Kismat

Chapter 11: Insecurities

"Shourya, what are you doing here my son?" Suman calls.

"Maa, I-" Shourya stuffs the phone in his pocket before turning to his mother.

"I was. . . . umm . . . . actually I just called Meera"

Suman looks a little bit surprised, "Really! Why?"

"I . . . umm. . . I just wanted to make sure everything was okay, you know, she uh. . . . she's home alone so. . . she might need something. . . . I thought it was the right thing to do, and I wanted to call. . . to see if she was okay if Muskaan and Jai are all right too. Of course. Them as well-"

"Beta," Suman puts a hand on her shoulder and soothes him, "aacha kiya aapne, she's going to be your wife, you need to take care of her."

(Son. . . . . you did good.)

Shourya clears his throat and nods, but there was something off. Suman could feel it.

"Shourya, bacha what is it? I know something is bothering you?"

Shourya fiddles with his cufflinks, "Maa, I'm a little worried. About a few things."

"A few things. What is it?"

"Just about Meera and us or if she's happy? I don't know maa."

Suman pats her son's shoulders to comfort him, "I know my child, how about we talk about this tomorrow, at home? Or we could go to the Dhaba?"

"Okay maa."

Next Morning at Singhania Mansion:

"Good morning maa," Shourya sticks his head in his parents' room early the next morning. His father was standing in front of his mother, getting his tie fixed.

"Hum bhi hai, hame bhi pooch lo," Raj says.

(I am also here, ask me too.)

"Good morning, dad."

"Beta, take a seat. I was thinking you and me can go out to the Dhaba for lunch once I've cleared all your little worries," Raj teases.

"Maa, you told dad?" Shourya's face turns red as he gazes, wide-eyed, at his mother.

Taking a seat, he waits for his parents to finish up. Once they do, they take a seat on either side of their son.

"What are you worried about bacha?" Suman asks.

Shourya takes a minute to clear his thoughts before he says.

"What if she was in love with Rohan? I mean they were going to get engaged yesterday, she had seen him as her future husband for years."

"I don't think she's in love with him. Beta, did you see her when she met him at the temple? I'm a woman, I can feel a woman's emotions by just looking into her eyes. And you spoke to her last night, did she sound upset?"

"No maa, in fact, I asked her, and she said no."

"She's not one to lie."

"Hmmmm, maa I- uh. . . . . I didn't want to get married, like ever. And now. . . . I am. What if I'm not ready? How will I know what to do, what to say? What if I'm not doing the right thing? What if I can't keep her happy?"

This time Raj turns to his son.

"If you weren't ready, you wouldn't be asking these questions. You wouldn't be thinking of all this."