Priya's Invitation

                                    

                                          


"Bri, no. This is too much. I'm not doing it," Ram said, crossing his arms and turning away from Brinda in defiance.
The news of his engagement had spread like wildfire. He barely had a moment to breathe between all the well-wishes, probing questions, and endless speculations about why he had chosen to marry a middle-class woman. Gossip tabloids were ablaze with rumours, the latest suggesting that the most eligible bachelor, Ram Kapoor, had been trapped by a cunning employee.
"This isn't up for negotiation," Brinda huffed, mimicking his posture by crossing her arms as well.
"Adi, control your wife," Ram groaned, rolling his eyes at Brinda's tantrum.
"Bri, sweetheart, let Ram—" Adi began, attempting to help his friend, but his words caught in his throat when Brinda shot him a glare. He quickly backtracked. "Sorry, bro, you're on your own."
"Bri, please try to understand. It might make her uncomfortable," Ram pleaded.
"At least ask her before jumping to conclusions," Brinda insisted.
"I don't have a death wish. Have you ever seen her smile? She didn't even crack a smile at me during our engagement. And you want me to ask her out on a date? She'll kill me with her bare hands," Ram exaggerated, though his voice carried a genuine concern.
"Don't be so dramatic, Ram. I saw her trying to comfort you," Brinda said, her voice softening.
A faint smile tugged at Ram's lips as he recalled Priya's tender touch, how she had tried to comfort him. But he quickly suppressed it, not wanting Brinda to notice and tease him.
"It'll be good for you to spend time together before the wedding," Brinda urged, trying to knock some sense into her stubborn friend.
Ram knew she was right. He did want to meet Priya, but not for the reasons his friends thought. From past few days, he had been constantly thinking about Priya, daydreaming about the life he was going to spend with her. He knew he didn't love her, but there was something about her that consumed his thoughts. He needed to meet her to discuss the rules of their marriage.
No, not rules — he corrected himself. Understandings—that was better. He needed to establish some understanding between them, to set boundaries. He was dangerously close to crossing the unspoken line between them, and if he wanted this marriage to survive, he needed to lay down some ground rules for himself.
"Okay, fine. I'll meet her and spend time with her," Ram finally relented, raising his hands in surrender. "In fact, I'm going to call her now."
Just as he picked up the phone to call Priya, it started ringing. Her name flashed on the screen. Perfect timing.
"Hello, Mr. Kapoor, are you busy right now?" Priya's voice came through, laced with a hint of uncertainty.
"No, tell me, Priya," Ram replied. Brinda snatched the phone from his hand and put it on speaker mode.
"Maa wanted to have a puja at our home next week to celebrate the engagement. I understand if you don't believe in these things, but Maa always insists on doing puja before starting anything new. So, I called to invite you and your family. Will you be able to attend?" Priya asked in a carefully measured tone. She had tried to dissuade her mother from inviting Ram and his family. A businessman like him ought to have more important work than attending random ceremonies.
Ram was taken aback. He hadn't expected Priya to care about religious ceremonies. He had never seen her wearing any religious symbols, and he'd assumed she wasn't the type to be inclined toward such things. 
"Mr. Kapoor?" Priya prompted when Ram didn't respond immediately. 
"Yes... Yes, of course," Ram replied hastily. "I'll talk to Mom, and we'll be there."
"Are you sure?" Priya asked, surprised that he had agreed, that too with such short notice. "I'm not asking you as your employee Mr. Kapoor. Please confirm only if you are certain that you'll be able to attend. Don't you dare to cancel last minute on me like you do with your meetings." 
Brinda and Aditya stifled their laughter as Ram just stood dumbfounded. She was threatening her boss to not cancel on her. He was tempted to tease her and ask what she would do if he did cancel on her at the last minute, just to see her reaction.
But decided against it. "Yes, Priya," he said more sincerely this time. "This is the first time aunty has invited me over. We'll all be there. I promise."
"Okay, bye." And before he could say anything, the call ended.
Ram lowered the phone, blinking in disbelief. "Did you hear that?" he muttered, still processing the conversation. "She threatened me... and hung up on me. Who does that?"
"You like it," Brinda grinned at him, enjoying his predicament.
"Shut up. You were saying to take a chance. She'll probably boil me alive if I even mention a date." Ram grumbled.
Flipping a finger towards his laughing ass friends, he turned to leave. He couldn't ignore the mixed emotions this date idea brought out of him. His emotions were a tangled mess every time he saw her, and he was struggling to navigate them. He couldn't ask her out on a whim, could he? He didn't have the right.
Just then, his phone rang again.
It was Vedika.
Ram let out a sigh as he stared at the name. When he finally answered the call, Vedika's chirpy voice filled his ears. "Hey Ram, guess what!"
"What happened, Vedu?" Ram softened his tone, not wanting to come off as rude, though he was still sulking over Priya hanging up on him.
"We're all going to Australia next week for Sid's wedding. And I think you and Nandini aunty should join us prior to the wedding." Vedika said in a sing-song voice. "Sashi would be busy in preparations and I would feel so lonely without my friends. Promise me you'll be there next week. I know you'll never decline me. You're such a sweetheart. Gotta go. Bye!" She hung up without waiting for his response.
Ram dropped the phone onto the sofa and plopped down beside it. He couldn't cancel Priya's invitation—she had asked something of him for the first time, and it would be terribly rude to decline now. He looked at his friends, searching for a solution.
Brinda raised her brows at him, folding her arms as if daring him to accept Vedika's invitation.
"I know," Ram said, a plan forming in his mind. "I'll ask Mom and Shubham to attend."