“Marry me.”

These two words took Samiksha off her feet and she looked down at Karan with big eyes.
Her world
was at her feet, asking her to spend her entire life with him. She was flattered, like any other young girl.
“Would you spend your entire life with me?” He asked with a smile.
She slowly put her hand forward with a glowing face.
He took her hand in his and looked at her with an assurance. put the ring on her finger.
The sensations of his touch and the feel of the ring reached every cell of her body.
He stood up and enclosed her in his embrace. She had never felt so secure before in his embrace. She wanted to freeze this precious moment.
“Come here.”
He pulled her hand and took her upstairs.
“This is my bedroom.”
The words were accompanied by his smirky smile. She went into the room to find a huge double bed.
The grey and blue combination color of the bedsheet matched with the pastel blue shades of the wall.
She moved her fingers on the wall and said,
“It’s beautiful.
I bet you must be in dreamland when you just lie down here.”
She said and sat on the huge bed.
“Hmm. Yes. But lately, I have started feeling a void here.”
Saying this, he sat on the bed next to her.
She rested her head against his shoulder. He enclosed his hand in hers.
“Karan.”
“Hmm.”
“I have the responsibility of my mom on me.”
He interrupted her.
“And you think I am unaware of it? Stupid girl. She is not just your mom, mine too. So don’t worry. She will have us always with her.”
Samiksha was touched by this gesture.
As they were about to hug each other, the doorbell rang.
“Who is it now?”
Karan’s upset mood was noticed in his words.
He got up with anguish and Samiksha caught his hand and gestured for him to cool down and see who was it.
He opened the door and it was his mom at the door.
“Mom.”
Karan almost shouted seeing her suddenly at the doorstep.
He hugged her and she came inside.
“Mom, you know very well I just hate the concept of surprise.”
The element of being upset was noticed by his mom in his words.
“Relax now. And why can’t I come to meet my son whenever I wish? I will come at midnight or whenever I feel like.”
He took her suitcase and kept it down.
“Let me clarify. I came here as you wished, to meet Samiksha OK.”
Karan was stunned as well as shocked to know, his mother knew about Samiksha. And also he was keen on knowing how his mother came here. Had someone told her about him and Samiksha?
“You know Samiksha?”
“Let me get fresh now. Later you can interrogate me as much as you wish.”
And she started walking upstairs.
“Mom, I mean, wait. Please..”
She turned around and gave him a stern look.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Actually, Samiksha is here. I had invited her in. Just to spend some time you know. How do you know about her mom? Pls, tell me.”
Samiksha came out of the room unaware of what was happening. She was eager to see why Karan took so long to come back.
“Hello.”
greeted a confused Samiksha.
“Oh ya. You don’t know me. But I know you.”
Smiling she pointed at Samiksha. Before Karan could speak, she quickly said
“I am his ex-girlfriend, my dear.”
Samiksha was spellbound and almost heartbroken. She did not wish to think about what was right or wrong or logical. She just glanced at Karan with anguish.
“He had the longest affair of his life with me, sweetheart. We share endless sweet memories you know.”
Before she could say anything else, Samiksha was done with all of this.
“Goodbye Karan.”
Karan just kept his hand on his waist, staring at his great-mom.
She burst into laughter and caught Samiksha’s hand. Samiksha tried to release her hand and was in tears by now.
“Sami she is my mom.”
Karan could no longer bear the pain Samiksha was going through and he clarified his mom’s joke.
Samiksha with mouth open glanced at Mrs. Valenti. She comprehended her prank, smiled back at her, and her next words were,
“How come such a jovial and carefree lady like you is a mom to this serious man?”
Karan gave his angry look to her. She quickly hid behind his mom.
“Does my son trouble you often? Let me know all your complaints and I promise you I will solve them all. Before returning to Banglore.”
Sami gave
a warm embrace to her from behind and gave a coy look to Karan.
“Um, not as such. He is a little naughty, that’s all.”
“Hmm. I got it,” she said with a smirk.
“Mom, go and get fresh now OK. I will arrange for our dinner. Shall we have it outside? What say Sami?”
Samiksha nodded.
As Mrs. Samuel was not at home, Samiksha agreed to the dinner outside.
All three got ready and headed for the restaurant.