Sonali's Suitors by Bharati Rose (ebook voice reader TXT) 📕

Sonali’s Suitor’s: Chapter Five

“Hello.” My voice came out as a whisper. That was all the energy I could manage.

“Hey loser, meet me at the Starbucks Cafe near your house in five minutes.”

“Neelu, leave me alone. I’m sleeping.”

“Are you going to come down or do I have to come to your house and get Auntie to wake you up?”
I wasn’t fond of the idea. My mom’s idea of waking me up, when I refused to wake up, involved pouring the contents of an entire water bottle over me while I slept. Her cunningness conveyed itself when she made sure that the water was ice cold, knowing that I wouldn’t wake up for lukewarm water falling on me. If that didn’t work she’d pinch my skin, grasping the folds of my skin between her long nails and pulling it outwards, then twisting it, creating excruciating pain. The thought woke me up at lightning speed.

I went to the washroom, washed my hair and brushed my teeth. I changed into a tang, pulling a blue camisole on top of it and threw on matching blue jeans. I pulled back my hair and knotted it into a tight bun. Slipping into my brown boots I walked the distance to the nearby Starbucks.

“A tall caramel apple spice again, Sonali?” asked Daniel who stood behind the counter. I was a regular there, so he knew my order before I even opened my mouth. I liked routine and anything that changed my routine I despised.

“Yes, that would be great Daniel, you’re simply wonderful.” He beamed at the compliment and went to fetch the beverage.

I threw my gaze at my surroundings but I couldn’t spot Neelu. What the hell? He intentionally woke me up in the morning knowing that I was a sleepyhead and yet he wasn’t even here for god’s sake. Then I saw him enter the Cafe with someone behind him, his wife.

“Hey Chandrika!” I ran over and hugged her. She smiled and told me she was happy to see me again.

“So Sona, when are you going to get married, so that we can create havoc at your wedding?”
I frowned at her words. I looked to Neelu for some support. He just shrugged.

“Why not, you’re getting old kid.”

I was amused that he’d speak of my increasing age and still call me a kid. He wasn’t completely wrong about me being a kid, I was one at heart. I was most easily one of the most sill adults, playing pranks on people, doing whatever I felt like doing, acting the part of a drama queen, holding stupid grudges and easily crying over trivial matters. I’m the type of girl who cries a river when watching sad movies.

“Et tu brutus,”I exclaimed.

“Oh please, spare me the melodrama,” he remarked. I glared at him and turned my attention to Chandrika.

“You know a distant aunt of mine is looking for a bride for her son and she inquired about you. “ Chandrika announced.

My skin turned ashen as I nodded my head to acknowledge what she just said. She continued speaking.

“She met your mother at the temple and at our wedding and wanted to seek your proposal. Yet she seems to have some concerns, and kept asking me all sorts of weird questions about you. I’ve cleared her inhibitions about this proposal but wanted to clarify some things with you once and for all. Would that be ok Sona?”

“Absolutely... what do you want to know?”

“Are you in a relationship with anyone right now?”

“Ah,no.”

“Do you have any guy friends, other than you cousin Neelu?”

“No.”

“Who’s Paul?”

“Paul is my friend.”

“You said you didn’t have any other guy friends?”

“Paul is not a guy. My friend’s full name is Paulina. I just call her that for short.”

Chandrika gave a relieved laugh and got out her cell. She spoke to that strange woman from the temple, her aunt, explaining to her, clearing the misunderstanding. I shifted my gaze to Neelu who sat beside his wife silently on the high stool sipping his french roast coffee. I stared daggers at him from across the table. He averted his gaze from me, looking at his wife, who spoke animatedly into the phone. Just my luck!

Chandrika was a wonderful person. However, I didn’t have the same ease of being myself around her as I did with Neelu. Most people would hate any other woman talking to their husband 24/7, but Chandrika understood us. She was always fun to be around and always thought the best of others. I did not want to burst that bubble. I didn’t want to tell her that I had intentionally led her aunt astray about my personality, behaviour and upbringing to break the proposal. She seemed so excited about the prospect of me being married into her family. I couldn’t bear to break that small happiness. I would have to devise a new plan.

Neelu was still staring around at his surroundings refusing to make eye contact with me. He had tricked me into coming here for his wife. He knew if he told me what this meeting was about I’d feign illness and avoid coming. It was because he knew me so well that I didn’t understand this ploy to being me here. I’d deal with him later. Just now I needed to brainstorm. My life depended upon it.

I thanked them for their consideration and with a tight smile told them I had to finish some assignments for school and left. I just couldn’t fathom what I’d have to do now to push this proposal away. I prayed that the lady had not been swayed by her niece’s words.

Publication Date: 11-05-2011

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