“Yes. What if they can turn out to be a perfect match? What if he can be a potential groom for her in the future? She may not be ready for marriage now, but she can begin a new journey in a relationship, can't she?” My insides crumbled. I wanted to scream no, but no sound escaped. I had always feared Karan still having feelings for her, and now our parents even seemed ready to push them together.
I should have been happy for her, but why did it feel like the worst idea ever?
“You can’t force her into a relationship when she’s not even interested, Uncle,” I mumbled, my voice tight.
“So parents shouldn’t look out for their children now? Not everyone is like you, making choices without thinking of responsibilities,” Dad hissed, and I knew exactly what he meant.
“We will never force Amyra into anything, Reyansh. We just wanted to see if they could be compatible. That’s why we called you, to hear your opinion,” Uncle explained calmly. There wasno logical reason to reject their thinking, yet I hated it with every cell in my body.
“Do whatever you think is right, Uncle,” I said flatly before walking out of the cabin, unwilling to prolong the conversation.
It felt like the entire universe was conspiring to make Karan and Amyra a couple.
“Hey, Reyansh! I invited Amyra Di, and she accepted.” Aditi’s voice breaks my chain of thoughts, and I wonder when she entered the cubicle.
“Alright.”
“We’ll be leaving in thirty minutes.” I nod in response.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you. I also invited Karan along with her.”
“What the hell!” I exclaim in disgust, jerking to my feet.
“Why would you invite him to our private lunch meeting?” I shriek, my voice rising in pure annoyance.
“What’s wrong with you? You’re acting as if I did something forbidden,” she says, frowning. “I’ve been hearing about him from Amyra Di a lot lately, so I thought I’d include him and see how he is. I don’t think it’s wrong to check my sister’s choice in men.”
“For God’s sake, Amyra doesn’t fucking love him.” My voice comes out louder than I intended, and she flinches, clearly startled by the fury on my face.
“This is the first time I’m seeing you this angry and scary, when you could’ve said it normally.”
“I’m sorry,” I apologized in a low whisper, realizing it wasn’t fair to scare her like that.
“It’s okay. But remember, we too started dating without love, so they can as well. Just relax and let’s see if he can be a good match for my Di.” She chuckles with excitement, while it feels like my heart is bleeding in pain, as if cold needles are piercing it, dragging me into endless suffering. I grow angry at myself for acting like a fool, for overreacting and overthinking everything about Amyra and Karan.
*****
“That’s interesting, you chose B&T Corp for an internship just because you knew Amyra Di,” Aditi cackles with a bright smile, directing it at Karan, who sits beside Amyra on the opposite side of the table.
“I mean, don’t you think it’s better to join a company where you know people rather than one full of strangers? That’s the reason I’m here,” Karan explains in a smooth tone, while I know he joined B&T Corp only to be closer to Amyra.
“That’s amazing. I’m glad you’re here so that Amyra Di has a good friend in you,” Aditi says, unusually talkative today. There’s a glint of happiness in her eyes that I can’t comprehend.
“Well, I’m the fortunate one to have her as my friend,” he replies, sending Amyra a dreamy look. I roll my eyes in envy as I catch them locking eyes.
“Come on, Karan. You’re exaggerating,” Amyra laughs, swatting his arm playfully.How did I end up here, forced to witness this shit?
“Aren’t they so cute together?” Aditi suddenly whispers in my ear, and my voice escapes on instinct.
“What!” My shriek draws attention from those around us, and I turn to Aditi with a look of pure dislike. I can’t believe it. Even Aditi has started shipping them as a couple.
What the fuck?
“Can you keep your voice down?” she mumbles, tugging at my sleeve to pull me back to my senses, but it already feels like too much.
“What happened?” Amyra asks, concern flashing across her face, while I keep a poker face, unable to utter a word.
“Nothing, Di. Please continue,” Aditi says, gesturing for her to go on eating, while my body stiffens. Suddenly, the silence breaks with Karan’s harsh, gagging cough as he chokes on his food.
