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I tried to pull my hand out from under his, but he wouldn’t let go. This was going too fast, too soon. On top of everything else, I had to contend with bloody Aryan and his ill-timed hungry looks.
Against my will, my eyes shot towards his table, only to see him striding out of the dining room.
So much for hungry looks, I thought wearily, forcing my gaze back to Deep.
“Deep, I don’t know…”
“Please, Jessie. Just hear me out.”
I nodded, for wasn’t that what I had in mind when I had agreed to meet him? It was too late to chicken out. I had to hear him out with an open mind if I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life staring at Aryan’s retreating back. Especially if he married Arshia.
“It’s time for me to be married, and when my father broached the topic, only one name sprang to my mind, Jessie. Yours. We have a lot in common, and I know that if you give me the chance, I can make you very happy,” he said earnestly.
He hadn’t mentioned love. Why did Deep want to marry me of all people? Contrary to what he believed, we didn’t have a lot in common, apart from the fact that we belonged to the same social circle. I was nothing like the stereotypical idea of a beautiful princess. To be honest, I was extremely ordinary - short, curvy, and easily forgotten. Veer had taken after our mother who was a renowned beauty, while I had taken after our father.
“Deep, I’m sorry to be so blunt about this. But are you in love with me?”
It was extremely unlikely, but if he was, there was no way I could marry him and destroy his life.
He smiled at me uncomfortably.
“I do admire you, Jessie. A lot. And that’s a good, honest basis for marriage, isn’t it? I’m sure love will come along in time.”
I sank back in my chair with relief. He didn’t love me, thank God. There was a chance that we could make this work. After all, our people had entered into arranged marriages successfully for thousands of years.
There was one last hurdle to cross. I had to tell him the truth.
“Deep, thank you for your honesty. I appreciate it. And now, it’s my turn to be completely honest with you. I do understand where you’re coming from. Arranged marriages have worked well for our parents, and there’s no reason why it can’t work for us. But I have to tell you that I’m in love with someone else.”
He frowned at me.
“Then, why are we here?”
I shrugged.
“Because he doesn’t love me back. I’m trying to get over him. I know for sure that there is no possibility of a future with him. He thinks of me as a friend, that’s all, and that will never change. And now, I’m at a point where I need to bring about a hard change in my life if I hope to move on.”
He smiled sympathetically.
“Are you sure you can move on, Jessie?”
I shot him a crooked smile.
“Hey, name one person who has died of unrequited love. It’s not a terminal illness, just a temporary blip. Besides, I think this love of mine has now become a stubborn habit. Maybe I’m clinging to the idea of being in love with him because I’m an utter brat, and I don’t like being denied the object of my wishes. Eh, I don’t know what’s true anymore,” I said wryly.
“That’s very honest of you,” he replied.
I took a sip of water and nodded.
“If we do go ahead with this, you should know what you’re getting into. I’m damaged, Deep. And I don’t know how long it will take me to heal. Do you want a wife who’s still getting over another man?”
“Jessie, once we’re married, you won’t have time to think about this idiot who doesn’t care about you. You’ll be too busy travelling the world with me, exploring new horizons every few months. I’m a US citizen. We could spend the next few years living it up in LA, partying with the jet set. We could move to Europe if you like.”
It wasn’t the thought of the glamorous life that he offered that tempted me, but what it stood for. Escape.
If I could get away from Devgarh, if I could go for a few years, even a few months, without setting eyes on Aryan, I was sure I could get over him. And maybe, just maybe, I could find my own happiness. If not happiness, then peace and contentment.
I smiled tentatively at Deep.
