Chapter 24
Samaira
Kartik dropped me home and that’s when I realised, we had a call with my parents. Not tomorrow, it was today. I can't believe I forgot that! I was lost in my thoughts when I felt a hand on my elbow pulling me out of them.
“Hey” he looked at me concerned.
“Sorry, I was just thinking that I forgot that we also had a call with my parents” I replied a bit embarrassed.
He gave me a soft smile, “I know which is why I insisted on dropping you home and I can see you have something on your mind as well”
He didn’t make it out as a question, it was a statement. He knew I was thinking something, he had given me a good 10 minutes before bothering me. He stopped the car and put it in park, before climbing out and opening the door for me. I climbed out and we walked towards the elevator.
Once we were inside and I pressed the button to my floor, “I wasn’t sure how the meeting went, like my gut says it went smoothly but I don’t know,” I told him, biting my lower lip, the anxiety finally creeping in.
He shifted closer to me till we were a foot apart.
He raised his hand and ran his thumb over my lower lip freeing it from the hold I had it in.
It caused me to shudder. His touch always did that to me.
I didn’t exactly get butterflies but I couldn’t explain what I felt.
It was comfort I realized and anticipation of what would happen next.
“Trust your gut,” he said softly
“I have anxiety. My gut is always telling me to abort the mission.” I tried to joke which worked because he chuckled and moved another step closer till we were inches apart. I sucked in a breath. He looked a bit amused. He bent down a bit so we were eye to eye.
“If I didn’t know any better, I would say, Samaira Bhatt is scared of me” He smirked
I scoffed, “You don’t scare me.”
“Then why is your heart beating so fast princess?” he answered in a deep voice.
My face went red. He started to smirk. That bitch. I wasn’t going to let him fluster me so easily.
“Cause you’re kinda cute” I replied smugly.
It did exactly what I was intending to do.
He started blushing and he really looked cute.
He took a step back and his hand shot up to his neck as he started scratching it, which I noticed he did a lot whenever nervous.
It was really cute. I couldn’t stop myself to control the little giggle that shot out of me.
I put my hand on my mouth to stop it but it didn’t help.
I didn’t know what else to say, so I started walking ahead.
I walked a couple of steps before I turned and extended my hand to him, hoping he’d take it.
And he did. I held on tight and I never wanted to give it up.
The elevator stopped with a ding at my floor.
We walked towards my apartment in silence.
It was 9 pm when we reached. I unlocked the door and we both walked in, me first and Kartik behind me.
He closed the door and turned towards me.
He opened his mouth to say something but stopped when there was a call ringing on my Macbook.
It was probably my parents Facetiming me.
I quickly walked towards the kitchen where my Mac was on the counter, turned it towards us so we could sit on the bar stools, and answered the call.
“Hey Dad,” I said as I saw him adjusting his camera so he could fit Mom too.
“Hey darling, we are here, one second you tell us you have a boyfriend the next we hear from Amaya that you are engaged?! Is this what we taught you?” It was my mom who launched into a thousand questions whereas my dad sat silently. That made me nervous, he looked calm.
So it was my cousin who snitched on me. Great. Just fucking great.
Knowing my dad, he probably researched about Kartik by now.
Kartik wasn’t in the camera frame yet so my parents couldn’t see him.
I turned my mac a bit so he could shuffle in closer, which he did.
He looked nervous, what was he nervous about?
He was charming, everyone liked him, hell he made me like him, somewhat.
He was intelligent too which meant my dad would tolerate him if not like him.
Ugh, why was this difficult, the last guy I told Mom about was Hriday, and look how that turned out.
Mom instantly went quiet as Kartik entered the screen.
She let out a little gasp as if she recognized who he was.
I was confused. Kartik didn’t get as much media attention as his parents did.
My dad raised an eyebrow. I was so confused.
Kartik did a little wave thing and if this wasn’t a serious situation I would have laughed because he looked like a shy kid who didn’t know what to do.
“Hi, I am Kartik, I should have probably taken your blessings who raised her and turned her into the amazing woman she is before asking her to marry me” Kartik finally spoke after a few moments of silence.
I gulped, I couldn't get a read on my parents today.
Maybe it was because I was nervous too. They were silent, my mom was judging and contemplating her choices, and my dad was silent, it was never a good combination.
Kartik was nervous too because he couldn’t stop shaking his leg under the counter.
I had to do something. I kept my right hand on his thigh to comfort him and it did the trick.
He stopped shaking his leg. He put his hand on top of mine and held on tight.
I didn’t know what he was thinking but I didn’t like that he was anxious.
I glanced at Kartik hoping I could think of something to do to ease the worry.
Kartik felt his eyes on me and looked at me, when he did all those lines of worry I was sensing in him melted away into a beautiful smile and he tightened his hold on my hand giving it three squeezes before he gave me a wink.
I returned a smile, this guy was crazy, he would probably panic if he knew I understood that he was nervous.
I shook my head slightly. It was my dad who decided to speak.
“Why do you want to marry my daughter?” he had the expression that I had seen on him a million times while he was interviewing someone. Oh boy.
“When I look at her I feel free and a little less lost. She makes me feel things I haven’t felt before and I did think I was in love with someone but when I look at your daughter I realize that…
that what I had before her wasn’t love, when I look at her working hard for her goals I realize I am lazy when she looks at me and smiles and it’s like everything in the world is alright even if it’s burning down.
She is the calm in my storm. I might not know her for a long time but I can guarantee there isn’t a thing I wouldn't do for her. I love that she reads, and I love that she can write so well but she is really terrible at taking compliments. But I guess that is what makes her…her.” I didn’t realize I was holding my breath till he looked at me with an adoring look that took my breath away.
No one had looked at me that way…until now.
“I know sometimes it takes a lifetime to get to know someone and I can’t wait for that if I have your blessings?
” Kartik finished. I was dumbstruck. I couldn’t think of anything until I heard my mom bite back a sob.
My father looked impressed, he had a small smile on his face.
I guess that was a good thing. I couldn’t gauge if what Kartik said was true or if it was only to convince my parents.
“I like this boy” was all my father said. That made Kartik relax a bit. My mom narrowed her eyes at me still not convinced, she always has had a sixth sense with me. I made the most innocent face I could muster.
“I would love to meet your mother.” Mom said to Kartik leaving no room for discussion as if she thought he would say no.
“Sure aunty. I’ll send you my mother’s contact information through Samaira, is that okay?
And then when you guys come to New York you can meet, sit and discuss when we should get engaged.
” Kartik said to which my mother just gave him a curt nod.
I see we haven't warmed up yet. Shaking my head I say, “We have had a long day, can we just get to the part where you give him your blessing Mom?” I say irritated which wasn’t a good idea because it just pissed my mom off.
“I’ll give him my blessing if he can tell me three things he likes about you and three he dislikes about you genuinely.” She answered while my dad observed and looked lost in thought.
I was surprised. Huh, so we were going with the medium-degree torture to my fiancé, okay then. I nudged Kartik to respond. “You want me to answer that truthfully?” he asked me. I reluctantly nodded yes. What was he going to say? Lord save me.
“Five things I like about her, one: she’s intelligent, she doesn’t let anyone know that, she doesn’t say things out loud much but when she does, she’ll leave you surprised.” Kartik started speaking but didn’t wait for my mother’s reaction or approval to continue.
“Two, she’s kind to everyone and she loves everyone, even if the person doesn’t deserve it.
Three, she’s passionate about what she wants.
Three things I don’t like would be..” he looked at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“First would be, she likes frappuccinos, they are just cups of sugar.” He sounded exasperated when he said that, but that was what made my mom look amused from being concerned, and made my dad laugh.
Before Kartik continued speaking, he looked at me “Two, she loves with all her heart, and sometimes if it is the wrong people she gets hurt but blames herself thinking she might have done something. Three, this one kills me the most that she doesn’t see herself to be beautiful or intelligent or any of the best qualities she has but it’s not really her fault apart from you both or her friends, I don’t think anyone’s told her that and they are utterly stupid and jealous people.
” He finished speaking and looked straight into my eyes.
If I wasn’t crying before I surely had tears in my eyes.
No one apart from my best friends has figured that out about me, about the fact that I self-sabotaged a lot, about the fact that I didn’t give myself enough credit.
Hearing him acknowledge it made my heart dance at the fact that he had noticed me enough to learn that.
My dad grunted in approval before speaking, “if you hurt my daughter, I’ll make sure you’ll not see the light of day again, is that understood?”
Kartik nodded a yes. My mom cleared her throat. I could see she had welled up too. I gave her a soft smile. “Okay, I approve. When do you kids want to get married?” She asked
Kartik hesitated a bit before he said, “If it’s possible by the end of November.
” I had known this so I wasn’t shocked. But now I was scared because my parents would ask why it was so urgent.
“Because the only way I can afford all her desires is by getting married before I turn 26, otherwise I don’t get my inheritance that I have worked way too hard for and can afford all the luxuries or the basic necessities and it goes to my cousin who doesn’t really deserve it.
And I understand how it must look but I promise you, I’ll take care of your daughter who I am sure you have raised as a princess, I promise to treat her like the queen she is.
” And he proved me wrong, if I was in my parent's shoes and was skeptical, this would be a nail in the coffin as this would convince me. Kartik looked nervous again. My dad chuckled, he looked at my mom who gave him a smile and nodded his head before he said, “Okay, you have our blessing to marry our daughter. I have checked your background as well, I wanted to hire a private investigator but my wife wouldn’t let me.” he shook his head at my mom who looked like she was done with that conversation.
I was not surprised. This was my dad after all.
Kartik didn’t even flinch at the mention of a PI and that is what surprised me.
“You check out, you take care of my girl young man or you’ll have to face me.
” My father completed speaking. “Of course, sir, you don’t have to worry,” Kartik replied as he flashed my parents his signature smile.
We bid our goodbyes for the night. I took a deep breath of sigh.
At least the hard part was over from my side. Until tomorrow.