The Malhotra Bride by Sundari Venkatraman Read Free Book Online Page A

6.30 tomorrow evening. Do be
    ready to go out.”
    “Are you crazy?” Sunita was shocked. “We aren’t even officially engaged.”
    “I don’t plan to get engaged,” he said firmly. “Let’s get married directly.”
    Sunita had the feeling of having stepped on a roller coaster and not knowing when it will stop. He
    just didn’t know her father or his bull-dozing tactics. If it was not her life that was involved, she
    would have been quite excited to watch this battle of wills.
    When she didn’t speak, Akshay said, “Leave your Pappa to me. I can handle him.” Had he read her
    mind?
    “You don’t know Pappa. He’s very strict. My sister Sandhya had not met my Jeeja even once before
    they got married.”
    “Do you want to go out with me?”
    A frown puckered Sunita’s forehead, “Why should we go out?” she asked innocently.
    “How else can we get to know each other?”
    “But this is not a regular wedding. We plan to part ways after three years.” Sunita was genuinely
    confused.
    An exasperated Akshay frowned at his cell phone. She was Gokul Rishi’s daughter, after all.
    “Sunita, all said and done, we’ll be sharing a home for that period. Doesn’t it make sense getting to
    know each other before taking such a big step?” he asked, hoping to beat her with his logic.
    Sunita was torn between his reasoning and her father’s strict upbringing. Gokul Rishi will never
    agree to their outing. And here was Akshay, insistent that they go out together. What was a woman to
    do?
    “Sunita,” Akshay’s voice shivered into her ear, sending goose bumps up her body.
    Her voice shook lightly when she replied, “Yeah?”
    “Will you be ready at 6.30 tomorrow?”
    Sunita felt a tad irritated with his persistence. She wondered why her life was surrounded by
    dominant men.
    Was that fair to Akshay?
    He got impatient. What the hell was her problem? Can’t she just treat it as a date? What was the
    fuss about? He little knew that Sunita had never been on one before.
    “Okay,” was the squeaky response.
    “Huh?” said Akshay, not sure he’d heard right.
    “I’ll see you at 6.30,” she replied firmly. “And don’t tell me I didn’t warn you about my father,” she
    added for good measure.
    Akshay couldn’t stop smiling at her words. “No worries. You sleep tight. I’ll see you tomorrow
    evening,” he said before hanging up.
    A dreamy smile appeared on Sunita’s face as she got ready for bed. Some of her modern friends had
    boyfriends and they were all excited about it. She’d never paid attention as she knew her parents
    were too strict. But it looked like there might be some thrill in her life too. Will Akshay be able to
    convince her father? The smile never left her lips while she slept.

    Eight

    Akshay was in high spirits when he landed at the breakfast table at eight in the morning.
    “Morning, Mom,” he kissed her cheek.
    “Good Morning, Akshay. Did you sleep well?”
    “And how! How about you? And where’s Dad?” He looked at the clock on the wall. It was 8.05.
    That was late for Raj Malhotra.
    “Very well,” said Tanuja, answering his first question. “Your dad’s on the phone with Sunita’s
    father. Tell me something,” Tanuja asked him eagerly, “Do you like her? Are you ready to get
    married?”
    “Mom, I’m truly caught, hook, line and sinker,” he grinned at her. “Sunita’s the girl of my dreams,
    although—” a frown marred his perfect features.
    “Although what, Akshay?”
    “Sunita doesn’t seem keen on getting married. It was quite a job getting her to agree. She’s still a
    kid, actually. She’s scared of the responsibilities that come with marriage—you know housekeeping
    and all that.”
    “But we have enough people to run our home.” Tanuja stated the obvious.
    “Exactly what I told her, Mom. She also wants to be a career woman—quite unheard of in the Rishi
    family.”
    “I hope you made it clear we’re different?”
    “You bet. I think she