Cry Baby
Part 5: Cry Baby
Arjun and Sagar stood stunned as they saw Meera leaving in a cab. They exchanged shocked glances.
“Shit… she is gone,” Arjun exclaimed.
“My God…!” He rushed to the car and started it, determined to catch her. What would he say to Sanjana and Vedha? After ten minutes of chasing, he revved the engine and finally got to the cab. Sagar got out and asked Meera to come with him. She stepped out of the cab after confirming that Arjun was not inside.
“What’s this, Meera? What will your Buaji think about us if you go home alone in a cab?” Sagar asked worriedly.
“I won’t go with him,” Meera replied, looking down.
“But why?”
“Do you know how he clutched my hand?”
“Really? When?” he asked, pretending to be shocked.
Meera nodded.
“Yesterday, in the Temple.”
“What?? He came to the Temple?”
She nodded again.
“My God, we didn’t know that. Did he really do that?”
Meera nodded once more.
“I can’t believe this because he never did that before.”
Meera fell silent.
“I don’t understand why he’s suddenly acting so differently.”
“Means?”
“At first, he didn’t want to get married, but he agreed to marry you. He doesn’t like going to the Temple, but he went to meet you
yesterday. And he’s never touched any girl before, but he clutched your hand. Why is he doing this?” Sagar questioned her.
“I don’t know why he is doing this to me.”
“I think he likes you.”
Meera looked at her Mehndi, which had Arjun’s name drawn.
They reached Meera’s house. Sagar formally met Narmadha and Buaji, bid them goodbye, and left for his own house.
“Did you do anything stupid there?” Vedha asked.
Meera shook her head, thinking about how she had escaped their house. She felt terrible about her actions. Sagar was right. What
would Buaji think if she had gone home alone? But what could she do? Arjun’s persistent gaze gave her goosebumps.
At Arjun’s House
Arjun was pacing restlessly in his room, waiting for Sagar. What a girl she was! He knew he needed to be careful with her feelings. What if she ran out of their room on the first night? He chuckled at the thought. Sagar entered and saw him laughing.
“Did you drop her off?” Arjun asked.
“Yeah…”
“Did she say anything to you?”
“Of course, she complained about how you clutched her hand yesterday.”
“I was just trying to help her, dude.”
“You’ve told me before. I think that’s what makes her afraid of you.”
Arjun nodded, understanding the concern.
“Be careful, buddy. She seems very childish. Your actions should make her feel safe. I hope you understand.”
Arjun smiled at him. Sagar left the room, giving him some space. Arjun sat on the bed, lost in thought about Meera.
Sagar was not mistaken, but he needed to be cautious. One wrong move could ruin everything. There were only three days until their marriage. She would be in this room with him, and he was genuinely excited to see her and her expressions. It would definitely be something out of the ordinary.
The Next Day
Sagar pulled Arjun aside. “Do you know Meera’s Amma and Buaji are also moving to Delhi?”
“Really? That’s great news! Meera will feel a little more relaxed.”
“Yes, but only for two or three months, as her Buaji’s house has been rented out.”
“Oh…”
Sagar handed him a piece of paper.
“What’s this?”
“Meera’s house landline number.”
Arjun’s face lit up with sudden happiness.
“Should I call her? What if her Amma or Buaji answers?”
“Just keep trying.”
“Do you think she’ll talk to me?”
“It depends on your talent.” Sagar smiled and walked away.
Arjun knew this was a sensitive matter. Naturally, it would be sensitive if he had any feelings for Meera. He wanted to make her feel comfortable and safe, but how? He devised a plan and realised he needed to talk to her family first. He dialled the number.
It was ringing…
Arjun tensed when someone picked up the phone. It was Meera. An adorable smile crept onto his face as he heard her voice. Would she talk to him? He couldn’t let this chance to tease his would-be wife slip away. He decided to play around a little and changed his voice.
“Who’s speaking?”
Meera sounded frustrated. “You’re so weird. You called us and then asked, ‘Who’s speaking?’ Tell me who you are.”
“Yeah, I get it; I know who you are. I heard there’s a crybaby in your house. I think that must be you.”
Meera was angry. “What? Crybaby? Me? Mind your words.”
“I also heard you look so beautiful. So, can I ask you something? Will you marry me?”
Meera gritted her teeth. “Do you even know who you’re talking to?”
Arjun asked curiously, “Who?”
“Would-be daughter-in-law of the Int.com family. I’m going to be their daughter-in-law in two days!”
Arjun controlled his laughter. “So what? I have no objections. You can still marry me.”
“Mind your tongue! Don’t you have sisters?”
“Of course, but I don’t have a beautiful wife like you.”
“Shut up.”
“I’m saying this for your own good. I don’t think the man you’re going to marry is good. Come to me instead.”
“You don’t need to care about him. I can manage.”
Arjun chuckled. “How will you manage?”
“You don’t need to know. That’s between us.”
“Oh really? Does he know that?” He teased. Meera fell silent.
“I know you’re lying because I saw you crying when he held your hand.”
“That’s because I didn’t know who he was. That’s why I cried,” she lied.
“Now that you know him, won’t you cry in front of him anymore?”
“No…” she said firmly.
He changed back to his authentic voice. “Then why did you run away from our house today?”
Meera’s eyes widened as she recognised his voice. Nervously, she bit her nail. “May I come to your house to meet you?”
“Nooooo…”
She hung up the phone and hurried away. Arjun smiled at his mobile. After that, Meera stopped answering any calls.
Arjun had another idea a while later: he would go to Meera’s house. This time, Vedha answered the phone.
“Who is speaking?”
“Arjun speaking…”
“Arjun beta! How are you doing?”
“I’m fine. How about you?”
“We are all fine, beta.”
“Actually, I want to talk to you about something very important.”
Vedha panicked. “About what, beta?”
“Can we talk in person?”
Vedha grew even more anxious. “Sure, beta.”
“Can I come over this evening?”
“Why not? We’ll be waiting for you. But what’s the matter?” she asked, concern evident.
“It’s not something I can discuss over the phone. We need to meet this evening.”
He hung up. Vedha became nervous and called out for Narmadha. Both Narmadha and Meera rushed into the living room.
“What happened, Jeeji?” Narmadha asked.
“Do you know whose call that was?”
Narmadha shook her head.
“It was from Arjun beta.”
“What did he say, Jeeji?”
“He wants to talk to us about something important.”
“About what?”
“I’m not sure. He sounded earnest.”
“What could it be?” Narmadha asked, panic rising.
“Who knows? But our great alliance may be in trouble because of his girl.”
Meera pouted, looking down, equally nervous.
“We have to console him, Jeeji.”
“Yes, we do. Leave it to me.”
“At what time is he coming?”
Vedha was about to say, “In the evening,” but she stopped when she saw Meera.
“He didn’t mention a specific time.”
Vedha didn’t want to alarm Meera. If Meera had discovered the exact time of Arjun’s arrival, she might have tried to hide. What
would Arjun think if she weren’t there? They needed to mend things; they couldn’t let this grand alliance slip away. So, Vedha wanted Meera to be present when Arjun arrived.
To be continued...