Page 72 of Let's Start with Forever

“I did not hear a proposal in that statement anywhere.”

“Will a ring change your mind?”

Sameer knew he had stunned her, again. He couldn’t live without her. He loved her so much. Of course, he wanted to marry her and soon.

He watched as she kept opening and closing her mouth, like she had absolutely run out of words.

Finally, she recovered sufficiently to say, “You have a ring?”

“No,” he smiled, giving her a sheepish smile. “But, we can go get one right now. I honestly was thinking about getting you one. But then I wanted you to have the joy of choosing your own ring. So, what say? Will you marry me?”

Raashi stared at him for a few seconds.

“Oh My God!” Raashi rubbed her forehead. “This is the craziest marriage proposal ever.”

Sameer put his arms around her, pulling her to him. “You and I have been crazy from the start. Our relationship has been far from normal. So why not add a crazy proposal to the mix? That too right in front of your restaurant where I fell for you all over again!”

He gazed up at the board of AquaNox above them.

Raashi smiled. She couldn’t help it. She knew he was remembering the last time they were at AquaNox when she had unceremoniously dropped a bowl of pasta on his lap. They had come a long way since then.

Sameer pressed her closer to him. “You haven’t replied yet, sweetheart. Will you marry me?”

“I love you. And yes, the proposal is completely, utterly, unbelievably insane. But...it’s perfect. Yes, I will marry you.”

Sameer let out a shout of joy and lifted her off her feet and twirled her around. Raashi laughed, her heart thumping in pleasure.

“What is going on?” Sameer heard Rhea say.

He lowered Raashi down and still holding her, said, “She said yes.”

His sisters looked at him strangely and then their eyes widened in understanding. They screamed in delight. They pulled Raashi out of his arms and hugged her. They jumped on him and hugged him too, talking excitedly and animatedly. Andthen they promptly forgot about him as they peppered Raashi with questions.

“Girls, I am just going to get my car,” he told them. His sisters were oblivious to what he said, as they continued chatting with Raashi. But Raashi nodded at him, still smiling. He grinned at her back. How the hell did he get to be so lucky?

“How are things with you?” Raashi asked Rhea when Shauna went to get their car.

The younger girl smiled. “Everything is fine. I don’t know what you said to both my brothers that day, but they apologized to me. They have been great ever since. Especially Sameer. He’s been very understanding and he actually listens to me these days. And I know it’s all because of you.”

“Really, sweetie, I didn’t do much,”

“I know it was you. I may not be ready to confide in my brothers, yet, but I am getting there. I will, soon.”

Rhea held her hand, squeezing it tight. Raashi raised her head, searching for Sameer’s car and found him approaching them. Holding Rhea’s hand, she stepped down from the pavement onto the road to wait for Sameer.

Raashi was so focused on what Rhea was saying that she didn’t see the speeding bike coming her way. She heard Sameer’s frantic yell a second before the bike almost slammed into her. She stepped back, just in time and tripped over the pavement, falling onto her back. The biker never slowed down, he went careening into the traffic and disappeared around a corner. If she would have dithered even a second longer, he would have crashed right into her.

Raashi opened her eyes as pain radiated down her back. She winced.

Rhea’s worried face came into focus and in the next moment Sameer crouched in front of her.

“Raashi, oh, God! Are you okay?” Sameer asked her.

She was unable to speak. She was completely dazed and disoriented.

“Raashi, talk to me, sweetheart. Are you hurt?” Sameer asked her. When she still didn’t reply, he touched her hand.

“Talk to me, baby,” Sameer implored