Chapter 3

Gautham and his family were on their way back home; his parents had a goofy grin on their faces.

"I take it you liked Sindhu..?" He asked. It was more a rhetoric question than an actual question.

"So how did you like her parents?" He asked again. He did not get much time to talk with them to actually make an opinion.

"Well, they were polite. Her mom tried to sell me how much a goody two shoes her daughter was. But I know those eyes. She should have been quite the trouble maker. And if I judged the girl right, she will tell you as to how much trouble she has actually made. And she is going to be quite the addition to our family" Gautham's mom, Renuka, said, totally amused.

"Whoa whoa whoa. Nothing is decided just yet. So, slow down your horses."Gautham exclaimed panicked.

"Oh cut the crap Gautham. I am your mother. You and I both know that you like that girl way too much to let her pass through your fingers. When was the last time you even talked to a girl for a full 2 hours?? Try something like 'Never' that's how many times." Renuka said with that know-it-all smirk on her face. Yup, his mom lives her life to annoy the crap out of him.

"You are sooo annoying, you know that??" Gautham asked his mom, sarcasm dripping out.

"Yup and you love me more for that." She sassed

God, she was annoying.

"Anyways I think this month I will be able to see a new drama. Because obviously, as we all know, you like to get what you want. And Sindhu doesn't seem like the girl who is going to take your crap with her heads down. She is rather feisty if I could say. So I better keep my popcorns ready for some good old family drama" and this was his dad, Govind.

"Oh! Not you too dad. Sometimes I feel like the only adult in the family. You guys act like high school kids most of the time" Gautham said irritated at his parents.

"And you love us more for it" His parents chorused.

Yup this was his crazy family.

My mom, Mrs. Renuka Govind. She used to be a lawyer but she quit it a few years ago. So she is a homemaker now. Well, she is Gautham's best friend and loves annoying him just about all the time.

My dad, Mr. Govind. He is a practicing lawyer and runs a firm. He loves his mom and me to bits. And most of the time, he will be the front row audience for their bickering. And he will be thoroughly entertained.

And lastly, himself, Gautham Govind. He was lawyer like his parents. Seem to run in the family. Currently, he was working outside. But one day he will have to take over his dad's firm.

And he being a bachelor at 29 years is the biggest concern of all my good for nothing relative of his. So the bride hunting started.

And his mom is now taking revenge for all the annoying comments Gautham passed on the other girls she chose to show him before. The fact that he could not hold a conversation for two whole minutes with them pretty much decided his answer.

And then there is Sindhu... Let's just say he had no clue how two hours passed by.

It was a whole different scene in Sindhu's house. Her mom was shooting daggers at her while she just gave a nonchalant look.

"Mom I told you before itself. If I am to say yes for this marriage crap, it's going to be on my terms and nobody else's. So stop trying to burn me already." Sindhu said and took her car keys and strode out of her house.

God, why is it always so hard to make mom understand anything.

She let out a frustrated groan and headed towards her car.

She parked her car on a Mc Donald's near their house.

Sindhu took her orders to a corner table and gobbled off the burger in a few minutes. She sat back and let my thoughts wander about today. Her mom being her mom reacted just the way Sindhu predicted. And her dad, as always kept his mouth shut. God, they drive her crazy half the time.

Don't get her wrong. She loves them very much. It's just... She just doesn't fit in.

Her mom... Mrs. Aruna Srinivasan. She is your typical Indian mom whose aim is to get Sindhu married off to some nice guy. She loves Sindhu and Sindhu knows that. But Aruna never really understood her. She wants Sindhu's life her way. She never even made the effort to know what Sindhu wanted out of her life.

She wanted Sindhu to be someone successful with goals and determination. Well, Sindhu never got to know the "g" of goal or "d" of determination. It's not like she doesn't want to be successful but it was not exactly a priority either. So she was your typical lazy bum while her mom was the typical perfectionist- very disciplined and focused. And that right there was their problem.

Her dad. Mr. Srinivasan. He is a Chartered Accountant. He has a firm of his own. Well, he is this silent audience to everything that happens in the house. Sometimes Sindhu take comfort in his silence even when she know he doesn't understand her.

And then lastly herself Ms. Sindhuja Srinivasan. She is a Chartered Accountant. She worked in Earnest & Young for three years as far as everyone was concerned. She did earn a hefty sum for her needs. Now she runs her Dad's firm. And on top of it she was a painter by hobby. But she does sell her paintings. And she even painted a rich guy's house back in Bangalore.

Wait there is one more person in her family.

And that's her brother. Mr. Aarav Srinivasan. Well, he is in Pune right now with his family. He is a big shot businessman. He owns a company. He is married with two kids. Her sister-in-law is Mrs. Anitha Aarav. She is a fashion designer. And her niece is Anuradha alias Anu. She is a quiet and a cutie pie. And then her nephew is Vikram. Let's just say he is not exactly the innocent little kid though he does pull off an innocent face very well. He is the little devil of the family. But she loves him so much for his antics. Those kids are the two people in her life who can make her smile- not the plastered one Sindhu gives everyone but a genuine smile.

Sindhu was pulled away from her train of thoughts when it started raining again. She felt its presence before even she heard the downpour. She quickly gobbled rest of her meal and scramble out.

God, it was raining cats and dogs... And the timing was just perfect.

Wait she forgot. There was one other thing that can bring a smile on her face apart from her niece and nephew and she was staring at it right now. And let's just say she was going to reach home looking like a lost puppy drenched head to toe.