Chapter 8 Aly Pov
1085 Words
Aly pOV
The next morning was t*****e.
After finally spending time with my school friends after years, the last thing I wanted was to wake up early and go to work like a functioning adult.
Unfortunately, life didn’t care about my feelings.
My phone started ringing nonstop beside me.
Sam calling.
Of course.
Half asleep, I answered the call.
And immediately—
“Get your lazy a*s out of bed, Aly. It’s 9 AM!”
My eyes widened instantly.
“Oh s**t—”
I sat upright so fast I nearly fell off the bed.
“I’ll be there in two minutes!”
And I disconnected before he could yell more.
The next ten minutes were complete chaos.
Brushing my teeth while fixing my hair.
Searching for my bag while wearing my shoes.
Running around like a criminal escaping police custody.
By the time I rushed outside, Sameer was already waiting near the main road in his car.
The second I got in, he glared at me dramatically.
“You know I hate being late for meetings.”
I smacked the back of his head immediately.
“Oh really? And who made me late almost every day during five years of architecture college?”
He gasped in fake offense.
“That was friendship.”
“That was harassment.”
And just like that, we started bickering our way to work.
Since we both had the same client meeting, I informed my boss that I’d directly reach the site with Sameer.
The meeting itself went smoothly.
Too smoothly.
The kind of smooth that made you suspicious something horrible would happen later.
Halfway through the discussion, my phone started vibrating continuously.
Rizwan.
Again.
And again.
And again.
I ignored every single call.
By lunch, my head already hurt.
Since my boss had another meeting to attend, Rochelle, Sam, and I went out for lunch nearby.
That was when Rochelle suddenly brought up the topic of higher studies.
“You should seriously consider doing your master’s abroad,” she told me casually while eating. “Germany is honestly one of the best options.”
I looked up immediately.
Rochelle had studied there herself before returning to India.
She started explaining everything:
universities
expenses
visa process
scholarships
work opportunities
And for the first time in days…
I felt excited.
Actually excited.
The idea of leaving.
Starting over.
Building something for myself.
It felt freeing.
Maybe too freeing.
By the time Sameer dropped me home that evening, another disaster was already waiting for me.
A marriage proposal.
Apparently, the family was “very good.”
Educated.
Settled.
From Mysore.
Wonderful.
That explained why Rizwan had been calling me nonstop since morning.
The second I entered my room, I called him back.
And within minutes—
We started arguing.
Again.
He was upset because my parents were actively looking for proposals while I still hadn’t spoken to my father properly about us.
I was frustrated because I hadn’t even known about this proposal myself.
At one point, he simply cut the call.
“Call me when you’re ready to speak to your father seriously.”
And just like that—
Silence.
I stared at my phone for a long moment before throwing it onto the bed.
As if things weren’t complicated enough already, my mother then informed me that we’d be traveling to Mysore anyway because there was a family prayer gathering at my maternal aunt’s place.
And coincidentally?
The proposal meeting was just one day apart.
Perfect.
So now the entire family had decided we’d attend both events and stay at my aunt’s house.
I felt exhausted already.
Later that night, I called Sameer.
The moment he answered, I started ranting immediately.
About Rizwan.
About my parents.
About marriage.
About Mysore.
About life itself.
Sameer patiently listened to everything before finally speaking.
“Firstly,” he said calmly, “Rizwan isn’t completely wrong. At some point, you do need to talk to your father.”
I sighed heavily.
“I know…”
“But,” he continued, “I also think you need to rethink this relationship.”
That made me quiet instantly.
“I’m serious, Aly,” he said softly. “Maybe we haven’t spoken to him much personally, but I genuinely don’t think this relationship is right for you.”
His words lingered heavily inside me.
“And about the proposal?” he added. “Just meet the guy. There’s nothing wrong with meeting someone. If you don’t like him, say no and move on.”
I stayed silent.
Then he laughed lightly.
“And stop panicking about Mysore. Relax. Enjoy the trip for once.”
After a pause, his voice softened.
“And remember… I’m always here for you, okay?”
My chest tightened slightly.
“Goodnight, sister.”
And he disconnected.
That night, I couldn’t stop thinking about everything Sameer had said.
Maybe because deep down…
A part of me knew he wasn’t wrong.
Eventually exhaustion won over my thoughts, and I fell asleep almost instantly.
The next morning somehow felt worse.
While packing my lunch, my mother suddenly asked from the kitchen—
“So when exactly are Rizwan’s family planning to come ask for your hand? Your father is becoming impatient now.”
I closed my eyes briefly.
“Maa, how would I know? According to them, we’re supposed to speak first.”
Immediately, she frowned.
“That’s not how these things work. The groom’s family should come forward first.”
“I don’t know what to tell you.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?” she snapped. “Talk to him clearly. Because if this new proposal works out, there’s no going back.”
That was it.
I was done.
Completely done.
Without replying, I grabbed my bag and walked straight out of the house before the day could get any worse.
By the time I reached the main road, Sameer was already waiting.
I opened the car door harder than necessary and slammed it shut.
Immediately, Sameer stared at me dramatically.
“What the hell, Aly? Don’t break my car door. Who’s going to drop you everywhere then?”
Despite everything, I almost smiled.
Instead, I scoffed and looked away while he gave me an annoyingly smug grin.
Secretly though…
I felt a little guilty.
But if I apologized out loud, Sameer would never let me live peacefully again.
So I kept quiet.
And the two of us drove toward work while arguing about absolutely nothing the entire way.
- Writer
