Page 7 of Always? Forever.
Damn, he knew how to flirt smoothly. I tried to hide my blush, wondering if it had suddenly gotten hotter in the hallway, or if it was just me.
"And to think I would have noticed you too," I retorted with a playful smile.
"Well, it's not too late... I hope," he replied, wearing a charming grin.
"No, not too late," I replied, turning to make my way towards the stairs leading to my apartment. I lived on the 3rd floor.
Before I could leave, I turned back and added, "Although..." as he paused while inserting the right keys into his door this time, "...next time you meet a woman, you might want to put the right keys in the door," I teased, unable to resist having a little fun.
Aarush groaned, realizing he'd probably never hear the end of it. "You're never going to let me live it down, are you?" he asked, to which I shook my head with a playful laugh.
"I'll see you later?" he asked, posing it as a question.
"I hope so. Night," I replied with a smile, heading toward my home.
Unlocking my apartment door, I stepped inside, feeling the emptiness that had become all too familiar. My love life was in shambles. But I quickly pushed those thoughts aside.
After changing and preparing for bed, my phone started ringing with a FaceTime call. It was my parents. I couldn't help but wonder why they were up so early; it was around 8 am, their time.
I answered the call on my laptop. "Hey, Mom."
Thankfully, my parents were somewhat tech-savvy, so I didn't have to go through the usual routine of explaining new technology to them.
I sat there, half-listening to my mom as she rambled on about mycousin brother's wedding preparations. He had finally found a girl for himself, and while I was happy for him, it seemed to have triggered my parents to push me to find a guy and settle down. I was only 24, and they had tied the knot at the same age, but that was 26 years ago! Ugh, parents! I pretend to pay attention as Mom went on about the wedding preparations. They still had plenty of time; the wedding wasn't until next year.
"...Samaira, are you listening?" I was snapped out of my trance.
"Yes, I am. You were saying," I replied, looking sheepishly at her as she glared at me through the screen. She sighed and shook her head before she dropped the bomb I had seen coming from a mile away but had chosen to ignore.
"Should I start looking for a boy for you?" she asked eagerly, her eyes filled with hope.
"Mom, we've talked about this..." I began, but she cut me off.
"Samaira, I understand. I was once 24, too. But you might not realize it today, but a few years down the line, you're going to understand that you need a partner. We will always be here for you, but that extra person is sometimes necessary, especially during the lows and downs of life. I'm not saying being alone is wrong, but beta, you've always been a hopeless romantic. I just want the best for you," she said with a sigh, her words making me feel almost guilty for what I knew I was about to say.
"Mom, I have a boyfriend," I finally blurted out.
"WHAT! Samaira, you didn't tell me about this guy. Who is he? Where does he work? What's his family background? Don't tell me you're dating some'gora.'I told your father not to send you to America. I knew some white guy would trap you..." She continued to ramble on, her questions and concerns pouring out in a torrent. No matter how modern my parents were in manyaspects, when it came to certain things, they could be quite traditional and narrow-minded.
I sighed, attempting to interrupt her, but she was on a roll. Thankfully, she eventually paused to catch her breath. Thank God!
"Mom! He is Indian! Will you chill? God!" I said in frustration, hoping to calm her down.
Finally, my mom calmed down enough to hear that the guy I was 'supposedly' dating was at least Indian.
"I want to meet the guy when I come there next month. Are we clear?" Her tone held no room for argument, and I knew better than to say anything else except nodding in agreement.
We bid each other goodnight, and I let out a long sigh as I closed my laptop. I couldn't help but wonder how I was supposed to find an Indian guy who met my parents' standards when they arrived in New York next month. I had about 26 days to figure this out, and it felt like an impossible task. I was completely screwed.
Chapter 6
10 days later, 14 November
Kartik
I was screwed. I had about 10 days to figure out some kind of arrangement and right now Aarush’s idea looks very tempting. In the past 10 days, I had been on 3 blind dates that ended terribly, 3 dates with 3 different girls from dating apps, and the rest 4 days in stress. No girl came close to being remotely okay for being a girl.
I would date, and leave being my fake wife. The girls I went on dates with were just not someone I could see myself spending my life with, be it a few years even. They were the type I usually befriended.
