Unveiling Fate's Game

CHAPTER 2:Aspirations and Expectations

Aradhya descended the stairs to have breakfast and greeted her parents.

As she sat down to eat her breakfast, she noticed tension between her parents. Their strained expressions did not go unnoticed by her observant eyes. But she decided not to probe further, assuming it was related to their business problems.

Her mother served her breakfast and tried to initiate a conversation, "Aradhya, how was your morning? Did you sleep well?"

Just then she remembered her dream and got embarrassed and responded to her mom, "Yes, Mom, I slept well. But why are you asking?"

"Because you have a lot of dark circles under your eyes," her mother expressed concern.

"What! Are the dark circles too noticeable? Oh, no!" Priya exclaimed, suddenly taking her mobile to check herself in the camera. As she is fair-skinned, her dark circles were somewhat clearly visible. And she didn't want to appear tired or unhealthy when going out. "After breakfast, I'll do some touch-up for makeup," she thought.

"I know you want to score good marks in your education, but health is very important," her mom said caringly.

Aradhya came out of her thoughts and nodded, feeling embarrassed by her mom's observation. "If Mom knew why I got those dark circles, she'd handle me with a broomstick," Aradhya playfully said to herself in her mind.

"That's true," her mischievous inner voice agreed. Sometimes, she had these contrasting thoughts, a blend of the angelic and devilish sides of her personality.

"I have a lot to cover in college today, so I'm planning to stay in the library during lunch break," Aradhya said after finishing her breakfast, intending to head back to her room.

Her mother nodded understandingly and yelled from the breakfast table, "Alright, dear. Just make sure you take a break and have something to eat. Your health is important too."

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll take care of myself," Aradhya yelled back as she reached her room, making sure her words reached her mom.

Meanwhile, Aradhya's father, Madhu, asked her mother, Shyamala, quietly, "Did you talk about the situation with her?"

"Dear, please be slow. We shouldn't scare her. You know about her ambitions. We have to make sure she understands the situations," Shyamala replied.

Aradya's parents always appreciated their daughter's determination and her ability to balance tradition and modernity. They respected her aspirations and dreams, understanding that she was growing into a responsible and thoughtful young woman.

"But we don't have much time. This may be the only way," Madhu expressed concern.

"Did Srikanth call you? He's waiting for the reply," Shyamala asked.

"No, maybe he was waiting for our call," said Madhu, deep in thought about the matter they were discussing.

As they were discussing, their elder daughter Priya arrived at the house with her daughter Riya, who was seven years old.

Meanwhile, Aradhya finished her light touch-up on the dark circles and was ready to step out of her room. Just as she came out, she was greeted by her sister's daughter, Riya, a bubbly and talkative child.

Riya exclaimed happily, running towards Aradhya, "Auntyy…….!"

Aradhya was surprised by her unexpected visit, as they usually didn't come unless there were special occasions. She loved Riya dearly and lifted her up in her arms, pinching her nose playfully. "Riya, didn't you go to school today?" Aradhya asked with a smile.

Riya replied, "No, Auntie, I bunked my school today. My dad gave me permission. And guess what? Mom and Dad were talking about marriage today! I'm going to be a small bride beside you!"

Aradhya's face dropped upon hearing Riya's words. She had been facing this pressure of marriage for the past three years, especially from relatives. As soon as she turned 18, they began bringing various marriage proposals for her.

Aradhya, doing her masters, was known for her concentration and dedication to her studies. She had a clear goal in mind – to get married only after completing her education. There was a strong reason behind this decision, and she was determined not to let anything or anyone come between her and her academic pursuits.

While her parents initially ignored their relatives, they couldn't ignore the matches coming from her brother-in-law, as it would affect Priya's life.

Curious about the conversation, Aradhya asked Riya, "What were they saying about it, Riya?"

Riya replied confidently, "They were saying it's time for you to get married too! But I told them, 'No way! Auntie loves studying too much!'"

Aradhya chuckled at Riya's candidness and praised her, "Well, Riya, you're absolutely right. I do love studying, and that's my focus for now."

Riya nodded with a serious expression, "That's what I told them! I said, 'Auntie wants to become a super-smart engineer before she thinks about getting married!'"

Knowing Riya's naughtiness ,Aradhya added playfully, "And...!"

Riya confessed with innocence, "If they want, I'm ready for marriage. Actually, I like a boy in my class. Can you talk to my parents and ask them to get me married to him?"

Aradhya couldn't help but burst into laughter at Riya's adorable and straightforward confession. "Oh, Riya, you're such a little charmer! But don't worry, you have plenty of time to think about marriage when you grow up."

Riya grinned mischievously, enjoying the attention she was getting. "Okay, Auntie, I'll wait until I'm older!"

As Aradhya lifted Riya in her arms and came downstairs, the momentary joy overshadowed the underlying tension she sensed in her sister's talk about her marriage. She greeted her sister, trying not to probe further, as she didn't want to engage in a lengthy conversation she felt she might not be ready for.

After saying goodbye to her family, Aradhya started her journey to college by metro, just like any other day. As she walked, every eye seemed to be on her, as she had a natural charm that captivated people around her. However, she was used to such attention and ignored the glances, as it was a regular occurrence for her.

Unbeknownst to Priya, two eyes secretly watched her every move, a person lurking in the shadows with a nefarious plan to snatch away her precious smile.