A Contract Marriage?

Priyanka froze. Her heart skipped as he stared deeply into her eyes. Quickly, she took a step back and looked around to see if anyone was watching but there was no one she know of.

"Pardon me for hugging you without permission" He placed his left hand on his forehead.

"I'm fine" She was not sure of her answer.

"We will meet up tomorrow at the hospital," Katan told her. He could not look up after the hug "Krishna's results are out."

"Oh, that?" Priyanka asked.

"Yes. Stay safe" he took a few steps back and entered his car.

She watched him drove away from the house. Priyanka was yet to recover from the shock, he just left her with.

All that happened a while ago, started replaying in her mind. Why did he hug her? Did he found out that she had fallen in love him?

She wondered if he felt the same for her.

The door opened and Kamala came out of the house. She looked at her as if there was something wrong.

"Was that Karan?"

"Yes, mother. He just left."

"Krishna wanted to see him but he is asleep now," Kamala said, leaning against the wall. She watched as her daughter looked in the direction that the car went.

When they came back, she decided to look through the window to see why, Priyanka was not coming inside the house. Her eyes were shocked to see what they were doing.

"Can we talk?"

"Sure mother"

"I know you like Karan but you have to be careful, my daughter. You can never be sure of the type of man, he is" Kamala advised. "Who knows? He might be like Atharva. I don't want you to go through this again."

Heaving a sigh, Priyanka hugged her "everything is under control, mother. I won't get involved with him."

"Are you serious?" she asked, in disbelief. Those eyes were lying. Kamala knew that her daughter liked the young man.

"Yes mother. I'm sure."

**

"You kiss her, buddy?" Salem asked. He was surprised that the girl, his cousin rejected a few days ago has become the cornerstone.

Karan was tired of explaining to him that they only hugged. There will never be anything between him and Priyanka. The corner of lips smile in disproval "I'm not into such girls. Don't get this wrong."

"I don't get it, bro. Why are you denying it now?"

"I said, I hugged her because she was in tears" Karan combed his long dark hair. He glared into the mirror and tucked the strands of hair, backward "I lost control at the dinner, man."

Salem nodded. He noticed it but kept quiet because of aunt Saraswati. She was worried about his health already. This morning, she questioned if Karan was hurting himself again.

"Grandmother reminded me of those years...You know what I mean?" He asked, holding back the tears that started forming in his eyes "I thought we will never come back to this country again."

"Stop going back to your past, Karan" Salem told him. "I'm sure Grandmother did not mean it. She was just questioning Priyanka and you got it all wrong."

On the drawer, was a jug of water. He poured it into the glass cup "we should change the topic to the present problem at hand. I don't want to marry Aarti."

Salem understood perfectly. His cousin wanted to stay off the couples' games for now. But how long will this last? Sooner or later, the family would start becoming suspicious of Priyanka and they would want to wed them, immediately.

"Why don't you marry Priyanka?" Salem mumbled, avoiding his gaze. He moved to the couch and sat with his legs crossed. "It is the best offer, dear. Maybe a contract marriage, you always wanted one."

His cousin was making sense, all of a sudden. But how he makes such an offer to the woman, Koran likes. This might bring a fight between them.

As triplets, they have never fought or quarreled over anything before. It was strange and people kept telling their mothers that they were not ordinary. But it was not the case.

As triplets, they tried their best to understand one another right from childhood. With the disappointments they experienced, there was no need to hurt each other. Fate already took care of that.

"I can't do that time Koran. He will be furious and I don't want to fight on this" Karan told him. He shook his head, sadly and asked "Why me?"

"I don't know, buddy," Salem said. "I never wish for anything bad to happen to you because I'm the one who takes the punishment."

"Well, you should tell Priyanka the truth and make her choose between the two of you. If she likes Koran, then it's fine. But if she doesn't then you mentioned the contract marriage to her."

"You think she might not like Koran?"

"I'm just saying because all these while, you are the one with her. Maybe it is you, she loves."

"No, it is impossible. I behave nice to her because Koran wanted it."

Salem explained further. "Now I understand. If Priyanka loves the sweet side of you then it's Koran. She might say she doesn't want any of you."

"I don't want her to love me" He added.

"But if she doesn't love any of you, it will be perfect."

"Then, I will bring up the marriage to her. She needs money for her brother's operation" Karan relates the story immediately. He did not plan to take advantage of her situation but nothing goes for free. There shall be an exchange of promises and duties between.

"But will she agree to this?" he asked, standing up from his seat.

"I have no doubt, she will say yes" Karan was trying to be positive. He was not sure if Priyanka was going to agree to it. But if she doesn't, grandmother will start sending his invitation cards out.