Chapter 54: Chapter 54

Riya's POV

" Uncle, please don't trust all this... She doesn't love him. I will always keep her happy. You know our whole family, we all will love and take care of her. " Vidyut tried to convince dad.

" Don't waste your time and energy. Even her parents saw how close we are, in the morning. Ask them! I am sure, they would never force their only daughter to marry someone she does not love. " Dr Parth said.

Oh, God!! Why did he say that? I could see that my parents didn't like it.

" Riya, I love you. " Vidyut said.

" I am sorry, Dr Vidyut, but I can't help it if I love Dr Parth. " I said and he left immediately.

" What was all that?? We came here to talk to him. " My dad was annoyed as hell.

" I am sorry, sir, but I beg to differ. Why do you want your daughter to get married to him when she does not even love him? " Dr Parth asked my dad.

" Love is a useless thing, it does not matter... Family, financial stability, family name, values all these things matter the most. " My dad said firmly. His face was as hard as stone.

" Even if your daughter gets married to a king, she doesn't love, she would not be as happy as she would be if she gets married to the man she loves. " He retorted and was not at all intimidated by my dad's stone-faced look.

"Everyone falls in love with his or her spouse after marriage. We all fell in love after getting married. She would also fall in love eventually with the man she would marry. " He said.

" Dad, why are you behaving like that? Why are you saying these things again and again that he doesn't have a family?? And why are you asking such rude questions about his family background and financial condition? How does it matter??" I asked.

" Oh, all that does matter... I want to know everything about the man who claims to be in love with my daughter and wants to marry her. "

" Yes, you are right, sir! I agree with you. A father has a right to ask these things from the man who wants to marry his daughter. He has to have trust in that man to give away his daughter to him in marriage. Ask me whatever you want, sir. I will try to make you have that trust in me. "

" Great!! " Dad said.

" Dad, he is a senior doctor at such a young age. He is hardworking and a brilliant doctor. Why are you even asking all that? "

" It's ok Riya, in any normal arranged marriage, the boy's parents ask all sorts of weird questions from the girl. So what is the problem if a girl's parents also ask some questions?? They need to know about the man too. Don't worry, I can handle all the questions. " He said with an assuring smile.

" But, I am not feeling comfortable. " I said.

" Do you trust me? " He asked me.

" Of course!! "

" Then let us discuss all this. He has a right to ask anything. " He said.

" Ok, but dad, please keep in mind that he is my friend, my senior and I have feelings for him. " I said.

" I prefer Dr Vidyut over him. " Dad said.

" So what is the problem with me? " Dr Parth asked directly.

" To begin with, you don't have a family. " My dad said and I was embarrassed at what he said.

" But you can't reject my marriage proposal because of the reason that I don't have a family? They all died in a road accident, but I have my grandfather. " Dr Parth said

" Hmmm, but there is no woman in your family. " Said gave a new reason to reject his proposal.

" I have another family, my best friend's family. The family who loved me like I was one of them. And there are three loving and caring women in that family. " he said.

" You don't have financial stability as you don't have a rich and well-known family to support you. " My dad said a bit rudely.

" I beg to differ, sir, I am much more stable financially than him. I don't need my family to support me. But they gave me enough good values and good education to make me what I am today. I can prove my financial condition in a few minutes. Trust me, sir, you will be surprised to know that though I am on my own, I am much more stable than him even with the support of his family. " He said with confidence.

Now he was being overconfident.

" Ok, young man, I would like to meet your grandfather and get to know about your background first. " Dad said.

" Sure, sir!! I can arrange for you to meet him. I am afraid, we have to go and meet him. His health doesn't allow him to travel much. " Dr Parth said.

" That's fine, I can understand. We would like to go and see him there. " Dad said.

" Enough of all this discussion!! I have prepared lunch for all of us. Can we all have food now? " Mom asked all of a sudden.

I also wanted this discussion to end, so I nodded.

" Yes, mom!! I am really hungry, as it is, it has been so long since I ate my favourite dishes made by you. " I said.

After that we all had the food my mom had prepared.

Mom served food to me and Dr Parth and as soon as he took a bite, his eyes became moist.

" What happened, beta?? Is the food to too spicy for you? "

" No ma'am, it is awesome... I just recalled how my mom used to prepare my favourite dishes and serve me with love when I saw you doing the same... " He could not say ahead and got emotional all of a sudden.

" Oh, it's ok beta... Don't feel bad or even your mom would not like it. Tell me about your favourite dishes, I will make them for you next time. " She said and he smiled at her warmly.

" Thank you, ma'am!! "

We all had food and then my parents left.

I didn't understand, why was he doing it? He was even ready to get married to me??

Why?

Oh! Was it doing it because he wanted it to be a marriage of convenience?? Because he was gay and wanted to have a normal wedding for society...

*******

I wanted to talk to Dr Parth desperately. But Disha and Kunal came back and they both were looking at us suspiciously.

I think that they heard a part of our conversation or at least they must have got to know that I had Dr Parth had lunch with us.

We all worked as it was my chance to collect samples with Kunal.

" What is going on between you and him? " He asked me.

" How does that matter to you? " I snapped at him.

"So it is true? That you both are together?" Kunal asked.

" There is nothing like that. " I said.

" Don't lie, why was he having lunch with you and your family?"

" I don't even want to talk to you. " I said.

" Of course!! Why would you talk to me now? As it is your boyfriend seems to be possessive and obsessed with you. But don't you think that he should not do, what he doesn't like you to do as you are in a relationship? " He taunted me.

" What do you mean?? " I asked.

" He does not like you talking to other men while he is still flirting with other girls. " He said.

" He doesn't flirt with girls. He can't... " I said.

" He does, I have proof. " He smiled.

" I don't believe it. It is impossible... He is in love with... " I was saying but stopped in the mid of it.

" You?? Maybe, but then what is he doing with this girl?? " He sent a picture to me in which Dr Parth was with that another female doctor. It was the same picture Disha had shown me.

They seemed to be very close in that. It seemed that they were in a serious relationship.

Somehow I felt very bad.