Until We Met

6

Anjali

It shocked me to see them in my house. I hadn’t known they would be coming today. I look at my mom she is talking with Ragini aunty. Aunty asks Aarav and me to go in one car and they said they will go in another. I ask them to join us but they refuse.

“They should have come with us na,” I look at Aarav who is into the driver‘s seat.

“They want to give us some privacy,” he says.

“What! God, I didn’t think about this,” I say.

“Hm.,” he hums and continues driving.

“So Mr CEO sir, don’t you have to go to the office today?” I ask.

“No, Mrs soon to be Mehra Ji. I went to the office, and I returned home in the afternoon”, he looks at me. My cheeks are red after hearing him say ‘Mrs’.

“Ok ok,” I turn the FM radio.

“Hey it’s my favorite song,” I say, singing along.

Aarav

I look at her. She is waving her hands and singing and enjoying the song.

Soon we reached the jewellery shop. I park the car then we go inside.

“First, we will look at some rings then we can buy other things,” mom says, and we all went to the rings section.

My mom asks them for engagement rings and they show us the couple rings.

After half an hour we finally select rings for the engagement. While we were choosing the rings, Anjali is looking somewhere else, not interested in the rings. I look in the direction she is, realizing she is looking at an engagement ring.

“Do you like it?” I ask her.

“Yes, it’s so pretty na,” she said absentmindedly.

“Yeah it is, and it matches with mine too” I show her the rings we selected.

“These are nice,” she says.

“Yeah,” I say.

I tell my mom I will pay the bill then come, so she can go home.

“Anjali can you stay for some time? I have a small work and I will come back in fifteen minutes” I say.

“It’s ok Aarav if you have work, I will go with mom," she says.

“No, no just give me ten minutes," I say before leaving.

Anjali

That ring is so pretty I love it but I don’t have that much money to buy the ring right now. I take a picture of it, so I could hopefully buy the same one in the future.

“Excuse me, can you show me that ring," I ask the salesman.

“No ma’am, it’s sold,” he says.

Shit ya, it’s a pretty ring next time I will surely buy one like that.

I wait for Aarav, and exactly ten minutes after, he came back,”

“Not bad you came on time,” I say.

He bows before me. “Chale (let’s go)”

I nod, looking at the ring before leaving with him.

“What happened?” he asks.

“Nothing,” I look through the window.

Later reached my house. He parks the car, then we both go inside.

Aarav

We go inside, I ask aunty about mom. She says that she went home because my dad is on his way home.

I went to the hall and see Anjali lying on the couch with her hand on her face.

“Mumma yaar can you get me a cup of coffee. Please,” she says with her eyes closed.

“Get up and make it yourself,” aunty says.

“Mumma please just today, starting tomorrow I will make it by myself please only a cup of coffee please,” she pleaded her mom

“Fine, only today,” aunty says, and I go inside.

“Aarav should I make coffee for you too?” aunty asks lovingly.

“No aunty, I am fine,” she smiles and goes inside the kitchen. I follow her to bid her goodbye.

“Ok aunty I will take leave,” I say.

“Stay for a little while longer. I will call Anjali and you both can talk,” she says, ready to go to Anjali.

“No aunty, she is sleeping,” she sighs.

“She is like this. but I want a promise from you,” she says.

“What promise?” I asked her.

“Promise me Aarav that you will be with her forever. I know she is childish, but she is so pure in heart I want you to keep my daughter happy,” she looks at me.

“I promise you, aunty, I will always be there with her,” I say and she hugs me.

“Ok, aunty I will leave,"

“Wait a minute Aarav,” she goes to Anjali.

“Anjali wake up. Aarav is going home,”

“Mmm,” she hums and stirs in her sleep.

“Anjali get up,” she didn’t move an inch.

“Sorry, Aarav she is sleeping,”

“It’s ok aunty I will call her later,” I said and left.

I promised her I will be with Anjali forever but, did I do the right thing by promising her? We decided to divorce after six months. What will I tell aunty if she asks me about this?

*********