tell me when you will be ready for marriage?"

"I don't want to get married." I said turning back to her. "What will I achieve by getting married? I will become a wife, a mother then? Grandmother? Then? I will die. Bleh. I don't want that life."

"Then what do you want? An alien attack? Apocalypse? You want to go to Jupiter?" She mocked.

"I wish, that sounds so much more interesting." I replied running into my room before she found new reasons to scold me. 

I sat for hours in my room, spending some time surfing the net and some lost in my thoughts. Eventually, even Papa would think I should get married. I knew my parents thought of it as securing my future. But I felt it would be like finding a cage for me. 

Uncle Mehrotra's offer seemed even more tempting now. But I wasn't stupid to dive into it head first. I didn't know deep the waters were. Or how shallow for that matter. There were so many questions in my head.

I was making my way to the room after making tea for everyone at home in the evening, when my spirited sister stumbled I my room with a wide smile.

"Are you free tomorrow afternoon, like around four or five?"

"Yes, why?"

"Great!" Saying that she sailed out as swiftly as she had come in.

I sighed. My thoughts going back to my pending life decisions. Maybe this new and peculiar job offer was life's way of giving me the hint, it's way of showing me the path.

I was distracted by consecutive pinging on my phone. I picked up my phone to find a message from my sister's message. Lazy bum couldn't walk a fifty steps. I opened the message to find an address and time. Then a new message popped below it that said Advay wanted her to meet his bestfriend and Jiya her friend wanted to meet him. And I was supposed to tag along.

I sighed. Navi made sure to put me into her group. I wasn't big on friendships. It was tiring to keep up with the other person's vibes. Sarika was probably the only friend I had since school times and that was because we didn't need a sustained communication to maintain our friendship. Just sending memes, forwards or posts of other people was enough for us.

But Navi had a long list of friends. Different groups from each school we had ever been too. And she mostly tagged me along. It was more because she never got to hear a No from our parents of I was going along. But if she asked permission to go alone to meet her friends, especially after sunsets, she would get a straightaway rejection.

I walked out to the balcony where she sat on the swing. Her favorite spot to lounge. "Why should I come?"

"Because you have to. It's odd for me to go alone. Only Jiya is coming. And he's bringing along two of his friends."

"Ask Hitanshi." I suggested. She was another of my sister's close friends.

"No, if I take her then Dhruvi will feel bad. She's not in town. So only Jiya is coming. And I haven't told the others yet."

I sighed, and agreed to the plan. I wondered if the monkey faced to be fiancé of my sister would bring along his dumb for a lawyer friend too. It would be interesting.

* * *

Aman Mehrotra wasn't there. But there was a certain Gaurav Kapoor and Lata Singh, they were Advay's other friends. I hated how Advay got conscious every time I looked at him. I had to talk to him... directly. Tell him, his weird looks had to stop. 

For the most part I stayed silent hearing them talk about themselves. Both of his friends were also into law. Gaurav worked in the Attorney General office while Lata was a lawyer.

I couldn't turn a blind eye to the way Gaurav tried to impress Jiya. He was so obvious. But apparently only to me. The others didn't seem to notice. But Jiya did. She passed weak smiles to him and rarely made an eyes contact. She was shy. Boy. 

"Hey, sorry I am late!" My gaze went up to the tall man dressed in white shirt and black pants. He exchanged smile with others until his eyes met mine.

Aman Mehrotra, stood staring at me for a beat longer without much damage to his nose. 

As though noticing my gaze on his nose he rubbed his nose with the side of his forefinger and turned to the waiter gesturing him to bring an extra chair.

"Aman Mehrotra is late, guys!" Lata teased. Then she turned to us telling us about how Aman Mehrotra was always punctual.

"Hey, cut me some slack. I was caught up in a hearing." Aman said, walking around the table to the head of the table adjacent to me where the waiter had set up an extra chair. 

Advay who sat across from me, on the chair to Aman's left, introduced Aman to all of us. 

"That's Navi and that's her sister, Avni." He ended. 

Mehrotra smiled at my sister saying, "Finally, nice to meet you. I have heard a lot about you from Advay. "

I refrained from rolling my eyes at the way Navi blushed. How is it, that we share the same damn genes? We are poles apart.

And I was disappointed to find even Jiya was gawking at the man who sat beside me. Stupid girls!

"Nice to meet you too, Avni... Chaddha," He glanced at Advay, "right?"

Advay nodded.

I pulled my lips into a sugar coated smile. He met my eyes with a knowing look.

"So you work with Advay?" Jiya asked Aman. I swiftly turned to look at Gaurav holding back my grin as his jaw clenched. 

"Sort off.. I look into criminal cases unlike these two men here." He said pointing to Advay and Gaurav.

"Oh, then Avni and you'll get along well. She has a dense interest in crime, so much that it's almost unhealthy." My sister said and I glared at her discreetly.

"Oh, is it?" He looked at me with curious eyes. "How unhealthy?"

Luckily the waiter came in with the orders to distract others from Aman's words.

I couldn't help but notice how Advay looked at me, while the water served. I resisted the urge of hurling the fork in my hand at him. He let out a groan covering it with a cough quickly turning to look at Aman. The men exchanged a look while Navi passed him her glass of water as his stood empty. 

Should have kicked him harder, Mehrotra Junior! 

I turned to my sister who looked at Advay with concern asking him if he was okay. While the others teased her and Advay smiled gratefully, I fisted my hand. Advay had to get his heart, head and eyes on the right place. The sooner, the better. 

Something had to be done. I couldn't let him play with my sister's feelings. I had to confront him. I glanced at Aman feeling his gaze and I was right. He was staring at me. 

I discreetly made sure no one was looking at me before narrowing my eyes on him. I was stumped when he tossed an amused smile my way. 

What the hell!  This donkey in formals had the guts to show his teeth too. He reminded me of the donkey from Shrek. I was tempted to wound that smile with my fist.

God this outing was becoming a test for my patience.

• • • • • • • •

I forgot I had this chapter ready. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Looking forward to read your thoughts.

-Anami! ♡