Dhruv's POV

I walked inside the well-organized living room of Aakriti's residence. There was a faint aroma of freshly brewed tea in the air. I dressed myself not too formally in a crisp shirt and formal trousers. I saw a dignified man with graying hair and a sharp gaze, sitting silently on the sofa. I was asked to sit on the couch in front of him. I felt nervous, but calm determination took over me. I need to impress this man, or else my wife will get married to someone else. He was observing me with scrutinizing eyes. A lady came into the room with a tray of tea and snacks, carefully placed it on the table, and left.

"So, you're the young man Dhruv Singh Rathore." He said.

"Yes, sir. It's an honor to meet you finally." I said as calmly as possible.

He cleared his throat and looked at me. "Honor, huh? That's a strong word. So, Mr. Dhruv, your grandfather spoke highly of you. Your achievements are not unknown to anyone; that's the reason why I wanted you to marry my Aaku. But she seems to be completely against the idea of marrying you. She is not ready to clarify the matter, so I'd like to hear from you directly. What did you do?" He asked me.

"I don't know, sir. I thought everything was going fine. I told her that if she felt uncomfortable in my presence, I would ask my brother to handle it, but she denied it. She was more concerned about my wounds and pain, wanting to heal it as soon as possible. I know that she feels comfortable with me. I have never behaved in a way to disappoint her ever." I said sincerely.

'What about when you were drunk, Dhruv?' my inner self asked me.

'That doesn't count.' I counter-replied in my mind.

"You said you wanted time before marriage, Aakriti. Does that mean you do not like her and are just tolerating her because of your grandfather?"

"I liked her the moment I saw her for the first time." But I fell in love with her when she cried for me, feeling my pain.

"I asked for time as Aakriti needed it. She was tolerating me just because of you, sir. I thought maybe I could win her heart. Convince her to marry me."

"But she rejected you and to my surprise, she actually agreed to marry the next guy without even meeting him."

"No, absolutely not. She is just toying with you. She will find another excuse and cancel the wedding." I said.

"Why?"

"If she is not marrying me, then she will not get married to the guy you would select."

"Don't you think too highly of yourself?" He asked, giving me a mocking look.

"No. But I know that she is running away from marriage, from love. Most of all from me because I make her feel emotions that she has never felt before." I explained as politely as possible.

"You are trying to say that she loves you." He asked and raised his eyebrow.

"Yes, she does but will not admit it. Otherwise, why would she be more concerned about my wounds than me?" Why would she allow me to come so close to her? But let's not say that. If she wasn't in love with me, she would have punched me when I tried to kiss her.

"What about you? Do you love her?"

"I love her. I want to get married to her as soon as possible." I said it with the utmost seriousness.

"What kind of husband do you think you'll be to my granddaughter?"

"Sir, I would be a partner who will love and protect her all my life. I'd strive to be someone she can rely on and someone who supports her in pursuing her dreams. I hope to grow with her, not just be alongside her." Does this seem more like a memorized answer? Dhruv, why do you always mess up?

"I believe marriage is a partnership. It's about mutual respect and understanding. You might be able to understand and compromise, but what about her? My granddaughter is very stubborn, just like her father. She can be rude multiple times, which might lead you to frustration, and maybe with time your love might fade. The admiration you have for her will change to irritation. What if your desire to get rid of her makes you harm her in the future?" Now I know why Miss Nanda is so paranoid; it runs in her genes.

"I am not a stupid teenager to play with people's emotions to cure my boredom. I love her and need her. It is not just my stupid, timely desire. I am willing to fight for her and sometimes with her also to make it work. I know your granddaughter is stubborn, but I am more stubborn than her. If I wish to make something work, no one has the power to ruin it, be it a relationship or a business."

After a moment's pause, Aakriti's grandfather smiled at me. "Hmm. You speak well. But actions matter more than words. I don't know about my granddaughter, but I can see that you love her. I am convinced by you. You are exactly the same as your dadu described you. Let's get you both married as soon as possible."

"But. I do not wish to marry her against her wish."

"Let me tell you one thing: if you wait for her to get ready, then just forget about getting married. It will never happen."

"So"

"Let me be the villain for a while." He said with a grin. Looks like he has a solid plan.

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Aakriti's POV

Dadu called me in his study room. Did he find another guy so soon? Why am I so unlucky?

"Aakriti, your wedding has been fixed to Dhruv." He said the moment I entered in. Did I hear wrong? I rubbed my ears as I felt my ears were ringing.

"Dadu. What do you mean by my wedding?" I asked in shock.

"You heard it right; next month is your wedding with Dhruv."

"What?" I feel that my world has shattered. Why is this happening?

"Dadu, I agreed to get married but not to Dhruv." I said in a low voice.

"But why not with Dhruv? He is perfect, handsome, rich, and caring. Why don't you want to get married to him?" Dadu, how can I tell you that I don't want to get married to Dhruv because he is affecting me? I feel like he is capable of shaking my emotions. So, I should stay away from Dhruv.

"You are describing him as a precious gem. One of its kind. As if I would never find someone like him again in my life." I said nonchalantly.

"You have to marry one day, Aaku. Just because your parents had a failed marriage doesn't mean that all marriages don't work." He said in a serious tone. Dadu How do I explain to you that my parent's marriage, even after loving each other so deeply, can still end up like this? Then how can my marriage work when we don't even love each other?

"I agreed to marry someone other than Dhruv, so why are you so adamant on marrying me to Dhruv?" I yelled.

"Sorry." I apologized as I realized my tone was loud and instantly became quiet.

"If you can reject Dhruv, who is perfect for no reason, then who will be your match? You will keep delaying your wedding by pointing out flaws in the next person no matter how good he might be."

"No, Dadu. I will not do anything like that and quietly marry whoever you select for me, but not Dhruv. Please." I pleaded to him.

"If you don't get married to Dhruv. I will name the company in Raj's name." He said. Has Dadu lost his mind?

"Raj, my cousin. Bua's (father's sister) son?" I asked to confirm my doubt. He nodded his head, and I felt goosebumps all over my body. That jerk.

"Dadu, he is an absolute idiot. If you do that, trust me, all your years of hard work will get ruined in a week." I reasoned with him.

"Let it be. I am old enough. The only desire I have is to see you get married. But you don't want to fulfill it. I will go on a long vacation after naming the company in Raj's name." If Dadu named the company in Raj's name, then that egotistic prick who has an IQ lower than a five-year-old's would not only ruin Dadu's and Dad's years of hard work but also our lifelong established reputation. I can already imagine Bua's grinning face and her mocking me.

"Dadu, you are joking, right?"

"No, if you do not wish to let go of the company, then quietly get married to Dhruv."

"Why are you forcing me to marry Dhruv?"

"Because he is a good guy and perfect to be your partner. Are you going to marry him or not? Yes, or should I call my lawyer?" It might sound like a simple question, but no, it was a threat. Will I allow that asshole Raj to ruin my years of hard work? No, absolutely not.

"Ok. Fine. I will get married to Dhruv." I said being frustrated. I am angry with myself for making a hasty decision. If I hadn't rejected Dhruv, this situation wouldn't have arrived. But why didn't he reject this marriage? He also didn't want to marry me. I should meet him and convince him. Aaku, you need to cancel this wedding at any cost. 

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