Marrying my mistake

12. Neil's POV

Hey pretty people it was the festive and wedding season here so the update comes super late. However this is a long one. Please don't forget to vote.

The hullabaloo did not die down even when I said marriage. Our parents had decided on a date. Ishani cried like a crazy woman, scaring me. Her words had hit me like the biggest slap and kept repeating themselves in my mind. "Neil you are not the one I wanted to marry. I'm not sure what this wedding means to me"

The drive had tired me in fact the whole day had. I took a shower and opened my beer and started working furiously on my laptop, when the bell rang. If it was my parents they were going to have it. I heard the house help call me, "Neil baba, Sid ji is here." "Send him up and get some beer too." Sid was a friend and importantly my distant cousin which made trusting him easier. Though we never told anyone of the brother angle his working in Ishani's office was an added advantage, "hey Sid. How come? What a surprise!," I closed my laptop. "Neil. We came to Ishani's I dropped Reet and came here," he hugged me. My heart sank at the mention of her name as her words played in my mind, "Neil you are not the one I wanted to marry. I'm not sure what this wedding means to me"
But to keep the environment light I noticed the we, "we with Reet? what's happening brother?"

He blushed, "first tell me Ishani was crying crazy when she called Reet. What went wrong?" So I told him how we ended up sleeping together and I intended to marry her. But her reaction on marrying me was shocking. "Did you take her on a date, propose her?," Sid asked. Of course, I had not taken her on a date and albeit those earrings gifted her something. Ohh I was yet to date her and knock her off her feet. This clarity made me grin but I looked up to see Sid had a faraway look, " now that you have given me the solution tell me what's bugging you? " "I slept with Reet. We are in love but remember Shruti I'm half engaged to her. Maa will be broken if she comes to know that I will not marry Shruti. Out of guilt I'm not picking their calls too," Sid blurt it out.

The house help got us more beer and some deep fried potato pakoras. I kept them on the table and offered them to Sid who grabbed a beer and picked up the hot spicy potato. "Tell your mother that you love Reet and marriage is between people who are comfortable with each other."

I saw Reet calling on his phone and he picked up, "yes I'm coming to pick you." "Man I need to go. You take care," he got up and finished his bottle in one go.

After Sid left I decided to check on Ish it was somewhere after 8. I rang the chimes but got no response. Then I saw her lights were switched off. Worried I called her once, twice, multiple times when I decided to go in. I jumped the balcony and opened her door. She was sleeping peacefully hugging her pillow. I went near her and kissed her softly on the lips and left.

My parents came at 11 and I was thunderous "Mom really were those bangles that important to be handed there? And 9 December is like two months away. Hell its only 45 days."

My mother looked up angry, "its final you should have thought about all this before sleeping with her." Her reply shut me up. "Also I will be busy picking jewelleries for my daughter in law. Its your responsibility to find the perfect ring and clothes for her. I have already booked a makeup artist from MAC who will be here on Tuesday morning. The engagement will take place here at home followed by dinner. We are not inviting any business associates and friends. But your grandma and uncle's family are coming tomorrow." She would make a great boss, I thought. "You mean Sid's mother is coming?" "Yes with her daughter in law to be. Its high time we meet her. We need to get her a gift too," she told dad. I snuck out and called Sid he needed to be warned. But he never picked up so I went back inside. After all the prep I decided to book a huge bouquet of flowers, orchids and lilies, for Ishani. Maybe the time to play her romantic hero was here.